Flotsam and Jetsam has released fourteen studio albums in their career, with the latest being 2021's Blood in the Water. Despite not achieving similar levels of commercial success as some of their thrash metal contemporaries, the band emerged as part of the second wave of the genre in the mid-to-late 1980s (along with Sepultura, Testament and Death Angel), and has enjoyed some moderate success in the United States, with two of their albums (1988's No Place for Disgrace and 1990's When the Storm Comes Down) entering the Billboard 200 chart, and their fourth album Cuatro (1992) cracking the top 30 on the Heatseekers chart.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flotsam_and_Jetsam_(band)
Discography
Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986)
No Place for Disgrace (1988)
When the Storm Comes Down (1990)
Cuatro (1992)
Drift (1995)
High (1997)
Unnatural Selection (1999)
My God (2001)
Dreams of Death (2005)
The Cold (2010)
Ugly Noise (2012)
Flotsam and Jetsam (2016)
The End of Chaos (2019)
Blood in the Water (2021)
Missing
Flotsam and Jetsam Lyrics
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If it just wasn't there
Would I disappear
Would I even care
Avoid in the arrangement
A blind spot in my mind
A space in what's important
A black hole of some kind
[Chorus]
It walks right beside me
Invisible to most
Not an apparition not the holy ghost
Stumble two another day
Not knowing what is wrong
Not stolen not lost or broken
Been missing for so long
Can't quite find it in me
Fading pulse can I survive
My heart fails me again
Flat lined
But still alive
It walks right beside me
Invisible to most
Not an apparition not the holy ghost
Dragging it behind me,
Can't hold on any more
Slips through my fingers
And scatters on the floor
It hovers right above me
As I move from door to door
When I hang my head in shame
It lies then on the floor
Searching for what I may never know
It's missing I can feel it
Can't just let it go
When I reach out
I can feel it!
It walks right beside me
Invisible to most
Not an apparition not the holy ghost
It hovers right above me
As I move from door to door
When I hang my head in shame
It lies there on the floor
Talks from inside me, silent to most
Not the voice of god
Not the only ghost
Dragging it behind me,
Can't hold on any more
Slips through my fingers
And scatters on the floor
It lies there on the floor
Missing
The lyrics of Flotsam and Jetsam's "Missing" describe the feeling of a missing or lost piece of oneself. The singer questions whether they would completely disappear or even care if this missing piece were truly gone. The blind spot in their mind, the space in what's important, the black hole they feel, all hint at a desperation to find that missing part. The chorus repeats the concept of this missing piece hovering invisibly around the singer, present but unnoticed by most. The lines "It hovers right above me, as I move from door to door" and "Dragging it behind me, can't hold on anymore" suggest that the singer is actively searching for this missing piece but cannot seem to grasp it.
The repeated "not the holy ghost" possibly alludes to the absence of divine intervention in this search for wholeness. The final lines "Talks from inside me, silent to most / Not the voice of god, not the only ghost" reinforce this idea that the answer may be coming from within the singer, but not from a higher power.
The lyrics of "Missing" suggest a deep introspection, a search for something that may be intangible but still feels necessary for the singer's survival. The haunting melody and the imagery of the missing piece hovering invisibly around the singer create a sense of melancholy that is typical of Flotsam and Jetsam's music.
Line by Line Meaning
If it were oh just gone
If it simply vanished
If it just wasn't there
If it didn't exist
Would I disappear
Would I cease to exist
Would I even care
Would I even notice
Avoid in the arrangement
Neglect in the order
A blind spot in my mind
A gap in my consciousness
A space in what's important
An emptiness in what matters
A black hole of some kind
A void that consumes
It walks right beside me
It's always present with me
Invisible to most
Unseen by the majority
Not an apparition not the holy ghost
Not a supernatural being
Stumble two another day
Fall through yet another day
Not knowing what is wrong
Unaware of what's amiss
Not stolen not lost or broken
Not taken, misplaced, or damaged
Been missing for so long
Gone for an extended period
Can't quite find it in me
Can't locate within myself
Fading pulse can I survive
Weakening vitality, can I endure
My heart fails me again
My emotions let me down yet again
Flat lined
Lifeless
But still alive
Yet somehow persisting
Dragging it behind me,
Pulling it after me
Can't hold on any more
Can't maintain my grip
Slips through my fingers
Escapes my grasp
And scatters on the floor
And scatters across the ground
It hovers right above me
It floats directly overhead
As I move from door to door
As I transition from place to place
When I hang my head in shame
When I humbly lower my head
It lies then on the floor
It's then discarded on the ground
Searching for what I may never know
Hunting for what I may never understand
It's missing I can feel it
It's absent and tangible
Can't just let it go
Can't simply relinquish it
When I reach out
When I attempt to grasp
I can feel it!
I can sense it!
Talks from inside me, silent to most
Speaks internally, unheard by most
Not the voice of god
Not a deity's voice
Not the only ghost
Not the sole spirit
Missing
Absent
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LOUISE FLAVELL, MATTHEW SMITH, MICHAEL STONEBANK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Laib
One of the most underrated songs on an underrated album from a criminally underrated band. Lyrically one of their best. Its never too late for these guys to catch another break, they definitely deserve it!
Martin Timmers
Not by us ;-)
Great album/ band
Christopher Monaghan
Ever checked out the a.k. corrsl
NobleSifrid
In my opinion, Flotsam is one of the greatest underrated bands of all time.
Dean Novack
“Thar’s putting it mildly…..”
Christopher Monaghan
Ever heard of the a.k. corral
tommy sanfilippo
Love Erik. Not a fan.
Chris Hagy
Flotsam never got the acknowledgment they deserve. Truly one of the greatest metal bands ever, with a great singer.
Patrick Donahue
#facts
Christopher Monaghan
Ever checked out the a.k. corral