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.
Fell Off the Face of the Earth
Firewater Lyrics
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There's nobody to watch me pass
And the trees have been weeping
Their tears are still upon the grass
You're the drink I could not swallow
You're the cinder in my eye
I walk among the stones again in the place we said goodbye
When the world keeps shutting me out
I've done everything wrong
Since you fell off the face of the earth
Since you fell off the face of the earth
Now as the stars are dying
I hide my head behind the wall
There's seven kinds of sorrow
And darling I can name them all
You're the path I could not follow
To the place where no one cries
I walk among the stones again in the place we said goodbye
Why should I try to hang on?
When the world keeps shutting me out
I've done everything wrong
Since you fell off the face of the earth
Since you fell off the face of the earth...
The lyrics of "Fell Off the Face of the Earth" by Firewater are a poignant exploration of the aftermath of a relationship that has ended badly. The opening lines describe a desolate scene where the only witnesses to the singer's pain are the sleeping rent-a-cops and weeping trees. The image of weeping trees is particularly powerful, suggesting that even nature is mourning the loss of the relationship. The next stanza reveals that the cause of the singer's distress is a person who was as necessary to them as air, but who has now become an unbearable burden. The line "You're the cinder in my eye" conveys the idea that the memory of this person is constantly irritating and painful. The chorus then expresses the sense of hopelessness and alienation that the singer feels, having lost the person they loved. The line "When the world keeps shutting me out" reflects the singer's perception that nothing is going right for them since the relationship ended.
The second verse is even more bleak than the first. The singer compares their pain to the stars dying, a metaphor that implies the loss of something eternal and unchanging. They then explain that their sorrow runs so deep that they can name all seven kinds of it, suggesting they have plunged into a deep depression. The stanza ends with another poignant image: the singer has lost the ability to follow the path that led to a happy, tearless place. The final two lines of the verse repeat the first two lines of the chorus, emphasizing the sense of aimlessness and hopelessness that pervades the song.
Overall, "Fell Off the Face of the Earth" is a beautifully written and heartbreaking song that captures the feelings of loss and grief that follow a romantic breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
The rent-a-cops are sleeping
The security guards are in a slumber
There's nobody to watch me pass
No one is there to monitor my movement
And the trees have been weeping
The trees are shedding tears
Their tears are still upon the grass
The moisture from the trees' sorrow is still on the ground
You're the drink I could not swallow
You are the alcohol I couldn't consume
You're the cinder in my eye
You are the particle causing irritation in my vision
I walk among the stones again in the place we said goodbye
I revisit the location where we parted ways and wander among the rocks
Why should I try to hang on?
What is the reason for me to persist?
When the world keeps shutting me out
Why does society continue to exclude me?
I've done everything wrong
I have failed in every manner
Since you fell off the face of the earth
All of these mishaps transpired since you disappeared completely
Now as the stars are dying
As astronomical bodies perish
I hide my head behind the wall
I conceal my head behind a partition
There's seven kinds of sorrow
There are seven distinct types of sadness
And darling I can name them all
I am knowledgeable of all of the seven forms
You're the path I could not follow
You are the way that was impossible for me to pursue
To the place where no one cries
To the location where no one expresses sadness
Since you fell off the face of the earth
All of these mishaps transpired since you disappeared completely
Since you fell off the face of the earth
All of these mishaps transpired since you disappeared completely
Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.