Though born in Vancouver, Wasif was raised in Palm Desert in Southern California, and now resides in Los Angeles. He began playing music as a teenager and formed his first band, lowercase, was "a guitar-drums duo that played a weird hybrid of minimal lo-fi pop, post-rock and slo-core." They were signed to the seminal noise rock label Amphetamine Reptile. In 2001, he formed the psychedelic folk-rock group Alaska! and was briefly a member of The Folk Implosion as well as playing on Lou Barlow's albums for Merge Records.
Wasif worked in collaboration with Karen O on the soundtrack to the film Where The Wild Things Are. As part of the Folk Implosion, he appeared in the 2002 movie Laurel Canyon.
His third album, The Voidist, was released in October 2009 on Tee Pee Records.
In 2012 and 2013, Wasif completed two self-recorded works, "The Dark Water EP" and the album "Great Eastern Sun." Both albums were held back from release, Wasif citing them to be "too dark and too personal."
In 2014, he finished work on a fourth solo record, a concept album titled "Figurehead" again recorded with Mark Nevers. The album's release was stalled due to contractual issues.
In 2017, Wasif released "Dzi," on Grey Market. The album was recorded by Bobb Bruno on a Tascam Cassette 8-Track Machine, capturing a raw, live feel.
"Great Eastern Sun" was released on December 1, 2018 on Nomad Eel Records,
SPARK
Imaad Wasif Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It never felt so weird,
To see your own reflection,
The outcast child,
You got no connection.
The spark I forgot,
And we're layin' on the ground,
The dark's all I got,
It'll never let me down,
I'll be shaking it off,
Every time it comes around,
And I'm trying to fogive you,
For what you've done,
What you're done.
In the under-toe,
In the avalanche,
You're pulling me beneath,
Thrashed and thrown,
Or sheilded by the raft,
They're never gonna be realived.
The spark I forgot,
And we're layin' on the ground,
The dark's all I got,
It'll never let me down,
I'll be shaking it off,
Every time it comes around,
And I'm trying to fogive you,
I'm trying to forgive you,
For what you've done.
The lyrics of Imaad Wasif's song "Spark" reveal a sense of detachment from the world and a feeling of being an outcast. The lines "Break all the mirrors, It never felt so weird, To see your own reflection" suggests a desire to disconnect from the self and avoid confronting uncomfortable truths. The repetition of "The spark I forgot" implies a loss of hope and a disconnection from one's inner drive. The darkness is seen as the only constant and reliable companion: "The dark's all I got, It'll never let me down."
The theme of pain and forgiveness is also prevalent in the song. The lines "And I'm trying to forgive you, For what you've done" suggests that the singer has been hurt in some way and is struggling to come to terms with it. The mention of being "pulled beneath" and "thrashed and thrown" adds to the sense of being overwhelmed by negative emotions. Nevertheless, the singer seems determined to shake off the darkness and move on: "I'll be shaking it off, Every time it comes around."
Overall, the lyrics of "Spark" suggest a sense of isolation, confusion, and pain, but also a glimmer of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Break all the mirrors,
Destroying all the reflective surfaces in the surrounding area.
It never felt so weird,
Feeling extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious.
To see your own reflection,
Looking at oneself in the mirror.
The outcast child,
Being rejected and excluded from society.
Been out of touch for a while,
Having been disconnected and not communicating for an extended period of time.
You got no connection.
Feeling completely disconnected from other individuals, technology, etc.
The spark I forgot,
The passion or drive that was once present but has been lost.
And we're layin' on the ground,
Metaphorically or literally lying helpless and defeated.
The dark's all I got,
Being enveloped in darkness or negativity is all that one has left.
It'll never let me down,
Negativity or darkness will always remain constant and reliable.
I'll be shaking it off,
Continuously trying to rid oneself of this feeling or emotion.
Every time it comes around,
Whenever this negativity resurfaces.
And I'm trying to forgive you,
Attempting to let go of resentment towards another individual.
For what you've done,
For the actions that have caused pain or harm.
In the under-toe,
Being pulled down or buried by something overwhelming or burdensome.
In the avalanche,
Being caught in a situation or emotion that continues to build and escalate and is difficult to escape.
You're pulling me beneath,
Someone or something is dragging one down into a negative state or feeling.
Thrashed and thrown,
Being physically or metaphorically thrown around or beaten down.
Or sheilded by the raft,
Having protection or support during tumultuous or uncertain times.
They're never gonna be realived.
The overwhelming feeling or situation will never be resolved or alleviated.
I'm trying to forgive you,
Making an effort to let go of resentment towards another individual.
For what you've done.
For the actions that have caused pain or harm.
Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.