Conrad, the guitarist and a main songwriter of the band, decided to leave Ghoti Hook when the band began to tour full time so he could finish seminary and continue with his accounting career. He has been running a website, www.decapolis.com and is doing quite well with it. After the cover album Songs We Didn't Write, Mark Lacasse joined the lineup as the band's sound evolved from punk toward rock on their next album, Two Years to Never. The album also marked a shift to more serious, reflective lyrics. Christian Ergueta left the band soon after; Mark left shortly thereafter.
As a three-piece band, Ghoti Hook released a six song EP titled EP on Velvet Blue Music. The group disbanded in 2002. The band has said on occasion that they would rather forget their pop punk days and that Ghoti Hook never really started until they changed their sound. The band's last concert was at Cornerstone Music Festival on July 6, 2002, with guest performances by both Conrad and Mark. The concert was recorded and released as a live album entitled Rest In Peace.
Their final show can now be viewed in its entirety on YouTube.
South Capitol Street
Ghoti Hook Lyrics
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i could have stopped myself from falling far behind
the changes i want will only come if i can turn things down
so i search my heart where i know he lies but then i turn around
chorus:
i should have walked away
i should have walked away
(some "whoa"ing)
with each passing day i feel the way i did the day before
and the things that haunt me stay the same i wont let them go
i pray and ask for help but then walk down that cursed road
where one waits with what i crave and my lusting hunger grows
chorus
sometimes i must give up things that i want so bad
but it's these things in the end that i wished i'd never had
chorus
"
The song "South Capitol Street" by Ghoti Hook seems to be talking about the regret of not walking away from a bad situation earlier. The opening lines state that if the singer had known back then what is easy to see now, they could have prevented themselves from "falling far behind." This indicates that the singer recognizes they missed their chance to avoid a negative outcome in their life. However, the singer believes that they can still create the changes they want if they try to turn things down. But despite their best efforts, the singer ultimately feels like they're stuck in the same pattern and unable to let go of the things that haunt them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I should have walked away," emphasizing the importance of recognizing when to leave a toxic situation behind. The use of "whoa"ing in between each repetition of the chorus creates a sense of urgency and frustration. The second verse reinforces the idea that the things the singer craves are leading them down a cursed road, and even though they pray for help, they still find themselves giving in. The final lines of the song suggest that sometimes it's necessary to give up the things we want the most in order to avoid regret later on.
Overall, "South Capitol Street" is a song that carries a message about the importance of recognizing when it's time to let go of toxic situations and habits. The singer expresses the regret of not taking action earlier and acknowledges the difficulty of breaking free from negative patterns.
Line by Line Meaning
if i understood back then what is so easy to see now
If only I could go back to when I didn't know enough but now what's so clear, I could've saved myself from falling behind
i could have stopped myself from falling far behind
It would've been possible to save myself from being left far behind
the changes i want will only come if i can turn things down
I can only bring about the changes I desire if I can tone down my temperament
so i search my heart where i know he lies but then i turn around
I look into my heart, where I know God resides, but then I lose faith and turn around
with each passing day i feel the way i did the day before
Nothing seems to change each day as I keep feeling the same as the previous day
and the things that haunt me stay the same i wont let them go
Things that haunt me keep following me and I can't let them go
i pray and ask for help but then walk down that cursed road
Even though I seek guidance, I still choose to walk down the wrong path
where one waits with what i crave and my lusting hunger grows
The path I choose leads me to someone tempting me with what I deeply desire, and my craving grows stronger
sometimes i must give up things that i want so bad
On occasions, I have to let go of things that I desire the most
but it's these things in the end that i wished i'd never had
Eventually, I realize that these things I once longed for are the things that I wish I'd never possessed
i should have walked away
I ought to have chosen to walk away from the situation
i should have walked away
That decision was the right one to make, and I should have done it
i should have walked away
In hindsight, the best course of action would have been to walk away
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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