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
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God Save the Queen
Give Up The Ghost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Storm stained city streets
Paved with pain
To bring these roses to you
And with sore throat insecurity
You pulled the thorns
From my bleeding side
There were winter days
Try to heat cold sheets
Hide allergy eyes
I'm now hanging out with destiny
And begging it to get the best of me
What else can I do?
Why do you read me
Like no one else?
Used to live headaches
Now they're somewhere else
We are handguns, angel
Waiting to explode
We've lived cold lives
But now we know
The sun may hide
But the night is always there
So don't anticipate
It's not worth the wait
What did you expect?
Status report, I've called it a day
There's a world of people
Different than me
Status report: I've lost my voice
Trying to be heard over this noise
Die young, or live forever?
I'm just trying to get through the night
See there's this voice
Dragging me down
Die young, or live forever?
I'm just trying to refined my heart
It was always there
Just hard to see in the dark
You weren't even looking
Sleeping like there's no tomorrow
Sleeping like there's no tomorrow
In "God Save the Queen," Give Up The Ghost describes navigating through tough moments and trying to find their place in the world. The lyrics touch on themes of insecurity, pain, and confusion. The first verse expresses the hardships of traversing through a city with a storm looming and carrying a bouquet of roses to give to someone. The person is physically hurting, and the singer is emotionally hurting. The second verse focuses on destiny and how there seems to be no control over it, which results in feeling helpless. This verse also highlights the idea of being misunderstood and not able to connect with others. The final verse touches on the question of whether it is preferable to die young or live forever. It is ultimately a reflection on personal growth and trying to understand how to navigate through the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I ran through
I hurried through
Storm stained city streets
Wet and dirty roads because of the rain
Paved with pain
Marked with distress and agony
To bring these roses to you
To offer these flowers to you
And with sore throat insecurity
Suffering from self-doubt and uncertainty
You pulled the thorns
You removed the spikes
From my bleeding side
From the spot where I was injured
There were winter days
There were times of misery
Spent in,sulking, side
Passed in sadness and dejection
Try to heat cold sheets
Attempting to warm up icy beddings
Hide allergy eyes
Conceal swollen and itchy eyes due to allergies
I'm now hanging out with destiny
I'm now spending time with fate
And begging it to get the best of me
And pleading for it to make me better
What else can I do?
There is nothing else I can do
Why do you read me
How come you understand me
Like no one else?
More than anybody else?
Used to live headaches
I previously dealt with migraines
Now they're somewhere else
Now they're gone
We are handguns, angel
We are dangerous and powerful beings
Waiting to explode
Ready to detonate
We've lived cold lives
We've lived apathetic lives
But now we know
But now we realize
The sun may hide
The sun might go away
But the night is always there
But the night is always present
So don't anticipate
So don't expect
It's not worth the wait
It's not worth your time
What did you expect?
What were you expecting?
Status report, I've called it a day
I'm done for today
There's a world of people
There's a multitude of people
Different than me
Not like me
Status report: I've lost my voice
Report on my condition: I can't speak
Trying to be heard over this noise
Attempting to make myself heard amidst the commotion
Die young, or live forever?
Should I die young or live forever?
I'm just trying to get through the night
I'm just trying to survive the night
See there's this voice
Notice that there's this voice
Dragging me down
Pulling me down
Die young, or live forever?
Should I die young or live forever?
I'm just trying to refined my heart
I'm just trying to better my heart
It was always there
It was always present
Just hard to see in the dark
Just difficult to notice in the absence of light
You weren't even looking
You weren't even paying attention
Sleeping like there's no tomorrow
Sleeping carelessly like there's no future
Sleeping like there's no tomorrow
Sleeping carelessly like there's no future
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: TIM COSSAR, WESLEY EISOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind