Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
Drench
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Need some help here
Bail us out
In up to our necks
Drenching never stops
Fish us out
There's a light there to steer it
And soaking us up
Into a slow-motion freezer
Division is leaving
Everything stops
It's overexposure
Stop running off on me
It's overexposure
Stop running off
Come and fight back
Need some help here
Bail us out
In up to our necks
Drenching never stops
Fish us out
Did you forget what you came in for?
Still shaking the rain off
Fresh from the storm
So we saved up the good stuff
And scrapped for the liferaft
Pistols at dawn
It's overexposed
And only tits and teeth remain
It's overexposed
Keep your filthy hands off
Come and fight back
Need some help here
Bail us out
Had it up to here
Drenching never stops
Fish us out
Come and fight back
Need some help here
Bail us out
Had it up to here
Drenching never stops
Fish us out
Come and fight back
Need some help here
Bail us out
In up to our necks
Drenching never stops
Fish us out
Come and fight back
Need some help here
Bail us out
Had it up to here
Drenching never stops
Fish us out
Fish us out
Fish us out
Fish us out
Fish us out
And it looks enough for all of us to get soaked...
The lyrics from Gomez's song "Drench" delve into the notion of being overwhelmed and in need of help, both on an individual and societal level. The chorus "Come and fight back, need some help here, bail us out, in up to our necks, drenching never stops, fish us out" highlights a plea to those around us to support us when we are struggling. The theme of overdosing on the abundance of stimuli present in the world and feeling as if one is drowning is reiterated throughout the song, urging for someone to "fish us out." This concept of overstimulation is expressed in the lyric “It's overexposure stop running off on me," signifying a struggle to cope with the immense amount of stimuli that flood our daily lives.
The second verse "there's a light there to steer it, a fear that is peeling, and soaking us up into a slow-motion freezer, division is leaving, everything stops" talks about the things around us that anchor us and guide us in the right direction in life. These ideas are contrasted with the fear that is creeping in and keeping us stagnant, unable to move forward. The lyrics exemplify the feeling of being in limbo, searching for a way to move forward, but everything feels frozen.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and fight back
Asking for assistance or support to fight against something.
Need some help here
Requesting help or aid from someone.
Bail us out
Requesting to be rescued or to be freed after being stuck in a situation.
In up to our necks
Being completely immersed or involved in something, to the point of feeling overwhelmed.
Drenching never stops
A persistent or unceasing issue that continues to affect those involved.
Fish us out
Asking for someone to rescue or help the individuals involved in the situation.
There's a light there to steer it
There is hope or guidance to help those in the situation.
A fear that is peeling
A concern or worry that is slowly unraveling or revealing itself.
And soaking us up
Being fully absorbed or overwhelmed by something.
Into a slow-motion freezer
Being stuck in time or having a sense of helplessness or inaction in the situation.
Division is leaving
People or groups are separating, or there is a sense of loss or disconnection.
Everything stops
There is a complete halting or stagnancy in the situation.
It's overexposure
Feeling exposed or vulnerable in the situation.
Stop running off on me
Asking for someone to stay or not abandon the situation or the people involved.
Did you forget what you came in for?
Asking someone if they have lost sight of their original goal or purpose.
Still shaking the rain off
Trying to recover from a problem or issue that was just resolved.
Fresh from the storm
Just coming out of a difficult or chaotic situation.
So we saved up the good stuff
Keeping or holding onto something valuable or meaningful.
And scrapped for the liferaft
Doing everything possible just to survive or to keep from drowning.
Pistols at dawn
Being willing to fight or defend oneself, even if it means going to extreme measures.
And only tits and teeth remain
Only having superficial or surface-level qualities or appearances left after being stripped of everything else.
Keep your filthy hands off
Warning someone to stop interfering or causing trouble in the situation.
Had it up to here
Being fed up or frustrated with the situation.
Fish us out
Asking for someone to rescue or help the individuals involved in the situation.
And it looks enough for all of us to get soaked...
The situation appears to be at its breaking point or its most severe, and everyone involved will be affected.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind