Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Islands is a 6 piece band founded in 2005 by The Unicorns co-founder/songwriter Nick Thorburn (often performing as "Nick Diamonds") and drummer J'Aime Tambeur. Following the untimely disbandment of The Unicorns as they teetered on the brink of breaking through, Islands' debut release entitled Return to the Sea, with its quirky sounds and refreshing, catchy melodies includes collaborations with members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. This debut picks up where The Unicorns left off and takes the music to new heights without departing from The Unicorns' unique if sometimes peculiar appeal.
Islands plays beautiful pop melodies, intertwined with elements of afro-pop, hip hop, and indie rock, among others. One of the main gimmicks of the band is the recorder brought over from The Unicorns, which is prominently featured in the song "Jogging Gorgeous Summer." Nick Diamonds rules over the band with an iron fist. Other members include: Patrice Agbokou, Aaron Harris, Alex Chow, Sebastian Chow, and Patrick Gregoire. Return To the Sea, their rookie effort, was released on April 4th, 2006 on the brand new label, Equator Records, and Rough Trade in the UK. Digital Distribution handled by Alpha Pup.
On May 20, 2008, Islands released its second album, Arm's Way, on Anti- Records.
On September 22, 2009 Islands released their third full length album, Vapours.
On February 14, 2012 Islands released their fourth full length album, A Sleep & A Forgetting.
On September 17, 2013 Islands released their fifth full length album, Ski Mask
On May 13, 2016 Islands released their sixth and seventh full length albums, Should I Remain Here, At Sea? and Taste.
Sad Middle
Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sad middle
The FDA put you away
There was more, just a little
The whole
The sad middle
Chopped a tree
A diary
Of something wrong
Finally
You wrote it down
So remember me
When it hits the ground
When it hits the ground
You wrote
Fell into
The note you couldn't hit if you wanted to
You wrote
Fell in the hole, the sad middle
La la la la la la la la la la
The whole
The sad middle, middle
The sad middle
The song "Sad Middle" by Islands is a reflection on the pain of lost love and the struggles to capture the memories of what once was. The lyrics of the song are both dark and haunting, setting the tone for the complexities of the emotions expressed through the piece. The line "The whole, the sad middle" is where the message truly begins to take shape. It is a simple statement that speaks to the idea that any love is made up of two parts, the beginning, and the end.
As the song progresses, we hear about a diary that is created, one that captures something that is wrong. This is likely a nod to the lost love being referenced in the lyrics. The fallen tree and chopped log could be a metaphor for the relationship and the diary it spawns is how the singer copes with the aftermath. The log is a record of the breakup, perhaps capturing things that might have gone differently or moments of happiness that are now surrounded by sadness.
When we get to the end of the song and hear "You wrote, Fell into, The note you couldn't hit if you wanted to, You wrote, Fell in the hole, the sad middle," we are reminded once again of the complexity of the song's message. The note that can't be hit is a metaphor for those moments in life that we can't capture, even when we want to, and the hole is where the singer feels trapped, unable to move on or forget about the past. But in the end, the song is not entirely devoid of hope. Instead, it is a reminder that even in the darkest moments of life, there is still beauty to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
The whole
The entire situation or experience
The sad middle
The unhappy and difficult part in between the beginning and the end
The FDA put you away
The government agency responsible for regulating drugs or medical devices has removed you from the market or prevented you from being sold
There was more, just a little
There were additional details or information, but only a small amount
Chopped a tree
Cut down a tree
It became a log
The cut tree turned into a long piece of wood
A diary
A written record of events or experiences
Of something wrong
Of a mistake or problem
Finally
After a long period of time or many attempts
You wrote it down
You recorded it on paper or in some other permanent form
So remember me
So that you don't forget about me
When it hits the ground
When the fallen tree hits the ground
You wrote
You recorded it
Fell into
Got trapped in or stuck in
The note you couldn't hit if you wanted to
The musical note that you were unable to sing even if you tried to
You wrote
You recorded it
Fell in the hole, the sad middle
Got stuck in the difficult and unhappy part in between the beginning and the end
La la la la la la la la la la
A nonsensical sound or melody that serves as filler or background noise
The whole
The entire experience or situation
The sad middle, middle
The difficult and unhappy part in between the beginning and the end
The sad middle
The difficult and unhappy part in between the beginning and the end
Contributed by Cole C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.