While they began performing live in June 2003, they soon released their 4 Song Sampler, produced by Hidden in Plain View's Rob Freeman, to help spread the word. Due to various national tours with bands such as Hidden in Plain View, The Academy Is... and Hellogoodbye, Houston Calls' fanbase grew steadily, until in spring 2004, Clayton left the band. Through mutual friends, Josh Grigsby was introduced to the band and became their drummer on May 15, 2004. The newly manned five-piece went into the studio with producer Jesse Cannon, to record their Sampler Volume 2 (2004). A few months after its release in August 2004, Houston Calls became the second band to sign with Rushmore Records, a subsidiary record label of Drive-Thru Records, who the band had been friends with ever since their formation.
On August 2, 2005, the band's official debut album, A Collection of Short Stories, was released. Produced by Ed Rose, the CD contained eleven songs, three of which had previously been released on their two samplers.
In November 2006, Kenny Ryan announced he was leaving the band, Houston Calls found a replacement in Jose Lopez in Feburary 2007 who had been filling in for Kenny.
In April 2008, the band entered the studio with producer Mark Weinberg to record their follow up to A Collection of Short Stories, The End of an Error and was released on October 14, 2008, along with the single "Life Won't Wait". The album was made available to stream via AOL on the day of release. The band went on a UK Tour as main support newcomers You Me At Six. Farewell were the openers.
At the end of December 2008, founding member Jarrett Seltzer left after no longer wishing to tour as a musician. Two weeks later, it was announced that Jose Lopez would no longer be in the band due to personal reasons. The band has announced that Dan Diaz of Red Light Green Light will be filling Jose's spot. Jason Jaksetic of The Pilot will be filling in on bass. The tour will go on as planned.
On June 9, 2009, the band officially announced that they are disbanding. They will play their last show on August 29, 2009, at School of Rock in their hometown.
Some of the members brand new band Future of the Party with some of the Paulson members.
A Line In The Sand
Houston Calls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Awaiting the unfeasible's
A failure of your own design
You said you need to decide
But if you're not gonna listen then don't bother to ask for advice
[Chorus]
I close my eyes, I close my eyes
A murderer in a thief's disguise
I'm about to live the life you thought we'd live together
I said you'd leave, you said you wouldn't
I guess I knew you better
I should have seen the writing on the walls
Should have had the guts to call but you don't have the right to
It seemed like it was all planned
Right down to the compliments you gave me the back of your hand
I guess there's nothing to say
A line in the sand has no meaning if you walk away
It's not like you do this normally, not like you to say I'm sorry
You know it's too late for apologies
Too soon to come back to where you want to be
[Chorus]
It's not like you do this normally, not like you to say I'm sorry
You know it's too late for apologies
Too soon to come back to where you want to be
Too soon to come back to where you want to be
I'm about to live the life you thought we'd live together
I said you'd leave, you said you wouldn't
I guess I knew you better
I should have seen the writing on the walls
Should have had the guts to call but you don't have the right to
The lyrics of "A Line in the Sand" by Houston Calls depict the end of a relationship that was doomed from the start. The singer is frustrated and disappointed with his partner who seems to have misled him into believing that they could have a future together. The opening lines, "Our stars are never aligned, awaiting the unfeasibles, a failure of your own design," speaks to the idea that even though they waited for the right time to start the relationship, it was still bound to fail because of their incompatible personalities. The singer's partner seems to want to make amends by seeking advice, but he feels like he has already made up his mind and that there is no point in asking for help if he's not going to listen.
The chorus of the song has a dark, ominous tone to it: "I fail to recognize the look that I knew I'd despise, a murderer in a thief's disguise." The singer is feeling betrayed by the person he thought he knew, and he realizes that his partner was only pretending to be someone he wasn't. He is about to start a new chapter in his life, but he is also bitter that his partner may have ruined what could have been a fruitful relationship. The bridge of the song further emphasizes the fact that his partner is too late in apologizing or trying to make things right, and it's too soon to come back to where she wants to be.
Overall, "A Line in the Sand" is a powerful breakup song that speaks to the pain and confusion of ending a relationship that was supposed to last forever. The lyrics are poignant and relatable, and the music is beautifully crafted to capture the mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Our stars are never aligned
We're never on the same page.
Awaiting the unfeasible's
We're hoping for the impossible.
A failure of your own design
You caused your own downfall.
You said you need to decide
You claimed to need time to think.
But if you're not gonna listen then don't bother to ask for advice
If you won't consider my input, don't bother asking for it.
I close my eyes, I close my eyes
I can't bear to witness what's happening.
I fail to recognize the look that I knew I'd despise
I don't recognize the person you've become.
A murderer in a thief's disguise
You're deceitful and destructive.
I'm about to live the life you thought we'd live together
I'm going to move on without you.
I said you'd leave, you said you wouldn't
I predicted you'd leave and you denied it.
I guess I knew you better
I thought I knew you well enough to trust you.
I should have seen the writing on the walls
I should have noticed the warning signs.
Should have had the guts to call but you don't have the right to
I should have had the courage to end things, but now you don't have the right to control me.
It seemed like it was all planned
It felt like you had everything mapped out.
Right down to the compliments you gave me the back of your hand
Even your praise felt insincere.
I guess there's nothing to say
There's nothing more to be said.
A line in the sand has no meaning if you walk away
Our agreement is meaningless if you break it.
It's not like you do this normally, not like you to say I'm sorry
You aren't usually like this, it's surprising to hear you apologize.
You know it's too late for apologies
Saying sorry now won't fix things.
Too soon to come back to where you want to be
It's too early for you to try to reconcile.
Too soon to come back to where you want to be
It's still too soon for you to try to make things right.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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