Before he became known to the world as I-Octane, young Byiome Muir was just… Read Full Bio ↴Before he became known to the world as I-Octane, young Byiome Muir was just another youth growing up in Sandy Bay, Clarendon with big dreams. Now he is known for his uniquely powerful voice and spit-fire lyrics but before that he gained himself the reputation of being a noisy little boy who was constantly belting out a tune, much to the annoyance of his mother and siblings. Young Byiome took this passion for music and singing to school and could always be found beating a rhythm on the desk and entertaining his classmates. Before long, the casual performances gained Byiome respect and no schoolyard clash, concert, or function was complete without an appearance from the budding singjay. Despite his blossoming reputation as a talented singer, Muir still didn't consider performing professionally as a viable career choice. Understanding the financial hardships that his family had to endure, he took on the role of 'man of the house' and focused on helping his mother raise his brothers and sister. However, his education was not to be neglected. His mother encouraged him to work hard at school and Byiome discovered that he had an affinity for the sciences and architecture. He actually considered becoming an architect but he couldn't seem to escape the call of the music. It wasn't until he completed high school that Byiome really considered getting serious about his talent. By this time, a few people began to encourage him to take the plunge into the music industry. He began performing under the name 'Richie Rich' and aided by his hardcore dancehall lyrics, it wasn't long before he was introduced to famed producer Donovan Germaine of Penthouse Records. Spending time at Penthouse and rubbing shoulders with more established artistes such as Buju Banton and Tony Rebel gave Richie the opportunity to hone his talent and really decide where he wanted to go with his new career choice. While working with Penthouse, he decided to change his name to something that better represented him. He realized that high octane gas was known for it's high energy and performance and knew immediately that this epitomized the type of performer he wanted to be. He personalized it by substituting the 'high' for 'I', and so the name I-Octane was birthed. Three years after linking with Penthouse, I-Octane caught the interest of Arrows Recording Company. He was approached by Junior Arrows who ended up signing him to the label. This decision brought with it a lot of changes and Octane slowly began to make a name for himself. He transitioned from dancehall music to a more cultural vibe and his first hit single 'Stab Vampire' cemented his position as a notable reggae artiste. It seems that the success of 'Stab vampire' served as a catalyst to propel I-Octane forward. After that song went to number one and received the award for Video of the Year at the 'Excellence in Music Awards (EME), I-Octane put out hit after hit, winning over skeptics and gaining many new fans. Song's such as Different page, Hurt mi, and 'Mama you alone' reverberated with people all over and as his reputation soared his fan base increased and the demands grew beyond the Jamaican soil. In in no time I-Octane was performing to his international fan base on his first European tour. Inevitably, he soon began to link with notable producers who were all clamoring to work with the young artiste and his repertoire of hit songs broadened rapidly.
I-Octane is now an independent artiste, having ended a 4 year partnership with Arrows Recordings. His catalogue continues to grow likewise his accolades and he has received numerous awards and nominations in recognition of his work. With only a 5 year stint in the industry he is already being compared to some of the legends in reggae, hence it's only appropriate that many industry professionals and corporate Jamaica are looking to him as the leader of the new generation of musician. Even with his success to date, it is clear that Octane has just scratched the surface of all he is meant to achieve. His music has captured the attention and hearts of people of every color, creed and class and this artiste has undoubtedly unleashed a fire that will eternally blaze. HOTTA FIRE BURNING!!!!

Sinking Sand
I-Octane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Deserted, converted, before your first breath
Their hearts were unconcerned between life or death
They knew you'd start to feel the wounds of the heart, it was all part of the plan
Facing nothing but abuse, you're just a weapon to be used, more of a monster than a man

But just because you're rare doesn't make it fair

The walls of your mind, a prison to which you're confined, where life no longer makes sense

Deprived of what you should have had, they tortured you and drove you mad to be their ultimate defence

But I just want to be a shield for you

I'll be the medicine you need to heal all those wounds that never bleed
Through waterfalls and sinking sand, we'll make it there if you just take my hand

The endless lies form in shadows round your eyes, closed upon the tears that stream
And your mind, it gets so weak, from countless nights without sleep, never daring to dream
It's in the stories that they tell, the demon loves only itself, but tell me, how can that be
Your past has always been denied, but I know who you are inside, and that's still precious to me

You know I'll be your friend until the end

I'll be the medicine you need to heal all those wounds that never bleed
Through waterfalls and sinking sand, we'll make it there if you just take my hand

I know you can be stronger than all of this darkness and rise above
When this life puts you to the test, just aim to be the best, and when you lose the rest, all there is that's left is love

I'll be the medicine you need to heal all those wounds that never bleed
Through waterfalls and sinking sand, we'll make it there if you just take my hand

We'll do it all together hand in hand

Overall Meaning

In I-Octane's song "Sinking Sand," the artist is expressing empathy and support for someone who has suffered abuse and trauma throughout their life. The first verse speaks to the notion that this person was not given a fair chance in life from the outset, with "their hearts" having been "unconcerned between life or death" before the individual's "first breath." The abuse they've endured has left them feeling like "more of a monster than a man," and trapped in a mental prison where "life no longer makes sense."

But despite all of this, I-Octane offers himself as a "shield" and "medicine" for the individual's wounds that "never bleed." He acknowledges their strength and resilience, encouraging them to rise above the darkness and hold love as their last remaining anchor. The final line of the song, "We'll do it all together hand in hand," reinforces the idea that solidarity and support are crucial when one is in the midst of hardship.

Overall, the song is a beautiful testament to the power of empathy and the importance of being there for those who are struggling. It speaks to the way in which trauma and abuse can make one feel isolated and misunderstood, and the healing impact that connection and solidarity can have.

Line by Line Meaning

Deserted, converted, before your first breath
Even before you were born, those who were supposed to protect you abandoned you and betrayed you.

Their hearts were unconcerned between life or death
They didn't care about the repercussions of their actions and how it could destroy you emotionally and mentally.

They knew you'd start to feel the wounds of the heart, it was all part of the plan
Your abusers knew that they were hurting you, and they wanted you to suffer emotionally and physically.

Facing nothing but abuse, you're just a weapon to be used, more of a monster than a man
You were surrounded by nothing but pain and abuse, and those who were meant to protect you only saw you as an object to be used and abused.

But just because you're rare doesn't make it fair
Just because you're different and unique, doesn't mean that you deserve to be mistreated or abused.

The walls of your mind, a prison to which you're confined, where life no longer makes sense
Your mind has become a prison where you feel trapped, lost and confused with no meaning in life.

Deprived of what you should have had, they tortured you and drove you mad to be their ultimate defence
You were deprived of the love and care you were supposed to receive, and instead, you were subjected to torture and pain so that you could be a weapon for your abusers.

But I just want to be a shield for you
I want to protect you from those who want to hurt you and be there for you when you need me.

I'll be the medicine you need to heal all those wounds that never bleed
I'll be the support and love that you need to help you overcome the mental and emotional scars that still plague you.

Through waterfalls and sinking sand, we'll make it there if you just take my hand
No matter how hard life gets, and how lost you feel, we'll make it through everything together, as long as you let me help you.

The endless lies form in shadows round your eyes, closed upon the tears that stream
You've been subjected to so many lies and deceit that you can't even see the truth, and you've become numb to the tears that you shed.

And your mind, it gets so weak, from countless nights without sleep, never daring to dream
Your mind has become so weak, and the trauma and pain have kept you awake at night, and you've lost the ability to dream.

It's in the stories that they tell, the demon loves only itself, but tell me, how can that be
Your abusers have created lies and myths about who you are and what you are, portraying you as a demon, who only cares about itself, but how could that be true?

Your past has always been denied, but I know who you are inside, and that's still precious to me
Even though your past has always been a secret and those who were supposed to protect you denied it, I know who you truly are, and it's something precious to me.

You know I'll be your friend until the end
I'll always be your friend and support you, no matter what happens, and I'll be there for you until the end.

I know you can be stronger than all of this darkness and rise above
I have faith that you can overcome the pain and trauma and that you can rise above it all to become stronger.

When this life puts you to the test, just aim to be the best, and when you lose the rest, all there is that's left is love
When life gets hard, always try to do your best, and if you fail, remember that all that's left is love, and that's what truly matters.

We'll do it all together hand in hand
We'll face everything together and support each other no matter what, holding hands and never letting go.

Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: GS 1.0

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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