By 2000, Archer and Lynch were moving the project in a darker electronic/dance direction, resulting in a self-released full length album entitled ‘Dragonfly’.
After a short hiatus from recording and a lengthy period of trial, error, and revision, and many regional live performances, Ego Likeness signed with Dancing Ferret Discs/ Noir Records for the release of 2004’s ‘Water to the Dead’. This album featured the band’s electronic roots while exploring a bit of a heavier rock
sound.
2005 saw the band tour Germany, Luxembourg, and the continental US with label mates The Cruxshadows, as well as performing at several festivals on the east and west coast, including Convergence 11 (San Diego CA), Dracula’s Ball (Philadelphia PA), Black Sun Festival I (New Haven CT), Freaks United (DC), Eccentrik Festival I (Raleigh NC), and others.
Their first album ‘Dragonfly’ was re-released on Dancing Ferret Discs in 2005.
In addition to The Cruxshadows, they have had the honour to share the stage with Voltaire, The Damned, Chris Connelly, Collide, Razed in Black, Bella Morte, Das Ich, Rasputina, The Start, Iris, Decoded Feedback, The Azoic, More Machine Than Man, In Strict Confidence, Combichrist, and many others.
They have also appeared on numerous compilation CDs, including several Asleep by Dawn releases and 'Where's Neil When You Need Him?' (a tribute to the work of author Neil Gaiman, DFD July 2006); released remixes for The Cruxshadows (Cassandra-Fortress in Flames), The Last Dance (Terribly When- Reflections of Rage), Thou Shalt Not (Inside of You, In Spite of You- The Projectionist), and Black Tape for a Blue
Girl (Tarnished- Scarecrow); and appeared on Voltaire's album Then and Again. EL has also been featured in publications such as Gothic Beauty, Outburn, ABD, Sideline and Sonic Seducer, to name a few.
Their third full length album, ‘The Order of the Reptile' (release date July 4th 2006, Dancing Ferret Discs) ventures back into the realms of heavy electronica, a bit of trip hop, and darkwave.
Archer and Lynch have been married since October of 1999 and currently live in Baltimore. Steven is also the creator of the atmospheric electronica project Hopeful Machines, and performs with the industrial/ power noise act Blind Till Now. All three members of EL, along with Alexx Lackey of echomatrix make up the experimental/ spoken word outfit The Trinity Project.
Former band mate Justin ‘Dingo’ Sabe also lives in Baltimore with a lovely belly dancer and some rather large cats. When not performing with EL, he spends his time on fire and robots and knitting, and can often be found at festivals that involve fire, robots, and/or knitting. He also plays the tuba and hopes to form a marching band in the very near future.
Current line up:
Steven Archer - Guitar/ Programming/ Music & Words/ Vocals
Donna Lynch - Vocals/ Piano/ Words & Music
Mike K. Johnson - Drums
Former members:
Justin 'Dingo' Sabe - Keytar/ Synths/ Noise
Official Site: www.egolikeness.com/
Steven also works on a solo project at www.hopefulmachines.net
Water to the Dead
Ego Likeness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm given to the ground
Keep hidden the memory
Of where they lay me down
Let the rain come over me
Wash away the years of filth
Swallowing my memory
Wash it down with bitter guilt
Chorus:
Giving water to the dead
Drink what I used to be
Now the cup's gone sour
Since you tasted me
Giving water to the dead
Drink what I used to be
Now the cup's gone sour
Since you tasted me
You've misplaced your tiny gods
Lost them to the ground
Let them suffocate with me
In the place they lay me down
Step politely over me
Watch the hollow in the ground
This space left blank for you
Next to where they lay me down
Chorus
Giving water to the dead
Drink what I used to be
Giving water to the dead
Drink what I used to be
Giving water to the dead, the dead, the dead
The lyrics of "Water to the Dead" by Ego Likeness seem to be exploring the feelings of being forgotten or overlooked after death. The singer expresses a desire to be laid to rest and forgotten, while also acknowledging the intense guilt and shame they feel for their past actions. The phrase "giving water to the dead" can be read metaphorically, as an offering of repentance and a hope for absolution.
The verses offer a stark contrast as the singer imagines their memory being washed away by rain, while also acknowledging that their guilt and regret will continue to linger. In the chorus, the singer reflects on the sadness of being forgotten, with the metaphor of a cup gone sour indicating a sense of bitterness or disappointment. The final lines seem to be directed towards someone specific, urging them to join the singer in their final resting place.
Overall, the song offers a complex meditation on death and the ways in which we hope to be remembered. The lyrics suggest a desire to be forgotten and forgiven, while also acknowledging that our past actions will always shape our legacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Step politely over me
Please step over my body with respect and consideration
When I'm given to the ground
When my body is laid to rest in the earth
Keep hidden the memory
Please do not remember where I am buried
Of where they lay me down
Do not reveal the location of my burial site
Let the rain come over me
Allow the rain to fall on my grave
Wash away the years of filth
The rain can cleanse the earth and remove any dirt or decay surrounding my grave
Swallowing my memory
This cleansing process also erases any memories of me
Wash it down with bitter guilt
The rainwater can also act as a symbol for the singer's own strong feelings of regret and self-blame
Chorus: Giving water to the dead, Drink what I used to be
The singer offers a metaphorical drink to those who have passed on as a way to communicate and connect with them
Now the cup's gone sour, Since you tasted me
The act of communicating with the dead, represented by drinking from a cup, has caused pain and bitterness for the singer
You've misplaced your tiny gods
The listener has lost their personal idols or spiritual beliefs
Lost them to the ground
Their idols are gone and cannot help or guide them
Let them suffocate with me
The singer shares in the listener's pain and isolation
In the place they lay me down
This shared experience of loss takes place in the burial site of the singer
Step politely over me
Again, the singer requests respect and consideration in death
Watch the hollow in the ground
The listener is invited to witness the emptiness and void left by the singer's absence
This space left blank for you, Next to where they lay me down
The singer offers a place for the listener to be buried beside them, emphasizing that they are not alone in their grief
Chorus
See above
Giving water to the dead, Drink what I used to be
Reiterated to emphasize the main theme of the song
Contributed by Isaiah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.