Five Iron Frenzy started as a local side-project of Reese, Keith, Micah, and Scott's band Exhumator. Although the original intent was for the band to stay local and help support the local music scene, Five Iron Frenzy (FIF, or Five Iron) signed to Frank Tate's 5 Minute Walk records in 1995 and was touring nationally within a year. They reached the peak of their fame around 2000, with the release of All The Hype That Money Can Buy. They were known for dressing up in wacky costumes and fundraising for social causes. In December 2002, they announced that they would be breaking up after a final tour. They played the final show of the tour on November 22, 2003 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, which was recorded for The End Is Here (disc 2) (this disc features that show in its entirety and was sold with the band's album, The End is Near). This show had an attendance of over 4,000 people.
On November 22, 2011, they announced via social media outlets and a week-long online scavenger hunt that they were recording a new album. The entire project was crowd funded in under an hour and met with a reunion show and touring. The results of the endeavor, Engine of a Million Plots, was released on November 26th, 2013. All members of the 2003 lineup participated in the project, with the exception of bassist Keith Hoerig, who was replaced by original guitarist Scott Kerr (who had left the band in 1998).
Fistful Of Sand
Five Iron Frenzy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our hero bold, who so it's told,
Is a lot like you and me.
His passion burns, the world it turns,
He fills his hand to fill the void,
And fuels the constant feeling,
Of nothingness inside his soul.
Kills like nothing ever could.
Dark and jaded world I hated,
Everything I left behind.
I don't need you, and I don't want you,
World that left me blind.
Beneath the sands of the mighty Sahara lies,
Buried treasure sunken deep,
In darkened tombs where dead men sleep.
Gold fills hands, or is it sand,
The same that covers everything?
Where cities stood, soon deserts found,
Now sink beneath the swelling ground.
Feels like nothing ever did.
Kills like nothing ever could.
Dark and jaded world I hated,
Everything I left behind.
I don't need you, and I don't want you,
World that left me blind.
This world is for the taking,
This world is suffocating.
Plastic bags of novacain,
Some PCP to kill the pain.
Build a tomb to store your rust,
Moth-eaten piles of blowing dust.
Under the sands of the mighty Sahara,
Goes our hero bold, in seach of gold,
A casket for a dying world.
Our hero stands, wealth in hand,
The prize for his endeavors.
The masses cheer, to hide their fears
That no man lives forever.
Feels like nothing ever did.
Kills like nothing ever could.
Dark and jaded world I hated,
Everything I left behind.
I don't need you, and I don't want you,
World that left me blind.
In "Fistful of Sand" by Five Iron Frenzy, the song portrays a hero on a journey searching for something to fill the emptiness in his soul. The lyrics speak to the ways in which many people try to fill their own voids with material possessions, wealth, or projects, with the song specifically referencing treasure hunting in the Sahara. Despite the external success the hero may have found, the lyrics suggest that he still feels nothing, leading him to needlessly kill and hurt others.
The song presents a dark and jaded world that the singer has left behind, providing commentary on the brutal nature of our society and its lack of meaning. It speaks to the idea that we can be drowned in material possessions, leaving us feeling empty and requiring more just to feel temporarily satisfied. The lyrics warn of the dangers of this cycle and how our never-ending search for fulfillment can lead us down a path of destruction.
Overall, "Fistful of Sand" is a cautionary tale of the dangers of trying to fill the emptiness inside us with external things. It speaks to the need for a deeper connection and purpose in life, rather than simply chasing after wealth and possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
Up from the sands of the mighty Sahara comes,
Our hero emerges from the Sahara Desert to embark on a journey.
Our hero bold, who so it's told,
The singer of this song is a brave and determined individual.
Is a lot like you and me.
The hero is someone relatable and everyday.
His passion burns, the world it turns,
The artist is highly enthusiastic about life and its possibilities.
He fills his hand to fill the void,
Desperate for purpose and meaning, the hero looks towards material possessions to fill the emptiness inside.
And fuels the constant feeling,
The hero's obsession with accumulating wealth and possessions exacerbates their sense of dissatisfaction.
Of nothingness inside his soul.
Despite their possessions, the hero still feels empty inside.
Beneath the sands of the mighty Sahara lies,
The Sahara Desert is also the site of hidden treasures and riches.
Buried treasure sunken deep,
Riches are buried deep in the ground, waiting to be discovered.
In darkened tombs where dead men sleep.
These riches are often hidden in tombs of the dead, and are therefore associated with danger and death.
Gold fills hands, or is it sand,
The riches that the hero collects might be actual gold, but it's possible that they are merely grains of sand - a metaphor for the illusory nature of wealth and status.
The same that covers everything?
The sand that covers the desert is all-encompassing, much like the hold that material possessions can have on individuals.
Where cities stood, soon deserts found,
Civilizations are transient and can quickly give way to deserts - a reminder of human impermanence.
Now sink beneath the swelling ground.
The ruins left behind by ancient civilizations are gradually swallowed up by the sands of time.
This world is for the taking,
The hero believes that the world belongs to them, and that they can claim whatever they want.
This world is suffocating.
However, the hero also feels confined and constrained by the world and its limits.
Plastic bags of novacain,
In an attempt to escape the limitations of the world, the hero turns to drugs and other forms of escapism.
Some PCP to kill the pain.
The hero's drug use is an attempt to numb the pain of their dissatisfaction with the world.
Build a tomb to store your rust,
All material possessions will eventually decay and waste away - a reminder of mortality.
Moth-eaten piles of blowing dust.
In the end, all material possessions are reduced to dust and decay.
Under the sands of the mighty Sahara,
The hero has returned to the desert in search of even more riches.
Goes our hero bold, in seach of gold,
This time, the hero is even more determined to find wealth and success.
A casket for a dying world.
Despite the hero's best efforts, the world remains finite and mortal.
Our hero stands, wealth in hand,
The hero has succeeded in their quest for wealth and material possessions.
The prize for his endeavors.
However, the ultimate prize - happiness and fulfillment - remain elusive.
The masses cheer, to hide their fears
The crowd cheers the hero's success, even as they recognize the emptiness of this kind of existence.
That no man lives forever.
Ultimately, everything and everyone is transient and will pass away, no matter how much wealth and possessions they accumulate.
Feels like nothing ever did.
Ultimately, the hero's success and wealth has not brought them any closer to true fulfillment or happiness.
Kills like nothing ever could.
The dissatisfaction and emptiness that the hero feels is as deadly as any weapon or disease.
Dark and jaded world I hated,
The singer is disillusioned with the world and all of its limitations and illusions.
Everything I left behind.
In their quest for success and wealth, the hero has abandoned everything else - including their own happiness and sense of fulfillment.
I don't need you, and I don't want you,
The hero has rejected the world and all of its limitations and illusions.
World that left me blind.
The hero feels that the world has blinded them to what is truly important - connection, love, and meaning.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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