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.
Nowhere to be Found
Firewater Lyrics
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I had a stone in my shoe
But when they chop off your hands
No there ain't an awful lot you can do
I had a price on my head
I had a price on my head
But they say that when you're born worthless
But now I'm nowhere to be found
Yeah, now I'm nowhere to be found
She had a hole in her heart
She had a hole in her heart
'Cause they say that bullets can kill you
But it's love that will rip you apart
She put a knife in my back
She put a knife in my back
It's a fact that one clean escape
Is worth infinite plans of attack
But now she's nowhere to be found
I said, now she's nowhere to be found
She's flying high, and someday she'll come down
But for now, she's nowhere to be found
We had a fire in our soul
We had a fire in our soul
But we had to cancel the riot
No more Molotov cocktails to throw
And now we're nowhere to be found
Yeah, now we're nowhere to be found
Moon's on the rise, the night is coming down
When you look around, we're nowhere to be found
Nowhere to be found
Yeah, now we're nowhere to be found
We're not really gone, we just went underground
We're wide awake, and we're nowhere to be found
Nowhere to be found
The lyrics to Firewater's song "Nowhere to be Found" describe the feeling of being lost, both physically and emotionally. The song begins with the singer describing the physical pain of having a stone in their shoe, but then contrasts it with the much greater pain of having one's hands chopped off. The lyrics suggest that when one is physically harmed or disabled, they are essentially rendered powerless and unable to stand up for themselves.
Next, the song moves onto the topic of worth and value, suggesting that those who are born without value (in this case, by having a price on one's head) are even less valued when they are dead. The idea of worthlessness is further explored in the lines about having a hole in one's heart - this can be interpreted as an emotional hole that cannot be filled, but also suggests that the person in question is somehow lacking or incomplete.
In the third verse, the lyrics speak to a personal betrayal, where the singer's lover put a knife in their back. However, rather than seeking revenge, the singer suggests that escaping cleanly is worth more than any plan of attack. The song concludes with the idea that, despite feeling lost and nowhere to be found, the individuals in question are not actually gone - they have merely gone underground.
Overall, the song speaks to the idea of feeling lost and undervalued in various ways, whether it be through physical pain, external circumstances, or personal betrayal. However, the lyrics ultimately suggest a sense of resilience and perseverance, indicating that despite feeling lost, there is still hope for those who have gone underground.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a stone in my shoe
I faced a minor problem
But when they chop off your hands
No there ain't an awful lot you can do
No matter how small your problems are, they can be overshadowed by greater ones
I had a price on my head
I was wanted or hunted by someone
But they say that when you're born worthless
You're worth even less when you're dead
My worth is measured in how much I can contribute, but if I can't do anything then I am worthless
But now I'm nowhere to be found
Yeah, now I'm nowhere to be found
I have gone missing or am hiding
She had a hole in her heart
She had emotional pain or trauma
'Cause they say that bullets can kill you
But it's love that will rip you apart
Love can be more dangerous than physical harm
She put a knife in my back
She betrayed me
It's a fact that one clean escape
Is worth infinite plans of attack
Escaping without fighting is better than winning a battle
But now she's nowhere to be found
I said, now she's nowhere to be found
She's flying high, and someday she'll come down
But for now, she's nowhere to be found
She has disappeared or is hiding, but eventually she will come back down to reality
We had a fire in our soul
We were passionate and driven
But we had to cancel the riot
No more Molotov cocktails to throw
We had to give up on our revolutionary plans
And now we're nowhere to be found
Yeah, now we're nowhere to be found
Moon's on the rise, the night is coming down
When you look around, we're nowhere to be found
Nowhere to be found
We have gone missing or are hiding, and the darkness is coming
We're not really gone, we just went underground
We're wide awake, and we're nowhere to be found
Nowhere to be found
We have not disappeared completely, we are still here but hidden
Contributed by Madelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.