Floater's regional success was noticed by Elemental Records, who put out their first full-length record, "Sink" in 1994. That same year Floater began a string of sold out shows at the Community Center for the Performing Arts (The WOW Hall) that is still unbroken to this day.
In 1995 Floater released "Glyph" and toured the country for the next two years supporting the record. The single, "Danny Boy" received heavy college and commercial radio play, in many cities outselling major label releases. Floater received nominations to the preliminary level of the Grammy's from NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) in 1995 under Best Rock Performance for "Sink" and in 1996 under Best Alternative Performance for "Glyph." (Prelims are determined by nominations from the NARAS members).
In 1998, following their move to Portland, Oregon (where the band currently resides), Floater released their third full-length record, "Angels in the Flesh and Devils in the Bone." The second concept album by the band ("Sink" was the first), "Angel's" brought a new vibe to Floater. It wasn't long before widespread audiences came to embrace what has now become the band's trademark - their versatility.
September of 2000 brought the release of Floater's fourth full- length record, "Burning Sosobra"; a musical collection that explores the band's broad range of song writing. Following its release, the band began to perform live acoustically. Both the band and the fans enjoyed this new avenue of performance that allowed the "quieter" side of Floater to emerge and be explored. Of late, the band has begun playing shows where acoustic Floater opens for electric Floater - giving a sort of Jekyll and Hyde feel to their performances.
In 2002 Floater released their most critically acclaimed record to date, "Alter." Combining the bands strongest musical elements, "Alter" moves fluidly from heavy riffs to lullabies and tells flowing stories of fear, love and above all change.
August of 2004 - The release of the band's acoustic record, "Acoustics." Fans of Floater's electric shows responded with enthusiasm to the band's occasional acoustic performance - with their record label's encouragement, the band put together a uniquely recorded album - one that mimics the sound of their actual performances. Recorded in a studio built in the ballroom of their producers house, the record was made without digital editing and has a fresh, live feeling.
Floater is also the name of a late nineties indiepop band from Sheffield, UK. They briefly rename themselves Floater UK before later reforming as Dangerlust.
Cannonball
Floater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will have a joy you cannot measure.
If guilt is all it takes to break a man I will throw it all away and make my stand
I will fire through the sky
I will need no reason why. Nothing but a flying cannonball.
I will navigate those straights and narrows.
Laugh away the daggers stones and arrows.
As the seasons change and blow away I will sing until I've got nothing left to say.
I will need no reason why. 'Cause I'm nothing but a flying cannonball.
It used to be the best things I could invent
were my own new forms of punishment.
It's who I am. It's just who I am.
I've been singing at the sunlight like a sparrow.
I'm gonna break the bones of my foes and suck the marrow.
Sweet the life of those with no regrets. But how can I forgive, how can I forget?
I will fire through the sky
I will need no reason why. Nothing but a flying cannonball.
And so I fall.
In the first stanza of Floater's song Cannonball, the singer exclaims that they refuse to feel guilty for enjoying what brings them joy. They proclaim that they will stand their ground and fight against anything that tries to break them down. Continuing these themes in the chorus, the singer compares themselves to a flying cannonball that requires no reason to exist other than the flight itself. In the second stanza, the singer states that they will always navigate the difficult paths in life and ignore any negative comments thrown their way. They will continue to sing and express themselves until nothing is left. The second chorus reiterates their unstoppable nature as a flying cannonball.
The singer then mentions their past of self-punishment, having only been able to create negative things even in moments of creativity. However, understanding that it is simply who they are, they continue to sing and fight. They mention breaking their enemies' bones and sucking the marrow, along with pondering the idea of regret and forgiveness. The song ends with the singer falling, perhaps signifying that they will always continue flying despite any falls.
The song's lyrics ultimately speak to the idea of embracing oneself and accepting personal strengths and weaknesses, no matter how others may perceive them. It encourages the listener to take control of their own life and enjoy the journey without worrying about guilt or breaking down.
Line by Line Meaning
I refuse to claim a guilty pleasure.
I won't hide my joys or passions out of shame or guilt.
I will have a joy you cannot measure.
The things that bring me joy cannot be measured by anyone else's standards.
If guilt is all it takes to break a man I will throw it all away and make my stand
I won't let guilt and shame control me or break me. I'll stand up for what I believe in.
I will fire through the sky
I will need no reason why. Nothing but a flying cannonball.
I'll take off and do whatever I want, without caring about reasons or justifications. I'm a free spirit, like a cannonball flying through the sky.
I will navigate those straights and narrows.
Laugh away the daggers stones and arrows.
As the seasons change and blow away I will sing until I've got nothing left to say.
I'll navigate difficult situations and ignore any obstacles and negativity thrown my way. I'll keep singing until I've expressed myself fully.
It used to be the best things I could invent
were my own new forms of punishment.
It's who I am. It's just who I am.
In the past, I punished myself by inventing new ways to be hard on myself. That's just the way I am.
I've been singing at the sunlight like a sparrow.
I'm gonna break the bones of my foes and suck the marrow.
I'm optimistic and always find the good in things. But I'm also willing to fight my enemies, and will go to extreme lengths to win.
Sweet the life of those with no regrets. But how can I forgive, how can I forget?
People who live without regret have it good. But I struggle to forgive or forget things, which makes life harder for me.
I will fire through the sky
I will need no reason why. Nothing but a flying cannonball.
Again, I'll do whatever I want and won't need reasons or explanations. I'm like a cannonball that's out of control.
And so I fall.
I know that my free-spirited ways may lead to failure, but I'll continue down this path anyway.
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Farmer
on Endless II
I dont know the exact meaning but I hope someone would post what they know.