Exitmusic wrote and recorded the follow-up to "Passage" but the project was left unfinished when Palladino and Church separated. The band went on hiatus while Church worked on solo projects and Palladino pursued acting, appearing in "Boardwalk Empire" and "Halt and Catch Fire," among other film and TV projects. Palladino and Church revisited the recordings six years later, and the album, titled "The Recognitions," was finally released in 2018.
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The City
Exitmusic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A crime so old as the sky and bone,
He came untied,
Solid as a stone,
All is almost lost and it starts to show,
Cause it's home but it's gone.
He came, he paved the skies,
Soldier do what's right,
It's a call before the chasm collide,
Cause it's home but it's gone.
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt,
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt,
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt,
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt.
The lyrics of Exitmusic's "The City" reflect a sense of loss and despair due to the destruction of nature by human greed and progress. The first verse embodies the metaphor of a thief stealing something wild, which could be interpreted as nature or a way of life that has been lost in the process of urbanization. The crime being "so old as the sky and bone" implies that this destruction has been going on for centuries, and has become an inherent part of human nature. The line "All is almost lost and it starts to show" hints at the devastating effects of human actions on the environment, such as climate change, and how it's starting to become more evident.
The second verse speaks to the destruction of the natural beauty of the world with the line "he paved the skies". This line could be interpreted as the construction of high-rise buildings that block out the sky, a common sight in modern cities. The call to soldiers to do what's right implies that there is a sense of responsibility for the destruction that has taken place. The repetition of "it's home but it's gone" reflects the feeling of loss and helplessness that comes with witnessing the destruction of one's hometown or environment.
The chorus "Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt" could be interpreted as a call to action, urging individuals to take small steps towards sustainability and protecting the environment. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes that change must come gradually, step by step. The overall message of the song is a plea to protect the beauty of the earth and a warning of the effects of human actions on the environment.
Line by Line Meaning
He came, and stole the wild,
Someone has come and taken away the freedom and wildness of a place or people.
A crime so old as the sky and bone,
This crime of stealing freedom is something that has existed for as long as the sky and bones (perhaps meaning since the beginning of time).
He came untied,
The person who stole the wild came without any restraint or limitation.
Solid as a stone,
However, the person was extremely firm and unyielding in what they wanted to accomplish.
All is almost lost and it starts to show,
Despite the small hope remaining, it is becoming clear that the situation is dire.
Cause it's home but it's gone.
The place or people who have had their freedom taken away is still home to them, even though it no longer feels like it due to the theft that has occurred.
He came, he paved the skies,
The person who caused the previous actions has also managed to dominate the sky (perhaps meaning air or space) as well.
And he's stolen the strands of sunlight,
The individual is not satisfied with just stealing one thing, but has stolen strands of sunlight too, perhaps meaning joy or happiness.
Soldier do what's right,
The song contains a call for someone to take up the mantle of a soldier and do something to make things right again.
It's a call before the chasm collide,
This call is happening before a disastrous event or 'chasm' can occur, meaning perhaps a point of no return.
Cause it's home but it's gone.
Reiterated again, this place or people is still home to them, despite having their freedom and other intangible things taken away.
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt,
The song ends with a call for someone to work towards tearing down their own suffering, bit by bit.
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt,
Reiterated, this suffering cannot be taken apart or fixed all at once. It must be done piece by piece.
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt,
Reiterated again, and emphasizing the message.
Tear down your suffering, bolt by bolt.
Final message of the song - tear down suffering one step at a time.
Writer(s): John Devon Church, Aleksa Palladino
Contributed by Bentley S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.