It didn't take long for I the Mighty to start making an impression on the West Coast. The quartet landed on the music director's desk at local modern rock station Live 105 around the release of Hearts and Spades, and from there it's been one milestone after another. I the Mighty have found regular radio airplay, opening slots for Deftones, Hawthorne Heights, and There For Tomorrow, as well as packed venues up and down the West Coast. Not to mention glowing reviews and coverage in Alternative Press, AMP Magazine, and on AbsolutePunk.net
"We wanted to introduce I the Mighty and Hearts and Spades to as many people as possible, so we decided to put together a 'track hunt' and make each of the songs available on different social media sites and later on Purevolume.com," explains singer Brent Walsh. "We researched how our fans and friends discovered music online and embraced that by giving them a reason to connect with us (the EP for free) and then we tried to build a personal friendship with each one." The band's marketing strategy has been an unquestionable success, with over 3,500 full EP downloads within the first 3 months of release.
In addition to their high-energy live set, I the Mighty have paired new media intellect with traditional promotion to help build a loyal and enthusiastic group of fans.
They were signed to Equal Vision records and released three albums before breaking up in 2020 due to frontman Brent Walsh receiving sexual assault allegations.
KILLER
I the Mighty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And don’t fret about the man with the knife.
It’s a joke. It’s a lie. He’s a fake.
Just a plague of the memories that keep you awake.
But if you let your subconscious bleed into reality he’ll be hunting you down in your dreams.
So just relax. Breathe deep.
Let your mind drift you off to sleep and I’ll see if I can keep the blade away.
And if you close your eyes he’ll be gone by day break, anyway.
Maybe he could stay…
And as you sleep he’ll steal all your dreams away, anyway.
Love and death are the two things that he is most aware of.
Singing songs of heartbreak and homicide.
And you’d thing that he would cry
but his tear well has turned stone dry.
And if you could have seen the way his life was lived to this date and time
Then maybe you’d understand his violent state of mind.
But maybe he could stay…
And if you close your eyes he’ll be gone by day break, anyway.
Maybe he could stay…
And as you sleep he’ll steal all your dreams away, anyway.
He’s watching. He’s waiting. He’s planning.
All he wanted was one last kiss he said, “Shoot me so I leave this world alive.”
Just a killer with one last wish he said, “Shoot me so I leave this world alive.”
The song “Killer” by I the Mighty carries a dark, brooding, and introspective tone. It is about someone struggling to fall asleep due to their haunting memories, fears, and anxiety. The lyrics begin by telling the listener to relax, close their eyes, and to not worry about the man with the knife because he’s merely a figment of their imagination. However, the song then takes a turn as it warns that if the subconscious mind starts to bleed into reality, the man with the knife will become all too real, following and hunting them in their dreams.
As the song progresses, the lyrics delve into the psyche of the man with the knife, stating that he’s most aware of love and death, singing songs about both heartbreak and homicide, and has now become emotionally numb, ready to embrace violence at any time. The man with the knife is portrayed to be a victim of his circumstances and his surroundings, whose violent state of mind is understandable if only one could see his life lived up until now.
The song ends with the man with the knife asking for someone to shoot him so he can leave this world alive. The song speaks to the depths of the human mind, our fears, anxieties and our deepest, darkest thoughts. It is a dark and uncomfortable song but at the same time, relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Say goodnight. Go to sleep. Close your eyes. Shut them tight.
Go to bed and close your eyes tightly.
And don’t fret about the man with the knife.
Don't worry about the man with the knife.
It’s a joke. It’s a lie. He’s a fake.
The man with the knife is not real.
Just a plague of the memories that keep you awake.
The fear of the man with the knife is just a bad memory that keeps you up at night.
But if you let your subconscious bleed into reality he’ll be hunting you down in your dreams.
If you let your fear take over, you'll dream about the man with the knife.
So just relax. Breathe deep.
Take a deep breath and calm down.
Let your mind drift you off to sleep and I’ll see if I can keep the blade away.
Try to sleep and I'll protect you from the man with the knife.
But maybe he could stay…
Perhaps you want the man with the knife to stay around.
And if you close your eyes he’ll be gone by day break, anyway.
If you fall asleep, you won't have to worry about the man with the knife anymore.
Maybe he could stay…
Perhaps you want the man with the knife to keep haunting you.
And as you sleep he’ll steal all your dreams away, anyway.
If you dream about the man with the knife, you'll be haunted in your sleep.
Love and death are the two things that he is most aware of.
The man with the knife is obsessed with love and death.
Singing songs of heartbreak and homicide.
He sings about murder and heartbreak.
And you’d thing that he would cry but his tear well has turned stone dry.
It may seem like he would cry, but he is emotionally numb.
And if you could have seen the way his life was lived to this date and time then maybe you’d understand his violent state of mind.
If you knew his life story, you might understand why he is violent.
He’s watching. He’s waiting. He’s planning.
The man with the knife is waiting and planning to hurt someone.
All he wanted was one last kiss he said, “Shoot me so I leave this world alive.”
The man with the knife wants one last kiss before he dies.
Just a killer with one last wish he said, “Shoot me so I leave this world alive.”
He's a killer who wants to be killed to escape life.
Contributed by Victoria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adam Van Meter
I remember in like - i wanna say 2005 or 2006 - a friend of mine gave me a CD with an acoustic demo of this song on it. He didn't know the name of the group or anything, just said 'my brother said they were a garage band he heard!' It always stuck in my head as being a pretty good song. It's nice to see that the band went somewhere.
Anyone maybe HAVE that acoustic version? This version is cool too but for nostalgia's sake I would love to hear the cut I remember.
Cherie | Making Nonsense
Was the band from Fremont, CA? I think I had that CD you're talking about too. They went by a different band name back then I think... I am trying to chase down my memory since this song just popped into my head just now.
Arnold Kun
Hey, if you ever find that CD with the acoustic version of this song, could you please send me a copy of the file? I'd really appreciate it as I am a huge fan of I the Mighty, and I love all of their music.
Their music is amazing, and the world deserves to hear every bit of it, don't you think?
Shy
It’s up now!
Malik Johnston
does anyone have the burnt disc of Breakpoint from....the same time? no? darn!
3seconds2stand
This is awesome, thanks! :)
Elana
How did I not find this sooner?!
Joel Guerra
Can you upload the rest of it plz plz plz
Joel Guerra
Ugh, I cannot find this album anywhere!
Joker On Acid
u can find it with torrents its the only way mate