Grizfolk is a five piece alternative rock band consisting of Adam Roth (lea… Read Full Bio ↴Grizfolk is a five piece alternative rock band consisting of Adam Roth (lead vocals, guitar), Sebastian Fritze (synthesizer, backing vocals), Fredrik Eriksson (guitar), Brendan James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Bill Delia (drums). Based in Los Angeles with roots in Sweden, Grizfolk released their debut EP, From The Spark, in February 2014. Their debut full-length studio album, Waking Up The Giants, was released January 8th, 2016.

Their music is described as a casually-indefinable, artistic paradise of its own, built upon a bedrock of lush electronic tones and analog textures, stomp-and-clap guitars and heart-swelling vocals.

Hymnals
Grizfolk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Outside these walls we're criminals
They chase us down, we're singing hymnals

We tried so hard to cope
We fell so many times, we learned to climb without a rope

And we don't know what we're waiting for
And we don't know the truth anymore
And we can't see clearly through the fog
And we'll end up chasing ghosts

Outside these walls we're criminals
They chase us down, we're singing hymnals

If somebody told me this was a calling I wouldn't hang it up to dry
If somebody told me I shouldn't be stalling I wouldn't feed the world a lie

Outside these walls we're criminals
They chase us down, we're singing hymnals

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Grizfolk’s song Hymnals speak about the struggle of being lost, confused and trapped within oneself. The first few lines describe how the singers are feeling, separated from that which sparked the creativity and motivation within them. They are in a state of confusion and helplessness, losing control of their situation. The chorus speaks about how they have lost their way, they are unsure of what they want, and they are struggling to make sense of their lives. The confusion is like a thick fog and as a result, they are chasing ghosts, running around in circles without a purpose.

The second verse brings follows up on this theme of feeling like criminals, as if they are doing something unlawful by trying to find themselves. They are being hounded by others who don’t understand and so they sing hymns, using music as the outlet for their emotions. The chorus repeats this sense of confusion and loss of direction until the bridge comes in. Here, the singer speaks about how if someone were to tell them what their purpose is in life, they wouldn’t ignore it. The repeating chorus then follows up on this thought, driving home the sense that they are lost and searching for something that they might never find.

Some of the interesting facts about the song Hymnals include the fact that it was the first single off Grizfolk’s debut album and was very popular when it was first released. The song was written by the band's lead singer Adam Roth, following an experience in which his belongings were stolen. The song also featured in the TV series Beauty & the Beast, as well as episodes of When Calls the Heart and Grey's Anatomy.

Here are the chords for Hymnals:

Verse:
Em / D / G / D

Chorus:
C / Em / G / D

Bridge:
Em / C / G / D

Line by Line Meaning

We're high and dry from the spark
We've lost the initial motivation and excitement that brought us here

So we hide and lie and we hope to lose control
We're taking desperate measures to try and regain some sense of excitement and spontaneity

And we don't know what we're waiting for
We're stuck in a rut and don't know what we're hoping to achieve

And we don't know the truth anymore
We've lost our sense of direction and can no longer distinguish between reality and illusion

And we can't see clearly through the fog
We're struggling to make sense of our situation

So we end up chasing ghosts
We're pursuing unattainable goals and fleeting moments of happiness

Outside these walls we're criminals
Society sees us as outcasts and delinquents

They chase us down, we're singing hymnals
Despite the odds against us, we're still celebrating and living our lives

We tried so hard to cope
We've made countless attempts to survive and adapt to our surroundings

We fell so many times, we learned to climb without a rope
We've experienced setbacks and failures but have become resilient and self-reliant

If somebody told me this was a calling I wouldn't hang it up to dry
We're determined to hold onto our sense of purpose and creativity

If somebody told me I shouldn't be stalling I wouldn't feed the world a lie
We're unwilling to compromise our values or sell out for the sake of conformity

And we'll end up chasing ghosts
Our pursuit of fulfillment will likely continue to be elusive

Outside these walls we're criminals
Our unconventional lifestyle puts us at odds with mainstream society

They chase us down, we're singing hymnals
Despite the obstacles we face, we're still driven to make the most of our time

Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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We're high and dry from the spark
So we hide and lie and we hope to lose control
And we don't know what we're waiting for
And we don't know the truth anymore
And we can't see clearly through the fog
So we end up chasing ghosts

Outside these walls we're criminals
They chase us down, we're singing hymnals

We tried so hard to cope
We fell so many times, we learned to climb without a rope

And we don't know what we're waiting for
And we don't know the truth anymore
And we can't see clearly through the fog
And we'll end up chasing ghosts

Outside these walls we're criminals
They chase us down, we're singing hymnals

If somebody told me this was a calling I wouldn't hang it up to dry
If somebody told me I shouldn't be stalling I wouldn't feed the world a lie

Outside these walls we're criminals
They chase us down, we're singing hymnals