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.
Voices in the Fan
Devin Townsend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caught up in the wire
I'm already gone
Who's the weakest now?
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
I won't be alone
Think of me at night
Send my love to home
I'll be alright
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
Before morning
And it's only tonight that
I'll be able to leave
And it's only the weak
That cry for me in morning
Because tonight there will be no sleep
Tonight it comes for me
Please, help them understand
I've become the voices in the fan
Goodbye
The song "Voices in the Fan" by Devin Townsend is a melancholic one that reflects the desperation and hopelessness the singer feels as they prepare to take their own life. The opening lines, "Who's the weakest now? Caught up in the wire, I'm already gone, who's the weakest now?" suggest that the singer has taken a drastic step and cut themselves off from life support or trapped themselves in a situation where they cannot escape. They are asking who is the weakest now because they have faced their own weakness and decided to end their life.
The song goes on to talk about the moments leading up to the singer's death. They talk about the grey days and times in the water before morning, which could be a reference to their memories and past experiences which they hold dear to them. They talk about how they won't be alone and how they hope to be remembered with fondness. The line "and it's only the weak that cry for me in morning" suggests that the singer is at peace with their decision and that they understand that those who are left behind are the ones who will suffer the most.
The last few lines of the song are the most poignant, as the singer says goodbye to the world and asks for help in understanding their decision. The line "I've become the voices in the fan" suggests that the singer has been consumed by their own thoughts and that they can no longer continue living with the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's the weakest now?
Asking who is most vulnerable in this situation
Caught up in the wire
Stuck and entangled in a difficult situation
I'm already gone
I have already left, emotionally or physically
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
Before morning
Reflecting on the melancholy and mundane moments
I won't be alone
Think of me at night
Send my love to home
I'll be alright
Assuring loved ones that they will be alright, even if they are not physically together
And it's only tonight that
I'll be able to leave
And it's only the weak
That cry for me in morning
Expressing the idea that only in death can they escape their struggles, and only the weak will mourn for them
Because tonight there will be no sleep
Tonight it comes for me
Please, help them understand
I've become the voices in the fan
Anticipating their own death and asking for understanding that they will always be present, even as a mere voice in the background
Goodbye
Final farewell
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind