Imagine if you were floating around in space and you saw a star in the darkness (pretending there wasn’t gazillions of miles between you) and you thought “Oh that’s beautiful! I’m gonna go fly over that and be closer to it!”, and then you get there and it was fuckin’ dead.
It kind of served as a metaphor for everything we think is spectacular. The closer we get to it, the more we become aware that it’s not the way it was when you first noticed it. Also I may have been very high on pot.
- Keith Buckley
Old Light
Every Time I Die Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I'm a mirage
I'm a beam of old light from a vanquished star and I'll only guide you into the dark
I'm a parasite with a tapeworm
Yeah I got a bulletproof vest
Knowing my bad luck I ain't ever gonna die so the good will never get any rest
Come bail me out of the state I'm in
The drinks I've had are no match for the truth
But the cure's more dangerous than the venom is
So we leave it in and do those things that make us forget that we're dying here
Oh but we're dying here
So love the blood while you can
Let it warm your freezing hands
I'm a dog less master
I'm a masterless dog
And when the whip and the tether are put aside forever
I'm and ox that wanders into the swamp
I'm a rattlesnake across a braided rope
I'm the demon on your side of the chalk
If they caught them girls who started them fires
Yeah they'll track me down in the fog
Come bail me out of the state I'm in
The drinks I've had are no match for the truth
The crowd down here put its teeth in us
But the cure's more dangerous than the venom is
So we leave it in and do those things that make us forget
that we're dying here
Oh but we're dying here
So love the blood while you can
Let it warm your freezing hands
You put a hex on me woman
You're a thinner (x2)
And these are nuclear winters
Atomic black winters
I've kept the fire alive because I'm a sinner
I'm a sinner
Come here and let me boil your blood
I'm a train as long as the track
I am concurrently outbound and just now getting back
They struck me up by a rope as tall as the trees
Though I land on my own two feet I still sway in the breeze
The song "Old Light" by Every Time I Die is a reflection of the darker side of humanity. The lyrics express the singer's feelings of being lost in the world, feeling like a mirage, an illusion that fades away when you get closer. He describes himself as a parasite with a tapeworm, constantly consuming and never satisfied. The bulletproof vest symbolizes his invincibility, and he believes that he will never die, and therefore the good will never rest.
The singer talks about being trapped in a state of mind where he feels like he is drowning, but the alcohol is not enough to wash away the pain. The crowd around him is also drowning, and he feels like they are all connected by something dangerous. The metaphor of the venom and the cure demonstrates that sometimes the cure can be more dangerous than the venom itself. He believes that they are all slowly dying, and they must enjoy the blood while they can and let it warm their freezing hands.
The second part of the song talks about the singer's struggles with his inner demons. He describes himself as a masterless dog, wandering aimlessly. He recognizes that he has an addiction, represented by the "hex" that the woman has put on him. The nuclear winters and atomic black winters describe the destruction that addiction can bring.
Overall, "Old Light" is a powerful song that explores the darker side of the human psyche. The lyrics are raw and honest, and the music is powerful, reflecting the pain and anguish of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a great oasis
I may seem like a refreshing escape in a desert.
Yeah I'm a mirage
But I'm not real, just an illusion.
I'm a beam of old light from a vanquished star and I'll only guide you into the dark
I'm a fading legacy of a destroyed source of illumination and following me will lead you to a bleak end.
I'm a parasite with a tapeworm
I'm a freeloader with a relentless hunger that feeds on others' resources.
Yeah I got a bulletproof vest
I've taken precautions to protect myself from possible harm.
Knowing my bad luck I ain't ever gonna die so the good will never get any rest
Unfortunately, my misfortune ensures that I won't expire and the virtuous ones won't find peace.
Come bail me out of the state I'm in
Please rescue me from the situation I'm in.
The drinks I've had are no match for the truth
Alcohol won't help me forget reality.
The crowd down here put its teeth in us
The community here is violent and hostile.
But the cure's more dangerous than the venom is
The solution is worse than the problem.
So we leave it in and do those things that make us forget that we're dying here
We choose to distract ourselves from the fact that our time is running out.
Oh but we're dying here
Despite our denial, we're still fading away.
So love the blood while you can
Enjoy life and make the most of it.
Let it warm your freezing hands
Find comfort in what brings you warmth.
You put a hex on me woman
You cursed me, lady.
You're a thinner (x2)
You're a killer or an agent of death.
And these are nuclear winters
These are terrible times of destruction.
Atomic black winters
The aftermath of nuclear war.
I've kept the fire alive because I'm a sinner
I've maintained my will to survive due to my immoral nature.
Come here and let me boil your blood
Let me excite you and make your blood boil.
I'm a train as long as the track
I've got direction and my purpose is defined.
I am concurrently outbound and just now getting back
I am both moving forward and returning at the same time.
They struck me up by a rope as tall as the trees
They hung me up high with a rope as long as the trees.
Though I land on my own two feet I still sway in the breeze
Although I stand on my own, I'm still affected by life's ups and downs.
Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
HemorrhageBand
Kurt Ballou made this sound awesome. Best stuff from these guys since 2003
Brandon Elrod
Before this album came out I said, "From Parts Unknown is going to be great." I was right.
UglyTheDuckling
This is my holy grail of guitar tone. It sounds so massive.
sean78745
"I'm a train as long as the track, I am concurrently outbound, and just now getting back" god damn keith!!
Joshua Mulligan
Fuck yeah
IHateDrugs69
sean78745 im probs getting that tattooed on me! Its way too good
duanow75
when a band has been around as long as these dudes they start suckn but not ETID they just get better and better
Mattski
Easily my favorite song off the album
Rogelio Mendoza
Best song off the album the guest vocals just seal the deal.
Connor Lingerfelt
Its hard to pick a favorite etid album. The big dirty has so many hits, new junk has such a gritty heavy sound to it with a kind of a grind sound to it which is also awesome... gutter of course, even ex lives has grown on me. i like the new sound.