Within a year’s time, Halifax found itself among the rookie bands on the 2004 Warped Tour. By early 2005, after bowling them over Drive-Thru founders Richard Reines and Stefanie Reines during a New Jersey gig with The Early November, the label tweaked and reissued Reference. Halifax continued touring and building its fanbase while concocting what would become The Inevitability of a Strange World, a collection of riff-heavy arena rock anthems that blend post-punk hardcore with hard rock influences, a la Mötley Crüe.
The band took a three year break which was everything but a holiday: it was “a trial in life that gave us one ultimatum: stand up and fight for what we believe in or break up. 90% of bands fail, we like to think we're in the other 10%" explains Tommy. “Not to mention how much we have matured in the last 3 years as musicians and songwriters, let alone adults. We planted our feet firmly on the ground when we made this commitment to music and it’s going to take a lot more than faulty indie labels, lawsuits, and debt to sniper us out. We're not a band that backs down when faced with barriers. We have more respect for our fans and ourselves than to let anything get in the way or stop us from being artists.”
Wielding a melodic guitar driven sound, the quartet is back with their new EP Align. Halifax shows off their newly polished song-craftsmanship while still staying true to their musical influences, as they combine pop sensibility with their unmistakable riff rock and pounding rhythms. The band even shows off their penchant for reggae music in "Snake Slide", and "No Saturation".
Promise Me Tragedy
Halifax Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel depression's cold hand reaching out for me
All I've ever wanted was your honesty
But now the words, become the blade that you have driven into me
I don't need your sympathy
I know you're alone tonight, with tears you cry
Now baby it could be fun, to fire your gun
I promise not to run
You can't kill me
I feel your venom as it's flowing to my brain
Weak in the knees but I am loving all the pain
Look into your eyes, I let the trigger rest the blame
I don't need your sympathy
I know you're alone tonight, with tears you cry
I hope you're satisfied, and yeah I'm doing fine
Now baby it could be fun, to fire your gun
I promise not to run
You can't kill me
You can drain my blood, but you, you can't kill me (kill me)
You can steal my heart (my heart), but you (but you), you can't kill me
Tonight I sleep, I dream of anything but you, you
You are alone tonight, with tears you cry
I hope you're satisfied, and yeah I'm doing fine
Now baby it could be fun, to fire your gun
I promise not to run
You can't kill me
The song "Promise Me Tragedy" by Halifax is about being consumed by the pain of a broken relationship due to deception and dishonesty. The lyrics express a sense of hurt and betrayal, mixed with bitterness and resignation. The lines "All I've ever wanted was your honesty, but now the words become the blade that you have driven into me" signify the emotional impact of lies and deceit, as they cut deeper than physical wounds. The singer is struggling with depression and feeling weak, but at the same time, they are empowered by their resilience and refusal to be destroyed by the other person's actions.
The chorus "I know you're alone tonight, with tears you cry, I hope you're satisfied, and yeah I'm doing fine" reflects the idea that, even though the other person may have caused a lot of pain, the singer has moved on and is not affected anymore. The phrase "Now baby, it could be fun, to fire your gun, I promise not to run" seems to suggest that the singer is challenging the other person to try and hurt them again, but they are prepared to face it and not let it break them. In the end, the lyrics convey a sense of closure and resolution, as the singer declares that the other person can't kill them, no matter what they do.
Line by Line Meaning
I lie awake at night consumed by tragedy
I am tormented by a tragedy that I cannot escape, and it haunts me even in my sleep.
I feel depression's cold hand reaching out for me
I am being pulled down into a deep sadness, and I feel as if I am losing control of my mind and emotions.
All I've ever wanted was your honesty
All I have ever asked for is your truthfulness, but instead, you have given me pain and deceit.
But now the words, become the blade that you have driven into me
Your words have become a weapon that you have used to harm me, piercing me deeply and causing me great pain.
I don't need your sympathy
I do not want your pity or your consolation, for it cannot erase the hurt you have caused me.
I know you're alone tonight, with tears you cry
I am aware that you are also hurting and crying in your loneliness, but your tears do not diminish the pain you have inflicted upon me.
I hope you're satisfied, and yeah I'm doing fine
I hope that you are content with the damage you have done, but know that despite my outward appearance of being okay, I am still in pain.
Now baby it could be fun, to fire your gun
It may seem like a game to you to continue to hurt me, but I will not let you run me down and I won't run away from you.
I promise not to run
I will stand my ground and not let you force me to flee or cower in fear of you.
You can't kill me
You may try to harm me and break me down, but I will not let you destroy me completely.
You can drain my blood, but you, you can't kill me (kill me)
You may take everything from me and leave only an empty shell, but you cannot take away my spirit, my will to survive and overcome.
You can steal my heart (my heart), but you (but you), you can't kill me
Though you may rob me of my love and happiness, you cannot extinguish my life force or my determination to live.
Tonight I sleep, I dream of anything but you, you
Tonight, I will rest my troubled mind and dream of anything other than you, who has brought me so much pain and heartache.
You are alone tonight, with tears you cry
You are now the one who is alone and crying, experiencing the same pain you once inflicted on me.
I promise not to run
Even though you may want to hurt me again, I will not let you chase me away or defeat me wholly.
You can't kill me
You are not powerful enough to take away my determination, my resilience, and my hope for a better future.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind