Their debut full-length, Background Music, was recorded for Equal Vision Records in 2001 and was released to much acclaim. In 2003, the band faced a legal battle with a similarly named band from Philadelphia. The band then changed their name briefly to the initials "A.N." then to American Nothing for a brief period. After the other American Nightmare threatened to press charges again, they changed their name to Give Up the Ghost (which was intended to be the name of their second album). Their second full length, We're Down Til We're Underground released on Equal Vision Records, displayed the band experimenting with their sound, with longer songs that didn't follow the typical hardcore songwriting formula they had adhered to in their previous releases.
The band broke up suddenly in June 2004, a day after announcing the cancellation of a European tour. The band issued a statement which cited "health and personal reasons" for the split. Give Up the Ghost's success, combined with the success of contemporary Boston bands like The Suicide File, cemented the position of the Boston scene as the bellwether for new trends during the early 2000s. Members went on to join / form other bands such as Cold Cave, Some Girls, XO Skeletons, Ye Olde Maids, Head Automatica, Bars, and The Hope Conspiracy. Wes also went on to start a publishing company called Heartworm Press and co-owns Philadelphia based bookstore/performance space Juanita And Juan's. Give Up the Ghost came back into the headlines in 2007 under accusations that Fall Out Boy had taken lyrics from Wes Eisold, the band's lyricist, resulting in an out-of-court settlement and a credit in the liner notes of both the multi-platinum selling From Under the Cork Tree and Infinity on High.
After seven years of disbandment, Give Up the Ghost played two reunion shows in December 2011. The band performed in Revere, Massachusetts (just outside of Boston) on December 29, and in Los Angeles on December 31. Deathwish Inc. reissued Give Up the Ghost's albums Background Music (2001) and We're Down Til We're Underground (2003) to coincide with the reunion dates. Tickets for the two reunion shows went on sale on October 29, 2011 and both shows sold out in under a minute. As a result, a special ticket package was announced to go on sale November 7, with all proceeds going to Shirts For A Cure Project, which benefits the Syrentha Savio Endowment. The package included two tickets and two t-shirts for $100, which in turn also sold out in under a minute.
Give Up the Ghost played additional reunion shows on July 20 and July 22, 2012 at Webster Hall in New York City. In addition, Give Up the Ghost performed at the FYF Fest in Los Angeles, California in September 2012 under their original name American Nightmare. They scheduled two more shows under the American Nightmare name in June 2013 in Chicago and Toronto. Shows in Anaheim CA and Seattle WA are also scheduled for December of 2013.
Wes Eisold - vocals
Tim Cossar - guitar
Brian Masek - guitar
Josh Holden - bass
Alex Garcia Rivera - drums
http://screaminggetsyounothing.com/
AEIOU
Give Up The Ghost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk much further under black skies with watered eyes
I was watching the tide rolling in
And I was thinking I should move from here and start again
My legs barely hold all my heart and soul
My ears hardly hear, only our sound is clear
My mouth merely moves, the words just disappear
My eyes see so clear, a reason to care
Maybe we weren't supposed to wake up today
Leaving the room only to celebrate that nothing's changed
If I was there, if you were here
The world could end, I wouldn't care
So wake me up never, please
Lock the door and lose the keys
To set the record straight- I never could relate and
Just when it all went wrong, you sang a different song
Never knew someone that knew how the years had been
And I never thought that I would end up like this
So hidden, for and gone, I'm so crowded alone
And I hope you understand, you fixed my broken plan
The lyrics of Give Up The Ghost's song AEIOU paint the picture of a person who is sitting, watching the tide roll in, pondering about starting anew. The person seems to be in pain, both physically and emotionally- their legs barely hold them, and their ears can only hear the sound of their surroundings. The lyrics also touch upon the idea of the end of the world, with the person saying that if they were with someone they cared for, they wouldn't mind the end. However, the person also pleads to never be woken up and to have the keys locked away.
The lyrics seem to convey a sense of loneliness and isolation in the person's life. They feel crowded and alone, but they also express gratitude towards someone who has helped them fix their "broken plan" - someone who knew how their life had been for years. The overall tone of the song is melancholic, with the instrumentals complementing the lyrical themes of despair and hopelessness.
Overall, the song seems to be about a person who is stuck in a rut, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of their emotions and the difficulties they face in life. They seek solace and clarity through their thoughts, but ultimately feel stranded and alone. The lyrics touch upon heavy themes such as loneliness, depression, and the fear of the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting only cause I couldn't stand to
I was so tired that I could only sit or else fall down.
Walk much further under black skies with watered eyes
If I kept walking in the dark, I would cry.
I was watching the tide rolling in
I was standing by the water watching the waves come in.
And I was thinking I should move from here and start again
I was thinking about leaving this place and beginning anew.
My legs barely hold all my heart and soul
I am so emotionally fatigued that my legs feel like they can barely support me.
My ears hardly hear, only our sound is clear
I can barely hear anything, except for the sound of our voices.
My mouth merely moves, the words just disappear
I am speaking, but the words seem to disappear without any effect.
My eyes see so clear, a reason to care
Despite everything, I can still see a reason to care.
Maybe we weren't supposed to wake up today
Perhaps it would have been better if we had never woken up today.
Leaving the room only to celebrate that nothing's changed
We are leaving the room, only to realize that everything is still the same.
If I was there, if you were here
If we were together, it wouldn't matter what else was happening around us.
The world could end, I wouldn't care
I am so at peace with the idea of the world ending if I am with you.
So wake me up never, please
I never want to have to experience another morning.
Lock the door and lose the keys
I want to be locked in here forever with you, and never let the outside world in.
To set the record straight- I never could relate and
To be honest, I could never really understand what was happening around me.
Just when it all went wrong, you sang a different song
When things started going badly, you were able to help me see things in a different light.
Never knew someone that knew how the years had been
I had never met anyone who understood the struggles I had been through.
And I never thought that I would end up like this
I never imagined my life would turn out like this.
So hidden, for and gone, I'm so crowded alone
I feel so isolated and alone, even though I'm surrounded by people.
And I hope you understand, you fixed my broken plan
I hope you know how much you have helped me to heal and start over again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TIM COSSAR, WESLEY EISOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jefflantz666
Best song off the best album ever.
@2tb825
Such a pity they stopped so early, one of the best lyrically bands evers..!!
@SiberianKissed
So addicting, American Nightmare will be remembered.
@NapalmSky99
Wes is genius!
@Puchinbola
Are you seriously insulting random people on the internet calling them gay, it's 2014 guys