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.”
One Shot
Devour the Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one shot?
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one...
One shot!
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot!
Chance, if you don't take it
Then you won't make it far
You won't make far in this dance
The ebb and flow of our broken souls
Before we let go, before we advance
Into the afterlife where we're out of time
And we can't, we can't try again
You can't try again
One shot!
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot!
Slow, that's the kind of death I accept
If I let it pass, if I let it go
A bitter taste of my wasted youth
And I'll always hate it, I'll always know
What could've, should've and would've been
If I had the strength to just let it show
So let it show
One shot!
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot!
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one shot?
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one...
One shot!
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot!
One shot!
Are you ready
For your one shot
Are you ready
For your one shot!
The song "One Shot" by Devour the Day is a powerful message about the importance of taking chances and seizing opportunities when they present themselves, as they may never come again. The lyrics encourage listeners to be ready for their chance, as they only have one shot to make it count.
The chorus repeats the phrase "one shot" to emphasize the significance of the moment and the need to focus on the target, whether it be a goal, dream or opportunity. The song suggests that not taking a chance will result in not making it far in life and ultimately missing out on potential opportunities. The lyrics also speak to the regret that can come with not taking a chance, tormented by thoughts of what could have been if the opportunity was seized.
The lines "Into the afterlife where we're out of time, and we can't, we can't try again, you can't try again" adds a layer of urgency in understanding that our time on earth is limited, and we must take advantage of every opportunity presented to us. The song ultimately inspires people to take action and make the most of their precious and fleeting time on earth.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you ready?
The singer is asking if the listener is prepared for something.
Are you ready for?
The singer is asking if the listener is prepared for a particular event.
Are you ready for your one shot?
The singer is asking if the listener is ready for their one chance at something.
One shot!
The artist is emphasizing that the listener only has one opportunity for success.
You only get one shot
The artist is reminding the listener that they have only one opportunity to achieve their goal.
Keep your eye on the target
The singer is advising the listener to focus on their goal and not lose sight of it.
Chance, if you don't take it
The singer is saying that the listener must take advantage of their opportunity or they won't succeed.
Then you won't make it far
The artist is warning the listener that if they don't seize their chance, they will not achieve their desired result.
You won't make far in this dance
The artist is suggesting that life is like a dance, and if you don't take advantage of your opportunities, you won't progress very far.
The ebb and flow of our broken souls
The artist is referring to the ups and downs of life, and how difficult situations can take a toll on us emotionally.
Before we let go, before we advance
The singer is saying that we must let go of our fears and insecurities in order to move forward in life.
Into the afterlife where we're out of time
The artist is referring to death, where we no longer have the opportunity to achieve our goals or make a difference in life.
And we can't, we can't try again
The singer is emphasizing that life is short, and there are no second chances.
Slow, that's the kind of death I accept
The singer is saying that living a slow, unfulfilling life is like a form of death.
If I let it pass, if I let it go
The singer is suggesting that if they let opportunities slip away, they will regret it later on.
A bitter taste of my wasted youth
The artist is referring to the regret they feel for not taking advantage of opportunities when they were younger.
And I'll always hate it, I'll always know
The artist is saying that they will always regret the chances they didn't take in life.
What could've, should've and would've been
The singer is suggesting that they missed out on what could have been a great opportunity due to their inaction.
If I had the strength to just let it show
The singer is acknowledging their fear of failure, and saying that if they had been confident enough to try, they might have succeeded.
So let it show
The artist is encouraging the listener to take action and not be afraid of failure or regret.
Are you ready for your one shot?
The artist is repeating the question, emphasizing the importance of the listener being prepared for their opportunity.
One shot!
The artist is again emphasizing that the listener only has one chance at success.
Are you ready for your one shot!
The singer is repeating the question one final time, urging the listener to be ready for their opportunity.
Writer(s): blake allison, joseph walser
Contributed by Natalie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Seiryu
Devour The Day
"One Shot"
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one shot?
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one...
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
Chance, if you don't take it
Then you won't make it far
You won't make far in this dance
The ebb and flow of our broken souls
Before we let go, before we advance
Into the afterlife where we're out of time
And we can't, we can't try again
You can't try again
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
Slow, that's the kind of death I accept
If I let it pass, if I let it go
A bitter taste of my wasted youth
And I'll always hate it, I'll always know
What could've, should've and would've been
If I had the strength to just let it show
So let it show
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one shot?
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one...
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
One shot
Are you ready
For your one shot
Are you ready
For your one shot
Eric Michael
This band's got some killer guitar lines.
Love this stuff.
undertaker 45
Love this band!
DenyHawk
This song was a great start to an album
HC
Absolute bangers 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Seiryu
Devour The Day
"One Shot"
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one shot?
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one...
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
Chance, if you don't take it
Then you won't make it far
You won't make far in this dance
The ebb and flow of our broken souls
Before we let go, before we advance
Into the afterlife where we're out of time
And we can't, we can't try again
You can't try again
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
Slow, that's the kind of death I accept
If I let it pass, if I let it go
A bitter taste of my wasted youth
And I'll always hate it, I'll always know
What could've, should've and would've been
If I had the strength to just let it show
So let it show
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one shot?
Are you ready?
Are you ready for?
Are you ready for your one...
One shot
You only get one shot
Keep your eye on the target
You only get one shot
One shot
One shot
Are you ready
For your one shot
Are you ready
For your one shot
Anthony Pappas
Awesome song!!
Danny Rogers
We really need to hear some old Linkin park covers from you guys
Ace Khan
Danny Rogers this is very sad that linkin park is getting past and we have to only ask for their covers 💔💔💔💔 where are they?
justin girard
Ace Khan is getting past? The fuck does that mean? Do you speak english?
james burns
I went to Raleigh Egypt long before you guys, love your music.