Their debut album Ideas Above Our Station reached number 6 in the UK album chart, spawned several Top 40 singles and has since gone gold in the UK. The band went on to tour extensively throughout Europe and Japan. Despite selling 35,000 copies of their second album Shatterproof Is Not A Challenge they were dropped by Sony BMG in June 2004.
Hundred Reasons signed to V2 Records in September 2005. Their third album Kill Your Own - produced by guitarist Larry Hibbitt - was released on March 20, 2006 to critical acclaim and sold 30,000 copies.
On August 9, 2006 it was announced on the band's official website that guitarist and vocalist Paul Townsend would be leaving the band following their tour of Japan in early September. The departure is said to be "totally amicable", and Ben Doyle of The Lucky Nine has since joined the band as guitarist.
The band's fourth album, Quick the Word, Sharp the Action, was released on October 15, 2007. Less than a month after the album's release, V2 Records was bought by Universal, leaving the band, once again, without a label and the album was pulled from shops. Because of this, no further singles were released from the record.
Having been given the album by Universal, Quick the Word, Sharp the Action was re-released in Spring 2009. With the band touring to coincide with the release.
Oratorio
Hundred Reasons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And do you find yourself able to breathe
Unhindered
We rise to the top again
And they watch as we fall into whole
Bottomless
And I lie beneath you
And struggle for airAnd if I could walk on air
I'd see where the wind would carry you
Clear from harm's way
You mixed up the words you said
And the sentences don't make any sense
I know
Like always
And I lie
Yes I lie
Strike the chord that I desire most
Why can't I believe in me?
So far down
Interpretation: The song "Oratorio" by Hundred Reasons is a dark and emotive piece that speaks to a sense of defeat and desperation, juxtaposed with a desire to rise above the struggles and obstacles that seem insurmountable. The opening lines, "So strap yourself in again / And do you find yourself able to breathe / Unhindered" suggest a sense of anticipation and energy, but the subsequent lines "We rise to the top again / And they watch as we fall into whole / Bottomless" indicate a sense of despair and hopelessness, as if despite their best efforts they continue to struggle and fail.
The lines "And I lie beneath you / And struggle for air / And if I could walk on air / I'd see where the wind would carry you / Clear from harm's way" further emphasize this feeling of being trapped and overwhelmed, with the singer feeling suffocated and helpless. The final lines "Strike the chord that I desire most / Why can't I believe in me? / So far down" suggest a sense of longing and regret, the desire to achieve something great while simultaneously feeling held back by their own doubts and insecurities.
Line by Line Meaning
So strap yourself in again
Prepare yourself for another tumultuous ride
And do you find yourself able to breathe Unhindered
Are you able to breathe freely without any restrictions?
We rise to the top again And they watch as we fall into whole Bottomless
We may rise to the top, but people are waiting to see us fail and fall again
And I lie beneath you And struggle for air
I am lying under you and gasping for breath
And if I could walk on air I'd see where the wind would carry you Clear from harm's way
If I could defy physics and walk on air, I would know where the wind is taking you and keep you out of harm's way
You mixed up the words you said And the sentences don't make any sense I know Like always
You are confusing your words and your sentences do not make any sense, as usual
And I lie Yes I lie
I admit that I am lying about something
Strike the chord that I desire most
Play the note that I crave the most
Why can't I believe in me? So far down
I am so down that I cannot even believe in myself anymore
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW BEWS, ANDREW GILMOUR, COLIN DORAN, LAURENCE JOHN HIBBITT, PAUL TOWNSEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind