Shine On, Dexter Freebish’s first full length album in over six years, explores new sonic territory and builds on the hook laden songs of previous releases. While creating Shine On, the band was inspired by 808 drum machines, beat up synths, and their I-phone apps. Produced by The Singularity, the album ranges from the dance, heavy beat influenced “Wide Awake,” to the rock anthem “Do You Want To.” They also collaborated with Greg Wells (Katy Perry, One Republic) on the song “Save the Last Dance.”
Dexter Freebish acknowledges the power of predestination and how it had a hand in them becoming a band. “I was just looking in the Austin Chronicle and had never been in a band or called an ad,” recalls lead singer Kyle. “At the time I wasn’t really a singer except for in school chorus, though I kept notebooks of lyrics. I saw an ad that read: “Singer Wanted. Influences Bono and Sting,” and I said, “what the heck and called, and because of reading the ad I met Chris Lowe (bass, keyboards, programming) and Scott Romig (guitars, programming) and Rob Schilz (drums.) It was the first ad I ever called and it’s still the only band I’ve ever been in.”
Their determination led to “Leaving Town,” Dexter Freebish’s 1999 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Song of the Year (picked from 27,000 entries), which led to a record deal with Capitol Records for the band’s 2000 full-length debut A Life of Saturdays. After exuberantly received radio play (for “Leaving Town” and “My Madonna”), heavy video play on VH1 and MTV2, and enthusiastic tours both domestic and abroad, Dexter Freebish and Capitol Records experienced a regime change that would not allow the band to obtain the attention they deserved and both parties decided to part ways.
This set-back proved to strengthen Dexter Freebish’s resolve, and the believed this was fate’s way of telling them to independently release their 2004 sophomore album, Tripped Into Divine. Pressed by producer Matthew Wilder (No Doubt) Tripped Into Divine bridged the gap between the wide-eyed wonder of unbridled youth and the contemplative fortitude of experience. The single on this album was the fan-favorite, “Prozak,” which went on to win Rock Song of the Year in 2004 in the John Lennon Songwriting contest.
After touring the world to promote Tripped Into Divine, the band decided to go on permanent hiatus in 2005. “We all needed to do other things for a while,” says Lowe. He adds, “We never officially broke up and have all remained friends. But I can honestly say, there was never any hint that we would ever put out another Dexter Freebish record. We were pretty much done.”
In early 2008, the band decided, on a whim, to play a couple of shows throughout Texas. “It just felt right playing together again,” says Romig. “Soon after that, we started writing and recording some new songs.” One of those new songs captured the attention of Electronic Arts, garnering the band’s song “The Other Side,” a spot in the Sims 3 video game.
Steve Schnur, President of Electronic Art’s Publishing Company, Artwerk, comments, “I was in awe of the talent that Dexter Freebish exemplified when I first signed them to a record deal and these feelings have not changed. Ten years ago, I signed them to Capitol Records because of their incredible songwriting and performance abilities and ten years later I’m still working with them for the exact same reasons. The songs that they write are timeless.”
Lowe comments, “It’s crazy to look back to the days when we were on Capitol and how much money the labels would waste to record albums. With modern technology, it is so much easier and cheaper to record an album these days.” Romig adds, “We laugh because recording and mixing this new album cost less than 1/2% of our budget for the albums we made on Capitol. This is a great thing for independent artists and brings power to the people.”
Wonderland
Dexter Freebish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You feel like a king that has lost his crown
You're not turning heads in a beat up truck
You think you'll never win because you've got bad luck
Well it might get better because it can't get any worse...
This wonderland
This wonderland
Is this where you dreamed you'd be at
Well it might get better because it can't get any worse...
Monday's bad, but Friday's worse
You called for a cab and they sent a hearse
You want to go out, but there's nowhere to go
You're still stuck in the middle of a bad TV show
Well it might get better because it can't get any worse...
This wonderland
Is this the life that you thought you would have
This wonderland
Is this where you dreamed you'd be at
This wonderland
Is this the life that you thought you would have
This wonderland
Is this all you can give
The lyrics of "Wonderland" by Dexter Freebish depict the frustration and disappointment of someone who feels stuck in a life that they never wanted. They are sitting in a quiet, desolate place, feeling like a king who has lost their crown - implying that they once had something they were proud of, but have since lost it. They drive a beat-up truck and believe they'll never win because they have bad luck. The repetition of the lines "well it might get better because it can't get any worse" seem to suggest that they are grasping at the possibility of hope, despite how bleak their current situation seems.
The chorus of the song asks whether this is the life the person thought they would have - is this the reality they dreamed of? The imagery in the second verse emphasizes their frustration further - Friday is even worse than Monday, they are unable to go out and are stuck in a bad TV show. Ultimately, they question whether this is all they can give, implying that they feel like they have nothing left to offer.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of being stuck in an unfulfilling life and desperately hoping that things will get better. It emphasizes the importance of dreaming and having hopes and plans for the future, and the disappointment that comes when those plans fall through.
Line by Line Meaning
You sit in a stairwell, there is no sound
You are in a state of loneliness, sitting in a silent stairwell
You feel like a king that has lost his crown
You feel powerless and defeated from losing your position of authority
You're not turning heads in a beat up truck
You are not attracting any attention in a run-down vehicle
You think you'll never win because you've got bad luck
You have a pessimistic mentality and believe your fortunes will never improve
Well it might get better because it can't get any worse...
Despite your negative outlook, there is always a possibility for improvement
This wonderland
The current state of your life
Is this the life you thought you would have
Are you living the life you envisioned for yourself?
This wonderland
The current state of your life
Is this where you dreamed you'd be at
Is this the destination you had hoped to reach in your life?
Monday's bad, but Friday's worse
Your week is off to a rough start and it only worsens as it progresses
You called for a cab and they sent a hearse
Your attempts to rectify a situation only lead to more negative outcomes
You want to go out, but there's nowhere to go
You desire to escape your current circumstances but lack the means to do so
You're still stuck in the middle of a bad TV show
Your life feels like an unending stream of unfortunate events
This wonderland
The current state of your life
Is this the life that you thought you would have
Is this what you expected your life to be?
This wonderland
The current state of your life
Is this all you can give
Is this the best version of yourself that you can offer?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHARLES RICHARD II MARTIN, CHRIS DALE LOWE, ROB SCHILZ, ROB MICHAEL KYLE, SCOTT E ROMIG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind