“This record has really given me the opportunity to say everything that I can’t articulate in my day to day life. ‘Blacking Out the Stars’ is about reaching for that relationship that you’ve always wanted, and realizing
it’s no longer there.”
Milbradt learned the art of telling a story in a song with help from Minneapolis music legend and national songwriting star Dan Wilson.
The lead singer/songwriter of Semisonic boasts writing credits
stretching from Mike Doughty to Jason Mraz to the Dixie Chicks. In
Milbradt, Wilson was able to help steer a little focus and connect
creativity with feelings.
In “Blacking Out the Stars” Milbradt and band mates Brad Bivens (bass) and Dan Deurloo (drums) offer a sound that blends an edgier Nada Surf/Death Cab for Cutie with a dash of mainstream melodies like Better Than Ezra/Matchbox 20. The EP’s single “Stars” matches spite with spirit in Milbradt’s contempt of a past relationship.
The band’s 2003 album “New Life” was a tightly constructed, hook-heavy and hum-worthy song display. Also produced by Wilson, the album included fan favorite “End of the Line,” a somber story of a girl leaving behind the life she knows, while finding inspiration in uncertainty. The song is still in rotation at Minneapolis’ Drive 105.
The band has been steadily touring to support “New Life” and 2000’s “A Brighter Mess” over the last several years. Epic Hero has played dates with Ben Folds, Semisonic, Dishwalla, Soul Asylum, Blue October, Switchfoot, Something Corporate, Phantom Planet, Lit, the Heartbreaker's side project The Dirty Knobs, and even a few dates with country act Rascall Flatts. Epic Hero has performed at CMJ and on Santa Barbara's KTYD and KCOP, and Los Angeles’ Mark and Brian Show on KLOS. TV appearances have included performances on Fox TV's Minneapolis and Green Bay affiliates, the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis and the adolescent-focused “Whatever” show on Kare-11 in the Twin Cities.
The band has sold more than 7,000 records -- 300 apiece at the Ben Folds concert and after the Mark and Brian appearance.
For Epic Hero, 2006 is nowhere near the “end of the line” rather a time to stretch out emotionally and physically plot the next step. Judging by the overall growth of the last few years there’s a lot to look forward to.
Stay Awake
Epic Hero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching the clock
All she hears is breathing
In and out and in and out and in
She isn't aware
Of much anymore
But her heart's still beating
In and out and in and out and in
We can see she needed a friend
Could no one have known
This was going to be the end
I could've told her to stay, stay awake
Won't you please just take a minute
Don't go, you don't even know
How many people are going to miss you
She's waiting 'til one
She picks up the gun
Plays with the safety
In and out and in and out and in
She's unplugged the phone
Now there's nobody home
No one can hear her
Crying, slowly counting down from ten
Inside I am left toiling over words she spoke
Finding meaning in every question
Every joke
I could've told her to stay, stay awake
Won't you please just take a minute
Don't go, you don't even know
How many people are going to miss you
Please stay, stay awake
Won't you please just take a minute
Don't go, you don't even know
How many people are going to miss you
We miss you
(Don't go away)
I'm standing alone
Over your stone
Can you hear me breathing
In and out and in and out and in
The lyrics to Epic Hero's song "Stay Awake" portray a deeply emotional and heartbreaking story of a girl who is struggling with depression and contemplating suicide. She is sitting alone with nothing but the sound of her own breathing and her thoughts, feeling disconnected from the world around her. She has unplugged the phone, detached herself from her loved ones, and is playing with a gun's safety. The lyrics describe her slowly counting down from ten, as she contemplates ending her life.
The song's chorus serves as a plea to the girl to stay awake, to take a minute and think about all the people who would miss her if she were to leave. The pain and sorrow of the people who loved and cared deeply for her is palpable throughout the lyrics. The singer is left toiling over the things she said, looking for meaning in every question and joke, in the hopes that he could have offered her something more that would have saved her life.
In a sense, "Stay Awake" is a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health and being there for the people we love. The song speaks to the enormous impact that depression can have on a person's life and the lives of those around them, and serves as a heartfelt call to action for anyone who is struggling with their mental health to reach out and seek help.
Line by Line Meaning
She's sitting alone
She is alone and seems lost in thought.
Watching the clock
She is fixated on the passage of time.
All she hears is breathing
The only sound that seems to register to her is the sound of breathing, likely her own.
In and out and in and out and in
This is a repetition of the sound of breathing, suggesting she is becoming very focused on this repetitive sound.
She isn't aware
She's not fully connected to her surroundings or reality.
Of much anymore
She is feeling disconnected and lost.
But her heart's still beating
Despite feeling disconnected, she is still alive and functioning physiologically.
Outside looking back
We are looking at her from an outside perspective.
We can see she needed a friend
It's clear that she could use some support from someone who cares about her.
Could no one have known
It seems no one was aware of what she was going through, despite her need for a friend.
This was going to be the end
We see in retrospect that this is a pivotal moment and the end of her life is imminent.
I could've told her to stay, stay awake
The singer imagines a scenario where he could have intervened and helped her stay alive.
Won't you please just take a minute
He is urging her to pause and reconsider her actions before it's too late.
Don't go, you don't even know
He's asking her to recognize that there are people who care about her and could be deeply impacted by her death.
How many people are going to miss you
This is a reminder of the importance of her life to others and how much she is loved.
She's waiting 'til one
She appears to have set a specific time when she plans to take her own life.
She picks up the gun
She's holding a deadly weapon.
Plays with the safety
She is handling the gun in a way that suggests she is almost toying with it in a careless manner.
Now there's nobody home
It seems she is alone in the house.
No one can hear her
She is feeling isolated and unheard.
Crying, slowly counting down from ten
She is overwhelmed with emotion and on the verge of taking her own life.
Inside I am left toiling over words she spoke
The singer is grappling with what he could have done differently to help her.
Finding meaning in every question
He is trying to make sense of why this happened and what could have prevented it.
Every joke
Even something that may have seemed like a light comment or joke could become significant in hindsight.
We miss you
This is a message to the woman who has passed away that she is lovingly remembered.
I'm standing alone
The singer is now the one left alone in the wake of this tragedy.
Over your stone
He is standing at her grave site.
Can you hear me breathing
This is a poignant reminder of the preciousness of life and how fragile it can be.
In and out and in and out and in
Again, this is a repetition of the sound of breathing, symbolizing the fragility of life and the importance of each breath we take.
Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.