Fireside is a Swedish rock band from the northern city of Luleå that formed… Read Full Bio ↴Fireside is a Swedish rock band from the northern city of Luleå that formed in the early 1990s. They had some success in the US with their second album "Do not tailgate" which was released around the same time as Texas is the Reason's debut album. Both albums are credited with modernizing the emo genre and moving it away from hardcore and more into the realm of pop. The music is hard and emotional with lyrics about troubled love. The first album is strongly reminiscent of Quicksand and Fireisde singer Kristofer Åström has said in an interview with Messed Mag (in September 2020) that

"I clearly remember how Fireside started. All of us were huge hardcore fans and listened to bands like Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, and when the guitarist of Gorilla Biscuits started a new band called Quicksand I pre-ordered a seven-inch single. When it arrived I phoned Pelle Gunnerfelt and he biked from the other side of town to my home and we listened to it together, and the first thing we said was “We’re starting a new band and it’s gonna sound like this” (laughs). That was the decisive moment when Fireside started; Quicksand were the role models together with Fugazi. "

Having released five albums to date, Fireside have since developed a personal style. Their most recent album, Get Shot, was released in 2003 via V2 Records.

Black Soup
Fireside Lyrics

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Maybe I know her better, but not point blank
Everybody is dancing all around me
Pierced right through me, like a big tool
Looking at the pale morningstones

Don't fit here, the skin is too small
Dress up and be the next day's star

Asking sweet, but the elders always laughing
Doesn't god love her
But she actually enjoyed him
Morning arguments flying right at me

Please say it again, and I'll push you off that cliff
Walked back to my home just to find you all done

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fireside's song "Black Soup" seem to be expressing a sense of disconnection and disorientation in a social setting. The opening lines suggest that the singer may know someone quite well, but they are not able to connect with them directly ("Maybe I know her better, but not point blank"). The rest of the verse describes the chaos of a party or dance, with the singer feeling "pierced" and overwhelmed. The final line of the verse ("Looking at the pale morningstones") is somewhat ambiguous, but could suggest a feeling of emptiness or lack of direction.

The second verse continues this theme of feeling out of place. The singer feels that they "don't fit here" and that their "skin is too small." The line "Dress up and be the next day's star" could suggest a sense of pressure to conform and perform in social situations. The next few lines suggest some kind of interpersonal conflict or drama, with the elders laughing and the singer questioning whether God loves someone (perhaps the person they know well from the first verse). The final lines of the song ("Please say it again, and I'll push you off that cliff / Walked back to my home just to find you all done") are somewhat cryptic, but could suggest a moment of frustration or violence, followed by a sense of disappointment or finality.

Overall, the lyrics to "Black Soup" convey a strong mood of alienation and discomfort in social situations, with moments of confusion and conflict. The imagery is often abstract and poetic, leaving much up to interpretation.

Line by Line Meaning

Maybe I know her better, but not point blank
I have some knowledge about her, but not enough to get close to her

Everybody is dancing all around me
I am surrounded by people who are carefree and joyful

Pierced right through me, like a big tool
I felt a sharp pain or unpleasant emotion that penetrated me deeply

Looking at the pale morningstones
Observing the soft and subtle colors that appear at dawn

Don't fit here, the skin is too small
I do not belong here, as this environment or situation is too confining for me

Dress up and be the next day's star
If I present myself well and perform impressively, I may be recognized and respected the following day

Asking sweet, but the elders always laughing
Although I pose my inquiry kindly, older individuals often do not take me seriously and find my thoughts humorous

Doesn't god love her
It seems that a higher power cares for and adores her

But she actually enjoyed him
Despite what others may think or say, she truly had a good time with him

Morning arguments flying right at me
I am bombarded with heated disagreements or conflicts in the morning

Please say it again, and I'll push you off that cliff
Your repetition of those words will irritate me so much that I will resort to violence

Walked back to my home just to find you all done
Upon returning to my house, I discovered that you had already finished whatever had needed to be done

Contributed by Isaiah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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