Since Defiance, Ohio formed in 2002 they have released four full length LPs, Share What Ya Got, The Great Depression, The Fear, the Fear, the Fear, Midwestern Minutes and several singles, B sides and split EPs. In the DIY spirit they release most of their music themselves, producing their own CDs, as well as allowing anyone to download all their music for free from their website (http://defianceohio.terrorware.com). When not releasing their own music, the band works with small independent record labels in order to produce their releases. Their three most recent albums were released on No Idea.
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Letter Home
Defiance Ohio Lyrics
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If they don't well burn each others' draft cards. we can write an epic poem, except in this one Grendel is the hero, Gilgamesh finds his new home far away from swords and fake chivalry, we've seen the faces of our true enemies, and they don't pay us enough to live on, every year they raise the rent. They hold cards to our faces that rate us on how much we have or have not spent and all for their own evil intent ...
Today I sw a great piece of graffiti, it had birds and spoke of reverie, oh Emily Dickinson, you never seemed so exciting I must say, but without grass or buzzing bees, we all can still have our own prairies and fireworks will serve as stars at the end of this day.
Oh and the world it does keep turning, I used to wish I could sit still so that one day we could meet again with or without our own will, but the miracles in motion, finding new places we belong, and finding inspiration to sing our brand new songs!
The song "Letter Home" by Defiance Ohio is a poignant and heartfelt message from a person who is far away from home during the new year. The lyrics express the sense of disconnection, both physical and emotional, that the singer feels towards their home as they witness the celebrations and fireworks from afar. The wish for an end to war and the burning of draft cards reveals a deep sense of frustration and anger towards the powers that be that perpetuate violence.
The lyrics then take a turn towards the imaginative, as the singer proposes an epic poem in which Grendel, the monster from Beowulf, is the hero and Gilgamesh, the legendary king from Mesopotamia, finds a new home far away from the sword and fake chivalry that typify the classical epic. This reimagining of traditional stories illustrates the singer's desire for a new narrative that challenges the dominant norms and constructs of society.
The final verse is marked by a sense of wonder and possibility, as the singer describes a piece of graffiti that speaks of reverie and Emily Dickinson's poetry. The contrast between the urban landscape and the natural world is emphasized, but the singer suggests that even in the absence of greenery and buzzing bees, humans can still create their own prairies and find joy in the simple things. The final lines of the song express a sense of hope for the future, as the singer acknowledges that the world keeps turning and that new miracles, new places, and new inspirations are waiting to be discovered.
Overall, "Letter Home" is a song that speaks to the human need for connection, creativity, and meaning in a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Friend, it is the new year, I'm eight hours away from home.
I am far away from home on New Year's Day, and I'm writing to a friend.
Kids shoot fireworks from streetcorners and run before they explode.
Children are lighting fireworks on the streets and running away before they explode.
Lovers get drunk on the roof of an underground grocery store you know my new years wish is for the place that I call home to stop this stupid war.
People are drinking on the roof of a grocery store, and I wish that the place I call home would end the war.
If they don't well burn each others' draft cards.
If the war doesn't end, people will burn their draft cards in protest.
we can write an epic poem, except in this one Grendel is the hero, Gilgamesh finds his new home far away from swords and fake chivalry, we've seen the faces of our true enemies, and they don't pay us enough to live on, every year they raise the rent.
We could write an epic poem where the monster Grendel is the hero, and Gilgamesh finds a better home. We know our true enemies, and they don't pay us enough to live on, and they raise the rent each year.
They hold cards to our faces that rate us on how much we have or have not spent and all for their own evil intent ...
They judge us based on how much money we spend, and it's all for their evil intentions.
Today I saw a great piece of graffiti, it had birds and spoke of reverie, oh Emily Dickinson, you never seemed so exciting I must say, but without grass or buzzing bees, we all can still have our own prairies and fireworks will serve as stars at the end of this day.
I saw some amazing graffiti with birds and a dreamlike theme. Emily Dickinson now seems exciting to me. Even without nature, we can create our own beauty, and fireworks can be our stars tonight.
Oh and the world it does keep turning, I used to wish I could sit still so that one day we could meet again with or without our own will, but the miracles in motion, finding new places we belong, and finding inspiration to sing our brand new songs!
The world keeps turning, and I used to wish that I could stay still, but now I realize that we must keep moving and find our new places. We will gain inspiration to write new songs along the way.
Contributed by Alexis J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.