Since its inception, DHARMATA has quickly created a large, loyal, and growing fan base in the Florida music scene, garnering buzz for their ability to combine polished song craftsmanship with captivating high-energy live performances.
A dynamic sound captures the collective best of each member's influences, a wide-ranging spectrum that includes everything from Pantera to Jeff Buckley. In their brief existence, DHARMATA has already shared stages with artists such as 10 Years, Skindred, Sick Puppies, and Nonpoint, and has been invited to participate in large music festivals such as SunFest, MoonFest, Crue Fest, and Buzz Bake Sale.
In 2007, DHARMATA's very first song and recording, "The Fall," had an immediate impact at radio, with airplay on West Palm Beach's influential rock station, WPBZ 103.1 The Buzz. "The Fall," an apologetic homage to vocalist Jay Slim's previous band, nationally-recognized rock outfit Presence, showcases the emotionally palpable lyrics and soaring, powerful melodic hooks that have been seducing South Florida audiences.
In 2009, popular British ragga-metal rockers Skindred stumbled across a live DHARMATA performance and asked DHARMATA to join them on a tour of the Midwestern United States. DHARMATA’s first tour outside of Florida proved fruitful, as they fetched massive merchandise sales and a brand new ravenous fan base in select Midwest cities. At the request of Madison, Wisconsin’s WJJO, DHARMATA performed live on-air to immediate rave reviews. In December 2009, Benji Webbe, lead vocalist of Skindred, spoke highly of DHARMATA in a live South Florida radio broadcast, calling the band “soon-to-be international rock stars.”
DHARMATA completed sessions at Tony Bongiovi's Power Station Studios with producers Rob Roy and Joe Butera in late 2009. The single, “The Awakening,” garnered airplay on WPBZ 103.1 The Buzz as well as WHDR 93.1 (93 Rock) in Miami.
DHARMATA is currently finishing up their debut full length album with producer Matt LaPlant and Benji Webbe (Skindred) at Beiler Bros. Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida. In November 2011, the first single off the new album, “Do It Again,” was picked up as an official add at WPBZ 103.1 The Buzz with 14+ weekly spins during mid-day and evenings. In December 2011, due to a swell of positive feedback from listeners, WPBZ asked DHARMATA to headline a stage at the Buzz Bake Sale and was one of the most talked-about artists at the event, after playing to an audience of thousands.
DHARMATA will release their debut album in early 2012, followed by relentless touring in support.
The Awakening
Dharmata Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so damn hip
Buy what's advertised
More useless shit
Old two eyes
You're so damn hip
Buy what's advertised
More useless shit
The great shift cometh
Some are left behind
Work our way inside
And leave the pretense to die
Bright and shiny objects
Make single-file lines
Do we all forget what it´s like to be alive?
Shades of indigo descend
Down the rabbit hole again
Old two eyes
You're so damn hip
Buy what's advertised
More useless shit
All you see is coal
Never what's inside it
Loosen up your grip
On culture, faith, and pride
Don't buy in
Don't sell out
Read between the headlines
Fear is the cancer
Just stare into the sky
Did we all forget
What it's like to be alive?
Shades of indigo descend
Down the rabbit hole again
Old two eyes
You're so damn hip
Buy what's advertised
More useless shit
All you see is coal
Never what's inside it
Oh Gaia
Lend these fools your sight
Be free again
No Sell
No Buy
Meanwhile
I'll dance among the living dead
It'll be so right
When we're light
AWAKE
Old two eyes
You're so damn hip
You've been hypnotized
It's all bullshit
Old two eyes
You're so damn hip
Buy what's advertised
More useless shit
All you see is coal
Never what's inside it
Buy what's advertised
More useless shit
All you see is coal
Never what's inside it
The lyrics of "The Awakening" by Dharmata criticize the materialistic and consumeristic mindset of society. The chorus constantly repeats "Old two eyes, you're so damn hip, buy what's advertised, more useless shit," which highlights the message that people have become too attached to objects and the media. The song encourages the listener to not fall for the manipulation of advertising and to truly live life by being aware and breaking away from the superficial.
The song also references the "great shift" that some may be left behind in. This could be interpreted as a spiritual shift or a shift in mindset, where those who refuse to let go of their old ways and attachments are left behind. The lyrics encourage listeners to work our way inside and leave pretense to die, meaning to focus on our inner selves and let go of the false images we try to project to the world. The song also mentions the idea of fear being a cancer and encourages people to not buy into it.
The line "all you see is coal, never what's inside it" reinforces the idea that people are only focused on surface-level appearances and not the deeper meaning or substance of things. The song calls on the listener to loosen their grip on culture, faith, and pride, to read between the headlines and to look beyond the superficial to truly find meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Old two eyes
Addressing the person who is lost in their own perception of the world
You're so damn hip
You are too caught up in trying to be cool
Buy what's advertised
Purchasing something just because it has been advertised without any consideration of the product's quality or necessity
More useless shit
Continuously buying things that are not useful, leading to accumulation without any purpose
The great shift cometh
The change is coming where people are going to transform their way of thinking
Some are left behind
People who can't keep up with the changes will be left on the old path
Work our way inside
Focus on looking inside oneself for answers
And leave the pretense to die
Stop pretending to be something that one is not
Bright and shiny objects
Distractions that lead to desire for materialism
Make single-file lines
People follow each other's footsteps without questioning its purpose
Do we all forget what it´s like to be alive?
Questioning the monotony of routines and the lack of true experiences in life
Shades of indigo descend
Feeling of confusion and being lost within oneself
Down the rabbit hole again
Repeating the same negative patterns of behavior
All you see is coal
Focusing on the outer shell of things without paying attention to its value and essence
Never what's inside it
Ignoring what truly matters
Loosen up your grip
Letting go of attachments to cultural and societal norms
On culture, faith, and pride
Society's expectations that restrain an individual from their true potential
Don't buy in
Refusing to conform to a system that does not serve one's true purpose
Don't sell out
Staying true to oneself in the face of societal pressure
Read between the headlines
Questioning the mainstream media and looking deeper for the truth
Fear is the cancer
Fear is the root cause of all negative thoughts and actions
Just stare into the sky
Finding solace in nature and looking beyond what is seen
Oh Gaia
Referring to Earth as a living entity
Lend these fools your sight
Asking the Earth for guidance in living a better life
Be free again
Breaking free from the oppressive society and living a life of authentic freedom
No Sell
Refusing to be bought for money or material possessions.
No Buy
Not purchasing material possessions that aren't necessary.
Meanwhile
Transitioning to a new way of living.
I'll dance among the living dead
Living freely while all the others are trapped by societal expectations
It'll be so right
The feeling of freedom and authenticity
When we're light
The burden of societal expectations is lifted, and one can feel free
AWAKE
Urging others to wake up and see beyond society's illusions
You've been hypnotized
Lost in the illusions created by society
It's all bullshit
All of society's expectations and material possessions are meaningless in the face of living authentically.
Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.