After performing in a number of metal bands in high school, Townsend was discovered by a record label in 1993 and was asked to perform lead vocals on Steve Vai's album Sex & Religion. After recording and touring with Vai, Townsend was discouraged by what he found in the music industry, and vented his anger on a solo album released under the pseudonym Strapping Young Lad. He soon assembled a band under the name, and released the critically acclaimed City in 1997. Since then, he has released three more studio albums with Strapping Young Lad, along with solo material released under his own independent record label, HevyDevy Records. Townsend's solo albums, a diverse mix of hard rock and progressive metal, have featured a varying lineup of supporting musicians. In 2002 he formed The Devin Townsend Band, a dedicated lineup which recorded and toured for two of his solo releases.
In 2007, Townsend disbanded both Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band, taking a break from touring to spend more time with his family. After a two-year hiatus, he began work on a four-album series called The Devin Townsend Project, with each album written in a different style. The first two entries in the series, Ki and Addicted, were released in 2009. Townsend scheduled tours throughout Australia and North America in 2010 in support of the albums, and released the next two, Deconstruction and Ghost, in 2011.
Townsend's trademark production style, featuring a heavily multitracked wall of sound, has been compared to the styles of Phil Spector and Frank Zappa. His versatile vocal delivery ranges from screaming to an opera-esque singing, and his songwriting is similarly diverse. Townsend's musical style is rooted in metal, and his albums are written to express different aspects of his personality.
Amsterdam
Devin Townsend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will I still be scratching away at this hole,
Will I look back into this jar and see a presence worth mentioning?
I'll be in Amsterdam in the morning,
Walking in the footsteps of what I once believed in
Forty years from now,
We-saw-na-mentioning
I'll be in Amsterdam in the morning,
Walking in the footsteps of what I once believed in
I know the sign,
In soft morning light,
I know...
I know...
I know the light
Is it so over?
I know the light
Down the water...
If you say it's over then it's
ron-zay-a-zone-y-eow-so...
The song starts with the singer questioning the longevity and worth of his existence, wondering if in forty years he will still be stuck in the same place and whether anything he has done so far will be considered important. However, amidst these somber thoughts, he reveals that he will be in Amsterdam soon, retracing the steps of his past beliefs. The second verse mainly repeats the first, but there is a slight change in the wordings, where instead of scratching away, the lyrics talk about "za-onda-way-ing", which is possibly a made-up word to convey the meaning of being stuck.
The chorus is the most straightforward part of the song, expressing the singer's knowledge and understanding of a sign in the early morning light. He repeatedly states "I know" before trailing off on "the light" as if it holds some deep significance that he cannot fully express. The last bit of the chorus talks about letting go of something, and if someone else says it's over, he seems to agree with them.
Overall, the song seems to be about a sense of dissatisfaction and feeling stuck in life. The mention of Amsterdam and the tracing of past beliefs could indicate that the singer is looking for some sort of new direction or inspiration to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Forty years from now,
Contemplating the future and wondering if he'll still be stuck in a rut
Will I still be scratching away at this hole,
Questioning if he'll still be struggling to break free from his circumstances
Will I look back into this jar and see a presence worth mentioning?
Reflecting on his life and questioning if he'll have made a meaningful impact
I'll be in Amsterdam in the morning,
Looking forward to a new beginning and adventure in Amsterdam
Walking in the footsteps of what I once believed in
Revisiting his past beliefs and experiences and embracing them in a new context
I know the sign,
Having a sense of intuition or awareness regarding a certain situation
In soft morning light,
Describing the atmosphere or setting of a certain moment
I know…
Confident in his knowledge or understanding of something
Is it so over?
Questioning the finality or inevitability of a situation
Down the water…
Using a metaphor to convey the passing of time
If you say it's over then it's
Acknowledging the power of perception and interpretation in shaping reality
ron-zay-a-zone-y-eow-so…
Incoherent sounds indicating confusion or uncertainty
Contributed by Hunter V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cynntu
From the back of Ass-Sordid Demos I (which is the album this version of the song is on):
"I wrote this while I was in high school. Bad jazz-inspired thing. Maybe that's all jazz is..."
And the back of Ass-Sordid Demos II
"One of my more mediocre songs DONE AGAIN... hey!!! Wuttaconcept. Reason? Will Riley did some cool shit to it, and it was a one take for me. Good deal."
Also worth noting that in this version of the song, there's reversed signing in the background toward the end, which is just a snippet from the beginning of the song where he says "presence worth mentioning, I'll be in Amsterdam in the mornin'..." etc
WeWantYouToStay
+Edwin Bonilla that first verse for 'soft' is almost completely wrong. It goes:
Days alone never felt like this
The lights of home, a year away
Now it's too late to fight it all, just drive
Streets glow, and the night...
The night is soft
Edwin Bonilla
The lyrics for "Cold" is in a comment I submitted on the video for "Cold" on youtube. I have never met Devin Townsend although I am a fan of his work. I transcribed "Soft", "Cold" and "I Am" by myself with the help of my earbuds.
Cynntu
@Edwin Bonilla
Have you worked directly with him or are you just transcribing? And if you have cold I'd really really appreciate the lyrics for that.
Edwin Bonilla
I am Edwin Bonilla, the transcriber of Devin Townsend's demos. I have revised the lyrics of "Soft" a little. Transcribing this song was much more difficult than transcribing "Cold".
The real lyrics for "Soft"
Days of old never felt like this
The lights of old
A year away
Now it's too late
Find it all just right
Streets glow in the night
The night is soft (x3)
I can see it now
Every night
My Bible rests and I never wonder
So I'm walking home beside the river
Stats
Late November
And I feel and I feel it coming away
And the multitudes of kissing eyes
I feel it now
Every night
My Bible rests and I wonder why
And I'm feeling down
Every night
This inner stew
We do we do alright
And if it takes too long
For me to find
The answer
God knows I know it's fine
But I'll take these days
And take these nights
Take these ancient smiles
And I'll keep them soft
The night is soft (x3)
Soft (x3)
And I feel it now
And every night
My Bible rests and I wonder why
And I feel it now
Every night
This inner stew
We do we do alright
And if takes too long
For me to find
The answer
God knows I know it's fine
And I'll take my days
I'll take my nights
And keep these smiles
And I'll keep them home to