To thrive and ultimately succeed, this process requires shedding ego and letting go of pride. It resembles an active admission of humanity in all of its idiosyncrasies and imperfections. Most importantly, the message only resounds when the audience responds and resonates.
On their aptly titled third full-length album and first for Fearless Records, Signals, Devour The Day didn’t just blur the line between musician and listener; they abolished it entirely. The trio—Blake Allison [lead vocals, guitar], Joey “Chicago” Walser [bass, backing vocals], and Ronnie Farris [drums]—focused on getting closer than ever before by preserving the purity of these “signals” and honoring the crowd above all.
“If you’re part of the rock community, you’ve chosen to be a musical outsider,” says Joey. “The choice represents a certain integrity. We respect that so much. There’s no distinction or hierarchy between us and the people who listen to us. We’re all the same. A lot of times, that’s not clear in this business. It’s stuck in The Matrix where the artist is on a pedestal and the fan is below. We said, ‘Fuck all of this tired bullshit’,” he exclaims. “We’re admitting we don’t have ownership of these songs. Rather, they’re all gifts we’ve organized and put into the soundtrack for a community story. This is an escape from the norm. We’re just honored to have the opportunity to make another record and put everything into it.”
“We’re celebrating this community first,” adds Blake. “Whether or not we make music, we’re recognizing the fact we’re lucky enough to do this. We can’t take credit for the ability to create. We highlight the fact it’s a gift on this record by looking at everything from a different angle.”
A growing discography and countless gigs positioned the trio to do so. 2014’s Time & Pressure yielded the Active Rock Top 10 hit “Good Man,” which impressively sold 100,000-plus singles. Meanwhile, the band lit up festivals a la Rock on the Range in addition to touring alongside Sevendust, Three Days Grace, In This Moment, and many more. Most recently, 2016’s S.O.A.R. ignited a flurry of streaming success. “Lightning In The Sky” generated over 3 million Spotify streams and “The Bottom” cracked 2.6 million as the band regularly averaged nearly 200K monthly listeners on the platform.
Following tours alongside Skillet and Alter Bridge, the group returned from the road to commence work on what would become Signals in 2017. They eventually reteamed with S.O.A.R. producer Dan Korneff [Paramore, Lamb of God], but they revised and revamped the entire process prior.
Instead of penning a handful of songs and rushing to the studio, they accumulated nearly 100 pieces of music on their own. Without showing anyone outside of the core three-piece, they allowed the songs to evolve over six months, adding and tweaking along the way.
After laying down the music at Korneff’s spot, Blake personally tracked his vocals in his home studio.
“It was like being 12-years-old again and locking yourself in a room with your guitar amp and total freedom,” Blake smiles. “We got back to our roots and set about on our next creative evolution through doing so.”
The first single “Faithless” hinges on a hulking stomp brushing up against Blake’s guttural delivery. As a hyper-charged riff kicks in, the chorus rises in tandem to arena-size heights, seesawing between pummeling and passionate.
“The truth about so many aspects of our world has come to light,” the frontman goes on. “Dark secrets are being exposed in almost every corner of our society. The hidden prejudice of how we treat people is being uncovered. Power and greed have distorted our leadership. We are demanding a change. We must challenge the rules of conduct and refine them in every way to create an authentic world worth believing in.”
A barking dog trumpets the opener “One Shot” as muscular guitars and propulsive drums give way to another anthemic chant, “You only get one shot!”
Joey says, “Life moves like a passing shadow. We are a mist that appears and then vanishes. We can strive for success, power, glory, victory, fortune and acclaim but they too will fade. We have one shot at a legacy. We have one shot to be humble and gracious with a tireless and sincere conviction for something greater than ourselves. Keep your eye on the target.”
Elsewhere, “Wonderful Creatures” tempers thick beats and emotionally charged vocals as “Cliffhanger” encapsulates an all-encompassing theme, “There is a choice that begins all positive change.”
These Signals find Devour The Day stronger than ever, but they’re sharing their strength in the end…
“We want to level the playing field,” Joey leaves off. “We’re being real with our responsibility that we’re lucky to have.”
Move On
Devour The Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or try to see your twisted point of view
The judge and the jury already let the gavel fall
Court is out, there's nothing I can do
And it is not a question of belief on your behalf
I think it is your word that bleeds the doubt
And like a wound that never feels, infected from within
I won't survive if I don't bleed you out
You wear me out and hold me back
I don't want to be tied down
I'm not done fighting yet
I know I've gotta move on, move on
No, I'm not done fighting yet
Cable cords and metaphors can't make a person care
The intervention I was praying for
Regardless of some clever words I write in my despair
I notice you're not listening anymore
You wear me out and hold me back
I don't want to be tied down
I'm not done fighting yet
I know I've gotta move on, move on
No, I'm not done fighting yet
No, I won't let myself forget
Oh, the fucked up things we did
No, you wear me out and hold me back
I don't want to live that way
And I don't want to be like that
I know I've gotta move on, move on
No, I'm not done fighting yet
No, I'm done fighting
I'm not done fighting yet
The song "Move On" by Devour The Day is about letting go of toxic relationships, moving forward, and not looking back. The lyrics express the singer’s realization that reasoning or defending a twisted point of view is pointless, and that the verdict has already been delivered in the form of a gavel fall. The singer acknowledges that there is no question of belief on the other person's behalf, but it is their word that bleeds the doubt. The metaphor of infection is used to describe the emotional harm caused by the toxic relationship, and the only way to survive it is by letting go and bleeding the person out.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's need to move on despite not being ready to give up the fight. They are tired of being held back and worn out, but they know they have to keep moving forward. The intervention they were hoping for is not coming, and they are not being heard anymore. The singer acknowledges that the eloquence of cable cords and metaphors cannot make a person care, and despite clever words written in despair, the other person has stopped listening.
In the end, the singer proclaims that they will not forget the messed up things they did, but they are not willing to live in that way anymore. They are not done fighting yet, but they need to move on to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I will never reason with myself in your defense
I will not try to justify your actions or your behavior
Or try to see your twisted point of view
I will not try to understand or empathize with your distorted perspective
The judge and the jury already let the gavel fall
The official decision has already been made and I must accept it
Court is out, there's nothing I can do
The case is closed and there is no further action I can take
And it is not a question of belief on your behalf
Your credibility is not at stake here
I think it is your word that bleeds the doubt
Your own words and actions make me doubt you
And like a wound that never feels, infected from within
It's like an internal injury that keeps causing harm
I won't survive if I don't bleed you out
I need to get rid of your toxic influence in order to thrive
You wear me out and hold me back
You exhaust me and hinder my progress
I don't want to be tied down
I don't want to be confined or restricted by you
I'm not done fighting yet
I still have the strength and willpower to keep going
No, I'm not done fighting yet
I refuse to give up and surrender
Cable cords and metaphors can't make a person care
No matter how eloquent or persuasive I am, I can't make you care
The intervention I was praying for
The intervention or help from you that I was hoping for
Regardless of some clever words I write in my despair
Even if I express my pain and frustration in a sophisticated way
I notice you're not listening anymore
I realize that you are not paying attention or responding anymore
No, you wear me out and hold me back
You are the one who tires me and impedes my progress
I don't want to live that way
I don't want to continue living in that negative and oppressive situation
And I don't want to be like that
I don't want to become like you, toxic and manipulative
No, I won't let myself forget
I won't allow myself to forget the harmful things you did
Oh, the fucked up things we did
The terrible and abusive things we did to each other
I know I've gotta move on, move on
I acknowledge that I have to leave this behind and start anew
No, I'm not done fighting yet
I still have the courage and determination to fight for my liberation
No, I'm done fighting
I am not giving up, instead I am ending the fight with you since it isn't worth it anymore
I'm not done fighting yet
But I will not give up my will for a better life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Blake Carney Allison, Joseph David Walser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CambrianChris
Dude how is this band not huge
zombieaids
this song is clearly great but im gonna go the road less traveled here and say whoever did the editing did an outstanding job as well
UltimateVictory88
Amazing and powerful song! Such angst you can hear in his voice during the chorus. True pain riddled in with optimism. This band is truly amazing. I hope Devour The Day blows up in 2014. Rock needs a good comeback and with bands like this out there making music, rock 'n' roll is looking a bit brighter. Top to bottom this album is phenomenal. 'Move On' and 'Oath' are absolute masterpieces. Good luck guys, I hope the world hears your voice...
Alexander M
Careful chords and metaphors cant make a person care..
That is some real stuff right there, awesome song deep meanings here..
Zen
I just heard this song on the radio and I love it so much. I'll definitely be listening to more of your songs. :D <3
Ezme S.
I heard this song on the radio and it was awesome, I kept pushing replay every time it ended :-)
kcs jnc
First time hearing this song love it!!! Powerful lyrics!!! I needed to hear this good timing!!!
BLKJKTFLM5
We had an amazing time Filming/Editing/Producing this video!
Love the Devour the Day guys and hope to see them going to number 1 with this track!!
www.blackjacketfilms.com
Anna Klepacheva
I LOVE this song, and the music is epic. Great song, good work.
Anna Klepacheva
Music as in the sound, I like the sound. There are some songs that have great lyrics but music sucks