The end of 2008 saw Grieves enlisting the help of friend and collaborator Budo to co-produce Together/Apart bringing his signature swiss-army knife, multi-instrumental backdrop to Grieves' hauntingly poignant narrative. The album began taking shape in New York as the two built off the success 88 Keys and Counting had generated and paired it with the intensity they developed from their live performances. The recording process began to shadow the theme of the album as it saw tracks recorded in Colorado and Washington in addition to New York, infusing it with a mixture of regional influences while still maintaining a cohesive sound. As the album neared completion the title took on a double meaning for Grieves as he explored new subject matter in the absence of trust, refuge in addiction, acceptance and honesty in self-reflection, and trying to find his place in the world without forgetting his roots.
Half Empty
Grieves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel my life is going blah
From the women I wake up to
To the substance in my rhymes
And i've abused the truth by telling myself everythings fine
With all that negativity im ignoring, steadily climbed
And undescribed
But hell I know that im not perfect
'Cause all of my problems surface
They feel I dont deserve 'em
'Cause their friends say that im worthless
Unappropriately portrayed in my words
And what about my music
Haven't been making it lately
The way that I view haven't been positive
Missing the fact that it's human to get confused
I bleed and bruise like all the rest of you
But verbalize my bloo inhale the punches love has thrown at me
And breathe it out my lungs like..
And this all has been a mess
I replaced the things I love and ripped my heart out of my chest like..
And im not so concerned with why
I'm just here to count the minutes till tomorrows sun can rise
Listen..
How many times do you have to wake up to stop dreaming
And I wrap my love notes in dust but never read 'em
Many times I just try to give up to stop leaving you
I have my heart broke and busted
Most of its been crushed but I blame it on myself
'Cause in the morning I dont see the right reflection
That foggy mirror after my shower, I see rejection
And im not saying im depressed
Seems to be a common theme today
These children try to hate themselves
But dont know why they feel that way
I got a real path paved and its been crazy
In a month i almost had the clap and possibly a baby
Relocated places credit companies chasin me
And new age taking on in it's efficient pile of changes
And I hate it 'cause its all so uncontrollable
Losing myself inside this broken emotion of no one knows
What's the point of ever falling in love
I find it's more about the pain than it ever was about trust
Find its more about breaking chains and being confound there that it rusts
Found that love is just a test to most of us who've given up
But if you think of it logistically
Then love is open eye
'Cause its everywhere you look
And its in every scar you hide
How many times do you have to wake up to stop dreaming
And I wrap my love notes in dust but never read 'em
Many times I just try to give up to stop leaving you
I have my heart broke and busted
Most of its been crushed but I blame it on myself
In Grieves's song "Half Empty," he explores the idea that life can feel like it's going blah, leaving one feeling unfulfilled, defeated and negative about every aspect of their existence. He admits that he's been abusing the truth by telling himself everything is fine while steadily climbing up his negative mindset. He acknowledges that he's not perfect and has problems that surface in relationships. He also talks about how he hasn't been making music as much lately and his view of life hasn't been positive, missing the fact that it's normal to get confused and feel the pain that love brings. He owns up to his mistakes and the emotional toll they've taken on him, ultimately blaming himself for his heartbreak.
The second verse continues to explore Grieves's feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness. He talks about how he doesn't see the right reflection in the mirror in the morning and how children are struggling to understand why they feel the way they do. He speaks about the chaos of his life, including nearly contracting a disease and almost having a baby. He talks about how everything seems uncontrollable and how it's possible to find love in every scar you hide.
Overall, "Half Empty" is a sobering exploration of the depths of self-doubt and negativity that can swell within us. It's a reminder that it's okay to struggle and that love can be found even in the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
I swear to god that sometimes
I feel my life is going blah
The singer admits that at times he feels dissatisfied with his life and finds it mundane.
From the women I wake up to
To the substance in my rhymes
The singer is unhappy with the women he is seeing and feels that his artistic creations lack depth.
And i've abused the truth by telling myself everythings fine
With all that negativity im ignoring, steadily climbed
Despite knowing that everything is not well, the singer keeps lying to himself and ignoring the negativity in his life.
And undescribed
But hell I know that im not perfect
The singer acknowledges that he cannot accurately describe what is bothering him but admits to his imperfections.
God knows I cant keep a girlfriend
'Cause all of my problems surface
The singer has trouble maintaining a relationship because his various issues and problems keep coming up.
They feel I dont deserve 'em
'Cause their friends say that im worthless
Unappropriately portrayed in my words
The people the singer dates believe he is undeserving of love and take a negative view of him because he has portrayed himself negatively in his music.
And what about my music
Haven't been making it lately
The way that I view haven't been positive
The singer has not been producing his music recently, and the pessimistic view he has of life has been affecting his art.
Missing the fact that it's human to get confused
I bleed and bruise like all the rest of you
The singer realizes that it is normal to be confused and struggle, and he is not immune to pain and hurt like anyone else.
But verbalize my bloo inhale the punches love has thrown at me
And breathe it out my lungs like..
The singer uses his music to express his feelings of hurt and pain caused by love and to help him cope with it.
And this all has been a mess
I replaced the things I love and ripped my heart out of my chest like..
The singer feels that his life is a mess, and he has replaced the things he loves with negative things, causing him to feel heartbroken.
And im not so concerned with why
I'm just here to count the minutes till tomorrows sun can rise
The singer is not too concerned with the reasons behind his situations, and he merely counts down the minutes until a new day begins.
How many times do you have to wake up to stop dreaming
And I wrap my love notes in dust but never read 'em
The singer has been so hurt in the past that he has stopped believing in love, and he no longer reads the notes he writes to his loved ones.
Most of its been crushed but I blame it on myself
The singer's heart has been broken many times, but he takes the sole responsibility for its state.
That foggy mirror after my shower, I see rejection
And im not saying im depressed
The singer sees rejection when he looks at himself in the mirror, but he is not specifically saying that he is depressed.
Seems to be a common theme today
These children try to hate themselves
But dont know why they feel that way
The singer notes that it is common for people to feel self-loathing, even if they don't know why they feel that way.
I got a real path paved and its been crazy
The singer has a clear direction for his life, but it has been hectic and tumultuous.
In a month i almost had the clap and possibly a baby
Relocated places credit companies chasin me
And new age taking on in it's efficient pile of changes
The singer has had a series of chaotic and consequential events occur in his life, including a scare of diseases and pregnancy, moving, and credit companies pursuing him.
And I hate it 'cause its all so uncontrollable
Losing myself inside this broken emotion of no one knows
The singer hates that his life seems to be out of his control, and he feels lost in emotions that no one understands.
What's the point of ever falling in love
I find it's more about the pain than it ever was about trust
The singer questions the purpose of love and believes that it brings more pain than trust.
Found that love is just a test to most of us who've given up
But if you think of it logistically
Then love is open eye
The singer believes that many people see love as a challenge and have given up on it. However, if you analyze it logically, love is a way of expanding one's views of the world and the self.
'Cause its everywhere you look
And its in every scar you hide
Love is all around, visible to those who pay attention, and even the past traumas leave marks of love's presence.
I have my heart broke and busted
Most of its been crushed but I blame it on myself
The singer has suffered heartbreak and hurt, and while most of it was inflicted by others, he takes the responsibility for the pain himself.
Contributed by Addison F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.