Supposedly, the name "God Lives Underwater" was derived from Jeff Turzo's previous band GLU, from which David Reilly used the initials as a backronym to form the band's name. Influences of the band's sound include Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Psychedelic Furs, Econoline Crush, and Spiritualized. Reilly disparaged uses of "electronica" in reference to the band in 1998, suggesting that "techno" would be more appropriate, but ultimately saying that he would prefer the label "pop band".
In 1998, the band scored a hit with their second studio album Life in the So-Called Space Age on 1500/A&M, which charted at #137, and soon began nation-wide touring, supporting major label acts and playing numerous music festivals.
However, contractual entanglements and a label bankruptcy postponed the release of their follow-up album Up Off The Floor, and the numerous side-projects created by the GLU band members never saw release. Up Off The Floor was finally released in 2004 on an independent label, but by that time, the core members of God Lives Underwater had split up and moved on to other projects. Jeff Turzo started Wired All Wrong with Matt Mahaffey (and live support from former GLU bandmates Andrew McGee and Scott Garrett), while David Reilly pursued a solo career.
David Reilly died in his sleep on the morning of October 17, 2005 from complications of a coma brought on by bleeding, as a result of tooth infection. He was 34 years old.
They have four albums:
* God Lives Underwater EP 1995 - Onion/REP
* Empty 1995 - American Recordings
* Life In The So-Called Space Age 1998 - A&M
* Rearrange EP 1998 - A&M
* Up Off the Floor 2004 - Locomotive Music
Fool
God Lives Underwater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before my time
To say I'm getting stronger
Would be a lie
I think you're trying to break me
Seems so unreal
Don't know how to take me
Look around you
Do you see what I see
Other people think you try to
Make a fool of me
It seems to take so long
Till anything gets done
Why do I have to lose to get things
I've never won
I'm defeated again
I see the look on your face
I've got that feeling again
My mouth has a bad taste
My hope in empty promise
Put me to shame
I know its what you wanted
I need the pain
I was gonna be someone
You held me down
Didn't want me to move on
You let me drown
The lyrics to God Lives Underwater's song "Fool" illustrate the feelings of defeat and betrayal. The author is clearly frustrated and hurt, feeling as though others are trying to break them down and make a fool of them. They mention feeling as though they are getting older before their time, insinuating that they are bearing more weight than they should have to. Though they try to be strong and overcome these challenges, they admit that they are not as tough as they seem.
The chorus of the song focuses on the author's perception of their surroundings. They sense that others are trying to make a fool of them and are not sure how to respond. They feel helpless and perhaps even paranoid. The author is looking for someone to relate to, hoping that someone else sees the same things they see.
The second half of the lyrics dive deeper into the feeling of defeat. The author admits that they feel defeated again and senses that others are pleased by their failure. They feel as though empty promises have caused them to be ashamed and feel like a fool. They end the lyrics admitting their disappointment in not being able to be who they wanted to be because others held them down, ultimately causing them to drown.
Overall, the lyrics to "Fool" paint a picture of someone who is struggling with feelings of defeat and betrayal. They feel like they are being held down and made a fool of, unable to progress and become who they want to be.
Line by Line Meaning
These days I'm getting older
I feel like I'm aging faster than I should be
Before my time
I'm experiencing the effects of aging ahead of schedule
To say I'm getting stronger
I can't honestly claim that I'm becoming more resilient
Would be a lie
It's simply not true
I think you're trying to break me
I believe you're intentionally trying to cause me emotional harm
Seems so unreal
It's difficult to believe that someone would intentionally try to hurt me
Don't know how to take me
You don't understand my emotional reactions
Don't know how I feel
You don't empathize with my emotional state
Look around you
Pay attention to your surroundings
Do you see what I see
Are you aware of what I'm experiencing?
Other people think you try to
I'm not the only one who perceives this behavior from you
Make a fool of me
You're trying to humiliate me or make me look foolish
It seems to take so long
It feels like things are taking much longer than they should
Till anything gets done
Progress is slow or nonexistent
Why do I have to lose to get things
Why does progress require me to suffer losses?
I've never won
I haven't experienced success before
I'm defeated again
I feel like I've lost once again
I see the look on your face
I can tell from your expression how you feel about my failures
I've got that feeling again
I'm experiencing familiar emotions that I've felt before
My mouth has a bad taste
I'm feeling physically ill as a result of the emotional stress
My hope in empty promise
I believed in something that turned out to be meaningless
Put me to shame
I feel embarrassed or humiliated by my misplaced trust
I know its what you wanted
You intentionally misled me and wanted me to experience disappointment
I need the pain
I'm so used to feeling hurt that it's become familiar and almost comforting
I was gonna be someone
I had aspirations for my future self
You held me down
Your behavior prevented me from reaching my goals
Didn't want me to move on
You deliberately hindered my progress and personal growth
You let me drown
Your actions contributed to my downfall and failure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID REILLY, JEFF TURZO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind