The band broke up in the fall of 1996 after Smith's solo work began gaining popularity. Gust went on to play in the band No. 2. Coomes carried on as half of Quasi, as well as playing as a guest musician for Built to Spill and Sleater-Kinney. Lash currently keeps himself busy as a producer. He helped with the production of Death Cab for Cutie's first two studio albums (Something About Airplanes and We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes).
Disappearing Ink
Heatmiser Lyrics
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You're the one that wants to be the one to thank
But my body up and left me while I was waiting to be filled in
I'm someone else,
I'm not myself, I'm someone else,
I'm not myself, I'm someone else,
I haven't been seen so I'm not myself
A lightbulb went off in my head
Suddenly I'm none of the things you said
Did my body up and leave me?
Or did somebody finally fill me?
I still feel like a fake
I still have to lie
I still [feel] like a fake
Like I could disappear before your eyes
You could have rubbed me out (x4)
The muscle in your handshake
Puts the punchline to your jokes
But your voice don't fill your throat
And I won't fall to pieces like you think
You can't cure me
Or write me off with a wink
Can't even catch me
But I've been drawn in disappearing ink
The song Disappearing Ink by Heatmiser is a melancholic portrayal of a person's identity crisis. The song starts off with the imagery of someone wanting to erase a part of themself and fill it with something else, but in this process, the singer finds out that they have lost something essential of themself, and it feels like they have become someone else. The lines "You could have rubbed me out and filled in the blanks, You're the one that wants to be the one to thank, But my body up and left me while I was waiting to be filled in" signify this feeling of emptiness and loss. It seems that while waiting to be completed by someone else, the singer has lost an integral part of themself.
They feel disconnected from their being and are struggling to find their true self, which is manifest in the lines "I'm someone else, I'm not myself, I'm someone else, I'm not myself, I haven't been seen so I'm not myself." The contradiction in these lines highlights how the singer feels lost and like they don't belong to themselves. The chorus talks about feeling like a fake, constantly lying, and feeling like they could disappear before someone's eyes, emphasizing the theme of exile and isolation.
The second verse of Disappearing Ink portrays a shift in the singer's thoughts, where they start to question whether someone else has filled them, or whether they have just disappeared. The lines "Did my body up and leave me? Or did somebody finally fill me?" illustrate their thought process in trying to figure out their identity. And even though they are not sure, they still feel like a pretense, like they need to deceive to be accepted.
Overall, the song shows that despite feeling lost and uncertain, the singer is attempting to reconcile with their identity and seeks acceptance. The lines "Can't even catch me, But I've been drawn in disappearing ink" indicate their desire to be seen and not just dissolve into nothingness.
Line by Line Meaning
You could have rubbed me out and filled in the blanks
The singer feels like they are not really who they used to be and could easily be erased and replaced with something new by someone else.
You're the one that wants to be the one to thank
The singer feels unappreciated and like the other person is only pretending to care about them.
But my body up and left me while I was waiting to be filled in
The singer feels detached from their own body and like they are waiting for someone else to define them.
I'm someone else,
I'm not myself, I'm someone else,
I'm not myself, I'm someone else,
I haven't been seen so I'm not myself
The artist is struggling with their identity and feels like they have been replaced with someone else entirely.
A lightbulb went off in my head
Suddenly I'm none of the things you said
Did my body up and leave me?
Or did somebody finally fill me?
The artist has had a realization that they are not who the other person has been making them out to be, and they are questioning whether they have changed or if someone else has changed them.
I still feel like a fake
I still have to lie
I still [feel] like a fake
Like I could disappear before your eyes
The singer feels like they are constantly putting on a show for others and is struggling to be their true self. They worry that they could easily disappear or be forgotten.
You could have rubbed me out (x4)
The singer repeats this line to emphasize their fear of being erased or replaced by someone else.
The muscle in your handshake
Puts the punchline to your jokes
But your voice don't fill your throat
And I won't fall to pieces like you think
The artist is calling out the other person for pretending to be something they are not. They are also asserting their own strength and independence.
You can't cure me
Or write me off with a wink
Can't even catch me
But I've been drawn in disappearing ink
The artist is declaring that they cannot be fixed or easily dismissed by the other person. However, they still feel like they are disappearing and losing themselves in the process.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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