Together since high school, and still only in their early twenties, Dont Look Down have earned their stripes as relentless road-dogs, sharing stages nationwide with the likes of Yellowcard, Simple Plan, RUFIO, New Found Glory and endless others since releasing their debut full-length Start The Show in early 2002.
With their honest and evolving style (a compelling and unique blend of pop/punk energy and dark, driving rock....played with precision and intensity) and impressive appetite for touring, Dont Look Down's hard work was paying off: the band sold over 5,000 copies of their Five EP, produced by Will Salazar (Fenix TX), on their own in a matter of months, Nitro Records snapped them up in 2003 and recently matched the band up with Brian McTernan for their sophomore album. The Fear In Love is Dont Look Down's next step in their sonic evolution.
“We wanted there to be more of an emphasis on instrumentation on this record to show off our playing ability a bit more,” explains Ogren “We always want to keep challenging ourselves musically.”
Producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Cave In, Hot Water Music) played an integral roll in Dont Look Down’s maturing sonic signature, bringing The Fear In Love a welcome sense of scale and depth-of-field without sacrificing the band’s emotive rough-edges or performance panache.
Though all four members of Dont Look Down contribute to the writing process, Ogren remains their creative leader. Music entered his life early. He grew up listening to the classic rock of Led Zeppelin and Guns ‘n Roses, before being impacted by the ‘new school’ punk of NOFX, MXPX and later the Ataris and New Found Glory.
More recently, musically ambitious influences like Thrice, Recover and Story of the Year have also influenced the songwriting which became The Fear In Love: the restless riffage and twin-guitar harmonizing of “Stages Of Dying,” juxtaposed against Ogren’s optimistic, cinematic vocal refrains; the ominous bass, interjected guitars and intricate counter-melody of opener “Right Where It Hurts;” and the shape-shifting guitar and drum assault of “Last Breath,” which sets up plaintive plateaus of hope and harmony.
Lyrically, The Fear In Love is at once a personal and universal document, relating what Dont Look Down have been through as a band to what we all experience in life and relationships: “The title, The Fear In Love refers to the fact that with anything involving love there’s always an aspect of fear,” says Ogren. “We love what we do but there’s no guarantee that it’s going to work out - just like with any relationship: you put in all you have, but in the back of your head you really don’t know what’s going to happen. You just have to hope for the best ...”
Having grown up together, Dont Look Down have a best friends’ chemistry on stage which can’t be manufactured, and, though they’re as energetic a band as you’ll see, they have too much respect for their music to let adrenaline overwhelm artistry:“We try to find some sort of medium between going off on stage and playing really well, being a really tight band ...we just try to go out there and play every show as if it is our last.”
A rare coming-together of youthful intensity, unique songwriting skill, fierce playing ability, and endless back-breaking roadwork: Dont Look Down have nothing to fear with The Fear In Love.
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Don't Look Down Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far away from being myself
Can't explain my situation
But I think I'm someone else
Sick of all your stories
The lying has affected me
When I look in the mirror
Nothing looks back at me
Just another day goes by
That you look the other way
Just another day goes by
That I see you fade away
Just another day and
I don't know what to do
Let me sit here by myself
Thinkin' how to make it through
Just the same old story
I get left behind
These thoughts run through my head
Will they never die
Just another day goes by
That you look the other way
Just another day goes by
That I see you fade away
Just another day
That I'm getting over you
The wall you built up lies
I finally see through
This is your last story
The last one you tell me
And when I look at the mirror
I stare back at me
Just another day goes by
That you look the other way
Just another day goes by
That I see you fade away
Just another day goes by
That you look the other way
Just another day goes by
That I see you fade away
The lyrics to "Fade" by Don't Look Down are about feeling disconnected from oneself and others. The singer of the song is struggling to understand their own identity and dealing with the disappointment of someone they trusted. They feel like they're someone else and can't recognize themselves in the mirror. The lying of this person has affected them deeply, and they're fed up with it. They feel left behind and stuck in their own thoughts, wondering whether they will ever move on from these painful feelings.
As the song progresses, we see the singer starting to come to terms with the situation. They're trying to find a way to get over this person and the stories they've told them. The lies are like a wall, and the singer has finally seen through it. They've come to realize that this person's story is over, and they're moving on. By the end of the song, they're staring back at themselves in the mirror, no longer feeling like someone else.
The repetition of "just another day" emphasizes the monotony of the situation, the sense that the singer is stuck in a recurring cycle of pain and disappointment. The use of the phrase "fade away" also suggests the gradual erosion of something, the slow loss of connection as the singer moves further away from the person who hurt them. Overall, the lyrics of "Fade" convey a sense of loneliness and betrayal, but also the possibility of healing and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Just another day
Every day feels the same for the singer.
Far away from being myself
The singer doesn't feel like they are being true to who they are.
Can't explain my situation
The singer is struggling to describe what they are going through.
But I think I'm someone else
The singer feels like they have lost their true identity.
Sick of all your stories
The singer is tired of the lies they have been told.
The lying has affected me
The lies have had a negative impact on the singer.
When I look in the mirror
The singer is examining themselves.
Nothing looks back at me
The singer doesn't recognize the person they see in the mirror.
Just another day goes by
Another day passes by quickly.
That you look the other way
The person the singer is addressing is ignoring them.
That I see you fade away
The person the singer is addressing is gradually distancing themselves.
I don't know what to do
The singer feels lost and doesn't know how to proceed.
Let me sit here by myself
The singer needs some time alone to reflect on their situation.
Thinkin' how to make it through
The singer is trying to figure out a way to get through this difficult time.
Just the same old story
The singer has heard this before and is tired of it.
I get left behind
The singer feels like they are being abandoned by someone important to them.
These thoughts run through my head
The singer can't stop thinking about their situation.
Will they never die
The singer is wondering if they will ever be able to move on from these thoughts.
That I'm getting over you
The singer is in the process of getting over someone or something.
The wall you built up lies
The person the singer is addressing has been keeping secrets and hiding things from them.
I finally see through
The singer has figured out the lies and deception of the person they are addressing.
This is your last story
The person the singer is addressing has told their final lie.
The last one you tell me
This is the last time the singer will be fooled by this person's lies.
And when I look at the mirror
The singer is looking at themselves again.
I stare back at me
The singer has regained their sense of self and identity.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM CORN, BRANDON PARKER, BRYAN BOZEMAN, JOHN O'LEARY, KEVIN COMPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrJonnykronic
Legendary.. been some years still one of my favorite tunes from those Jersey scene days.
ieatcrayolaz
damn...i remember seeing these guys 13-14 years ago...they played at this coffee shop in Huntington Beach, Ca...a buddy of mine helped run the place and he got some bands, DLD being one of them, to come play a show...what a fun night! the guys from DLD are awesome people...i wish all the bands from that night were still around =*(
mhood121
Seen these guys everytime they played franklinville and countless other "venues" and basements,, really feel they could have made of it big
Jimminy Crickets
thanks so much for uploading this shit is classic back in the day
MaynardVideo
Saw these guys live in Cincinnati about 12 years ago. They were the shit. What happened to them?