“The whole record is about abandonment, particularly the fact that my father is the one who abandoned me,” says the scorching singer/songwriter for I Am Empire (whose moniker is basically a battle cry to be yourself and never feel pressured towards conformity). “We decided to name the record Kings because it signifies the head of a household, and if you’ve been abandoned, you want to look past that person and try to be better when you grow up. The goal is to take up the crown that person left behind and be better than the person who left, which can really apply to any type of relationship.”
Yet the plot thickens in the case of Lyons, whose biological dad may have left when he was ten, though a stepfather entered the picture a little later down the line. In time, this new father figure of sorts became incredibly close to the family, so much so that Austin adapted his last name and considered him to fill the original role his birth dad missed, though that relationship also took an unexpected turn.
“Basically he decided to leave and said he wanted kids of his own, which absolutely destroyed me, my mom and my sister,” he reveals. “From that point on, I decided to write this record reflecting on what happened when both my biological dad and a person I called my dad left me. I try to be as honest as I can be because that really helps dive deep into myself. It’s been a big therapy session for me, and even though I opened myself up to a lot of painful things I didn’t want to put out there, it’s been good for my writing. Everything works out for the better, and even though these situations were awful, I want there to be a positive outcome.”
The results find the guitar-charged record split between tracks of justified venting to seasons of spiritual renewal, both of which find the band unfurling its emotions as if their lives depended on such gripping delivery. Cuts like the lead single “Brain Damage,” “Saints & Sinners,” “Heart Attack,” “To the Moon” and “Foxhole” are aggressive examples of anger relief that encourage listeners to never bottle up their emotions, while “Hammers & Anvils,” “Love & Despair” and “Take Me Away” speak of healing, reconciliation and forgiveness.
“Even if you’ve been abandoned, you need to dig past the depression and ask God to help you find the joy in your circumstances,” suggests Lyons. “God’s continually worked through my situation and I have a positive outlook, to the point where we can close up the record with ‘It’s Not Fair’ with lines like ‘you wished me away/ but I wish you well.’”
The music is just as varied as the lyrical longing, ranging from muses like Jimmy Eat World to Muse, My Chemical Romance and Anberlin (who the group co-writes with on a track). In fact, the dozen track disc also benefits from the multi-faceted approach of producer Rob Hawkins, who’s also known for his work with Disciple and Fireflight (to name a few).
“We tried to have a dirtier sound in general,” admits Lyons. “A lot of the songs are really heavy, a couple fall in the pop/rock vein and we even have a kind of folksy acoustic song. We have a wide range of sounds and made sure not to stick with the same type of song over and over again. We also made a point for there not to be any throwaway tracks on the album or to waste any time recording a song that wasn’t worthwhile.”
Between those artistic ambitions, members’ unceasing work ethic, tireless time on tour and thematic reliability, I Am Empire is a perfect match with Tooth & Nail, which is a literally a label dream come true for the guys who grew up listening to its influential roster. “We talked to them for about a year, and in the end, it just felt like family,” sums up Lyons. “They’re the kind of label we always dreamed to be on, especially in high school when we used to say ‘man, it would be so cool to be on Tooth & Nail someday.’ We’ve literally grown up with them and our sound works within its line-up. Everything’s going great and it’s going to be an awesome relationship.”
Take Me Away
I Am Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was all to make you happy or something of the sort.
Think I'll build a boat sail somewhere I can be myself.
But who is that?
Who is that?
Son it's not your fault.
You are who you are.
Take me away where the monsters will play.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
Take me away where the monsters will play.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
Oh...
The ocean lead me somewhere...
The trees look like walls
I can hear the shouts and calls of creatures in the dark.
So scared freak out, lay low to the ground
Looking for a clearing I hear a voice from afar.
Son it's not your fault.
You are who you are.
I will lead you to where they wont make you small
Take me away where the monsters will play.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
Take me away where the monsters will play.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
Every dream has an end
A plot with a twist
It's time to surrender
Call it part of the plan
It's out of my hands
Swore I'd never be home sick but I am
Son it's not your fault.
You are who you are.
And I will lead you to where they wont make you small
Take me away where the monsters will play.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
Take me away where the monsters will play.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
They'll never see my face.
The lyrics of I Am Empire's song Take Me Away express a deep desire to evade the pressures and expectations of the world, to escape to someplace where nobody knows who the singer is, where he can be free to be himself. The trophies on his mantle, physical representations of success and accomplishments, have lost their value in comparison to his pursuit of individualism. The line "Take me away where the monsters will play" suggests a willingness to leave behind the familiar, everyday world for someplace unexplored and unknown, where anything and everything could be possible. The repetition of this line throughout the song indicates a repeated plea for an exit from the constraints of the world that has so far only stifled creativity and potential.
Line by Line Meaning
Trophies on my bedroom mantle never meant much to me.
Having trophies as my prize possession never gave me any sense of satisfaction or fulfillment.
It was all to make you happy or something of the sort.
I only collected these trophies to please someone else or for some other superficial reason.
Think I'll build a boat sail somewhere I can be myself.
I feel the need to escape and find a place where I can finally be true to myself and be free.
But who is that?
However, I am still unsure of who I am or what I want in life.
Son it's not your fault.
Someone is telling me that I should not blame myself for my imperfections or shortcomings.
You are who you are.
I am being reminded that I should accept myself for who I am, flaws and all.
I will lead you to where they wont make you small
This person is willing to guide me to a place where I won't be made to feel insignificant or belittled.
Take me away where the monsters will play.
I want to be taken to a place where I can face my fears and confront the monsters within myself.
Take me away where they'll never see my face.
I want to escape to a place where nobody knows me or my insecurities, where I can start anew.
The ocean lead me somewhere...
The vastness of the ocean seems to be leading me to a place where I can find my true self.
The trees look like walls
My surroundings seem to be closing in on me, making me feel trapped and suffocated.
I can hear the shouts and calls of creatures in the dark.
My mind is playing tricks on me, making me hear voices and monsters lurking in the shadows.
So scared freak out, lay low to the ground
I am filled with fear and feel the need to hide or cower in the face of adversity.
Looking for a clearing I hear a voice from afar.
In search of clarity and direction, I hear a voice that seems to be offering guidance from a distance.
Every dream has an end
I am reminded that all good things must eventually come to an end.
A plot with a twist
Sometimes life takes unexpected turns, throwing us for a loop and changing the course of our plans.
It's time to surrender
It's time for me to let go of my fears and anxieties and surrender to the unknown.
Call it part of the plan
Perhaps this is all part of the grand scheme of things, and everything happens for a reason.
It's out of my hands
I've come to accept that there are some things in life that I cannot control or change.
Swore I'd never be home sick but I am
I once thought that I would never feel homesick, but now I realize that I miss the comfort and familiarity of home.
They'll never see my face.
I want to start anew in a place where nobody knows me, where I can put my past behind me and face the future with confidence.
Contributed by Lillian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.