After Tod left his previous group, Cop Shoot Cop, he quickly regrouped and formed Firewater to explore the styles of music Cop Shoot Cop had only hinted at, including klezmer, cabaret, ska, jazz, and gypsy forms. More than one source described the original Firewater lineup as an "indie rock supergroup", based on members such as Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, Yuval Gabay of Soul Coughing, Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, and Hahn Rowe. This original lineup proved unable to tour, and Tod recruited new musicians for the band's first tour. While the lineup has changed over the years, with many different musicians appearing on different albums and tours, Tod remains the singer, songwriter, and bassist of Firewater.
Firewater has released six albums, and has seen some success, especially in Europe and on United States college radio stations.
Their previous album, Songs We Should Have Written, is a collection of cover songs. It includes songs written by Robyn Hitchcock, The Rolling Stones ("Paint It Black" reinterpreted as a crawlingly slow raga which "shove(s) a few downers down the song's throat to counter the original version's adrenaline-fueled fire" ), and a "dark and sweet" take of Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On", described as "10 times more ominous and 20 times more pleasurable" than the original. The album also includes a modern rendition of the Johnny Cash anthem "Folsom Prison Blues".
Their latest album, The Golden Hour, has been recorded with various local musicians and friends when Tod A went on sabbatical and travelled through Thailand, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Israel. The record was released May 6 in 2008. The band is currently (October, 2008) touring in support of the album.
Electric City
Firewater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were thrown into a tin can
And you learned how to beg and borrow
And you grew into a thin man
In the land of success, sin and sorrow
Now you're sleeping in a suitcase
With a pill bottle for a pillow
It can get to be hard to swallow
When you're spinning on the subway
Naked lights dancing on the river
No you're never gonna leave her
Though you think someday that you might forgive her
Slipping into a slow dive
Cold black water makes you follow
Swimming into a spiral
Still you're singing
Shine, electric city, shine
In the cool of your emptiness
Around the curve of your spine
Come on and shine, electric city, shine
Like six thousand wings in the sky
Over the scene of the crime
When you come to an ending
Never reaching no conclusion
And you're sick of bending
And nursing every fresh contusion
When you're lying in the soft arms
Of a silent ambulance that's speeding
And you're trying to tell the doctor that it's only a broken heart
You don't have to be a soldier to fight
But you'd better have a killer in you
You don't have to be a poet to die
It's the little things that kill you
Everybody gets a bad break
A little hit of pain and sorrow
Just forget about tomorrow
Keep on singing
Shine, electric city, shine
From the back of the cold beyond
Out to the end of the line
Come on and shine, electric city, shine
Like the sun in a hurricane's eye
Diamonds drowning in brine
Come on and shine
Shine
Shine
Shine
The lyrics to Firewater's song Electric City explore the harsh reality of life in the big city. The song begins by describing a person who was thrown into a "tin can" and forced to learn how to survive by begging and borrowing. Despite their success in the city, they are still plagued by sin and sorrow. The lyrics suggest that this person's life is full of hardship, evidenced by the fact that they are now sleeping in a suitcase with a pill bottle for a pillow. They are barely hanging on, with something as simple as a shoelace threatening to unravel everything. In the midst of all this, there is a feeling of being trapped - they are never going to leave the city, even though they may want to someday. The song describes the feeling of drowning in this life, but ultimately concludes with a call to "shine, electric city, shine." There is a glimmer of hope that shines through the darkness, urging the listener to keep singing and fighting.
The metaphor of electricity is apt for the modern, bustling metropolis. The city can be overwhelming, blinding, and dazzling all at the same time. The image of "six thousand wings in the sky" speaks to the feeling of being swept up in something bigger than oneself. The line "you don't have to be a soldier to fight, but you better have a killer in you" is reminiscent of a warzone, where the battles are fought in the streets rather than on the battlefield. The last stanza speaks to the fact that even though life can be hard and painful, it's important to keep singing and shining through it all. In the end, the message is one of resilience and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
You were thrown into a tin can
You were forced into an unfavorable situation
And you learned how to beg and borrow
You adapted to your circumstances by doing whatever it took to survive
And you grew into a thin man
Your experiences left you with little left to give, emotionally and physically
In the land of success, sin and sorrow
You live in a place where you can achieve, but there is a deep sense of disappointment and despair
Now you're sleeping in a suitcase
You are living in a small space with few belongings
With a pill bottle for a pillow
You depend on medication to manage whatever pain you are feeling
When you're hanging by a shoelace
You are barely hanging on
It can get to be hard to swallow
The situation becomes increasingly difficult to handle
When you're spinning on the subway
You are metaphorically lost and confused
Naked lights dancing on the river
You observe the world around you, without being able to take part in it
No you're never gonna leave her
You remain tied to something that you can't escape, even if you want to
Though you think someday that you might forgive her
You still hold onto the feeling that someday you might be able to forgive, even if you don't fully believe it
Slipping into a slow dive
You are reaching a point of no return
Cold black water makes you follow
You feel like you are being pulled down by the world around you
Swimming into a spiral
You feel like you are spiraling downwards
Still you're singing
You keep up appearances, even though you are struggling
Shine, electric city, shine
The city is beautiful despite the struggles that come with living in it
In the cool of your emptiness
Despite the beauty there is a feeling of desolation
Around the curve of your spine
The city is connected to you
Come on and shine, electric city, shine
Despite everything, the city is still amazing
Like six thousand wings in the sky
The city is alive and beautiful
Over the scene of the crime
The city is a place of both good and bad
When you come to an ending
When things fall apart
Never reaching no conclusion
You are unable to find any underlying meaning or solution
And you're sick of bending
You're tired of playing along with things
And nursing every fresh contusion
You're tired of caring about things that hurt you
When you're lying in the soft arms
When you give in to your vulnerability
Of a silent ambulance that's speeding
As you rush to address the damage that has been done
And you're trying to tell the doctor that it's only a broken heart
You try to make sense of physical pains that have mental origins
You don't have to be a soldier to fight
You don't have to go into a battle to fight for the things you believe in
But you'd better have a killer in you
To achieve your goals you need to be focused, determined and ready to do whatever it takes
You don't have to be a poet to die
You don't have to be skilled to experience tragedy
It's the little things that kill you
Even small things that others have moved on from can be devastating to you
Everybody gets a bad break
Everyone experiences setbacks or unfortunate circumstances
A little hit of pain and sorrow
A bit of emotional pain that can still cut deeply
Just forget about tomorrow
Don't worry about the future, focus on the present
Keep on singing
Continue to push forward despite hardships
From the back of the cold beyond
From a place of obscurity and distance
Out to the end of the line
Pushing forward towards the edge
Like the sun in a hurricane's eye
Through the storm, something bright and beautiful remains
Diamonds drowning in brine
Even valuable things can be swallowed up by an overwhelming force
Come on and shine
The message is clear – shine, despite everything else that may come your way.
Shine
Just keep pushing through and shining.
Shine
Even if everything is going terribly, there is still something bright to be found.
Shine
At some point, you will emerge from the darkness and find the light.
Contributed by Cooper G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.