The band's first release was in 2007 with an EP titled When The Sea Became A Giant. The band released a full-length album, What It Takes To Move Forward, in 2009. The band is signed to Count Your Lucky Stars Records and has released albums on a number of other labels, such as strictly no capital letters (UK), Topshelf Records, Stiff Slack (Japan), and Hobbledehoy Record Co (Australia). The band released their second album You Will Eventually Be Forgotten on August 19, 2014. On February 16, 2016, the band announced their final tour before their breakup on their official Facebook page.[2]
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Labels: count your lucky stars / strictly no capital letters / stiff slack / keep it together / topshelf
Everything Rests On Your Small Shoulders
Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) Lyrics
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painted a cross on your forehead
and wandered around my backyard like a saint
or a shepherd tending to his flock
the irony was not lost on me
and for all your newfound love
then, you carried on like all the world was yours
to pity and to teach and comfort
(as if because, somehow, you forgave yourself,
that all your terrible deeds have been undone)
The song "Everything Rests On Your Small Shoulders" by Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) is a complex exploration of the themes of power, self-righteousness, and the danger that comes from wielding both. The opening lines describe a moment in which the singer's subject, someone who has "found God," paints a cross on their forehead and parades around like a saint. However, the singer sees through this facade, recognizing the subject's true nature as a "bastard" who is only using their newfound religion as yet another way to prove their superiority over those around them.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the danger of giving someone like this power, noting that the subject believes themselves to be in a position of authority to "pity and to teach and comfort" others. However, the singer recognizes that this attitude is flawed, as it comes from a place of self-forgiveness rather than genuine concern for others. The final lines of the song suggest that the subject is attempting to atone for prior misdeeds by acting like a shepherd, but the singer does not believe this absolves them of their past actions.
Overall, "Everything Rests On Your Small Shoulders" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of self-righteousness and the harm that can come from those who wield power without a true understanding of what it means to be a caretaker.
Line by Line Meaning
i remember when you thought you found god
I reminisce about how you believed to have discovered God
painted a cross on your forehead
You marked a cross on your forehead, a symbol of religious devotion
and wandered around my backyard like a saint
You walked around my yard like a holy person
or a shepherd tending to his flock
It was as if you were a shepherd caring for your flock
the irony was not lost on me
I understood the ironical nature of the situation
and for all your newfound love
Despite your newfound love
you still seemed like a bastard
You still appeared to be unpleasant
then, you carried on like all the world was yours
You continued acting as if you owned the world
to pity and to teach and comfort
To show compassion, give instruction, and solace to others
(as if because, somehow, you forgave yourself,
(As if by forgiving yourself,
that all your terrible deeds have been undone)
Your terrible deeds have been erased)
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.