There’s a scene in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov where the main characters Ivan and Alyosha discuss the existence of God. Ivan, in particular, questions the idea of God. Alyosha, on the other hand, is a monk, a believer, some may say, a holy fool.
Talk of faith and exalted things is rare in indie rock today. Enter Seattle band Ivan & Alyosha. Throughout their second release, the five song Fathers Be Kind EP, the band chart their own course between divinity and disbelief.
“I left my family and my home/to fight the battle on my own
I stole a car and drove away/but in my hate St. Paul did say
‘Glorify the Lord above/with your drink and making love
Glorify the Lord my son, with your whisky and your gun.”
Ivan & Alyosha began as the solo outlet for Tim Wilson but in spring 2007 the band formed after Tim met Ryan Carbary through a former band mate and mutual friend. Ryan and Tim began playing and recording together and a trip to Los Angeles to work with Eli Thompson (Richard Swift, Delta Spirit) spawned the name Ivan & Alyosha. According to Tim, Thompson is a huge Dostoevsky fan and the name stuck. With that, Wilson and Carbary released The Verse, The Chorus, their debut EP on Cheap Lullaby Records (Joan as Police Woman, The Silver Seas, Teitur). The stand out track “Easy To Love” earned NPR Song of the Day honors as “a propulsive, sweetly booming ode to love as a feat of endurance.”
The name Ivan & Alyosha is apt for a band cutting its teeth. As Ivan in Brothers Karamazov moves through the novel with doubts, Ivan & Alyosha navigate the indie rock world contemplating their path as a band. Tim says he writes songs about what’s current in his life. He recently married and had a son. Songs like “Living for Someone” and “Fathers Be Kind,” reflect Ivan & Alyosha grappling with the idea of being in a band and trying to fashion a career. Not only to follow their dreams but to earn a livelihood and support their families; a feeling he expresses in the former song, “Expecting our first child / Amid the great recession”. Despite the uncertainty, Ivan & Alyosha’s soulful folk tunes suggest a band inspired, hopeful and longing; a band unafraid to probe their collective faith and doubts.
Plus, things are different this time around. Tim and Ryan are joined by two others – Tim Kim and Pete Wilson, Tim’s brother. The band built a studio in a barn at Ryan’s parent’s house in Snohomish, 45 minutes outside of Seattle. Snohomish provides an idyllic setting with a charming main street lined by bars and little distraction. Self-recording their upcoming EP allows the guys more time together to create and perfect the new songs. Recently the band spent a week in New York playing gigs at 92Y Tribeca, Maxwell’s in Hoboken and Brooklyn’s Littlefield. They also took a trip to NPR Headquarters in Washington DC to record an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and opened a run of shows for the Jayhawks’ Mark Olson.
In the Brothers Karamazov, when Ivan asks Alyosha to renounce his beliefs, Alyosha refuses. Rather, he kisses Ivan on the lips. Seattle’s Ivan & Alyosha are not nihilist indie rockers but a new brand of tender dreamers. And non-believers be damned! God, or no God - these guys are no holy fools. They have their music to prove it.
Running for Cover
Ivan & Alyosha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I was there right from the start
To feel what it was like to be turned on
If you could fly the battling wind
To miss the mark correct within
If your wish came true your dreams made real
Running to hide
If I could be the walls of man
To rest my head and trust the plan
And fighting like a child to get my way
If I could see the garden place
Before the fall, would things have changed?
I wasn't there, and neither were you
But I take the blame, as you should too, my friend
Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
Yeah, we're running for cover
Running to hide
We've been trying with each other to unravel the age old story
But I'm starting to think that there's a reason we don't understand
And it's easy to blame someone else for my wants and my worries
But I know, I accept that it's just a part of who I am
Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
And you say it's not my problem
I decide out of mind
Yes, we're running for cover
Yeah, we're running afraid
As we run with one another
Of the mess that we've made
The song "Running for Cover" by Ivan & Alyosha deals with themes of regret, self-blame, and the desire to escape from the consequences of one's actions. The opening lyrics, "If I could wake my crooked heart, if I was there right from the start" suggests a sense of guilt and a longing for redemption. The second stanza builds on this idea, with the singer imagining oneself as "the walls of man" and "fighting like a child to get my way". This sentiment is reinforced by the repetition of the phrase "running for cover" and "running to hide" throughout the song, creating an overall tone of anxiety and desperation.
The song then takes a turn, as the singers grapple with the realization that they may never fully understand the complexities of their own lives or the actions of those around them. The line "we've been trying with each other to unravel the age-old story, but I'm starting to think that there's a reason we don't understand" captures this idea. This realization leads to a sense of resignation, as the final lines suggest an acceptance of one's flaws and a recognition that the consequences of past actions cannot be undone.
Overall, "Running for Cover" is a poignant exploration of the human condition, with lyrics that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with regret, guilt, and the search for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could wake my crooked heart
If I had the ability to fix my flawed heart
If I was there right from the start
If I had been present at the beginning
To feel what it was like to be turned on
To experience what it means to be fully alive
If you could fly the battling wind
If you could navigate through difficult times
To miss the mark correct within
To always make the right choice
If your wish came true your dreams made real
If you could have everything you wanted
Running for cover
Trying to escape from something
Running to hide
Attempting to avoid being found
If I could be the walls of man
If I could be someone trustworthy and strong
To rest my head and trust the plan
To be able to relax and have faith in the future
And fighting like a child to get my way
Struggling to have control and independence
If I could see the garden place
If I could see a place of paradise
Before the fall, would things have changed?
Would things have been different if there had been no corruption?
I wasn't there, and neither were you
We cannot change the past, we are only here now
But I take the blame, as you should too, my friend
We are responsible for our actions, past and present
We've been trying with each other to unravel the age old story
We have been attempting to understand the mysteries of life together
But I'm starting to think that there's a reason we don't understand
Perhaps there is a purpose to our lack of knowledge or control
And it's easy to blame someone else for my wants and my worries
It is simple to point fingers at others for our desires and anxieties
But I know, I accept that it's just a part of who I am
I acknowledge that my flaws are a natural part of me
And you say it's not my problem
You claim that the situation is not your responsibility
I decide out of mind
I choose to ignore the problem
Yes, we're running for cover
We are still trying to escape from something
Yeah, we're running afraid
We are running with fear
As we run with one another
As we try to face this together
Of the mess that we've made
Of the problems that we have created
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PETER ERIC WILSON, RYAN CARBARY, TIMOTHY LYLE WILSON, TIMOTHY W KIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lia Jackson
If I could wake my crooked heart
If I was there right from the start
To feel what it was like to be turned on
If you could fly the battling wind
To miss the mark correct within
If your wish came true your dreams made real
Running for cover
Running to hide
If I could be the walls of man
To rest my head and trust the plan
And fighting like a child to get my way
If I could see the garden place
Before the fall, would things have changed?
I wasn't there, and neither were you
But I take the blame, as you should too, my friend
Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
Yeah, we're running for cover
Running to hide
We've been trying with each other to unravel the age old story
But I'm starting to think that there's a reason we don't understand
And it's easy to blame someone else for my wants and my worries
But I know, I accept that it's just a part of who I am
Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
And you say it's not my problem
I decide out of mind
Yes, we're running for cover
Yeah, we're running afraid
As we run with one another
Of the mess that we've made
honeynut_ichiro
This is my friends' band, they've only recently really starting to get popular. SXSW and Runing for Cover have really helped 'em. Share their music with your friends!
Charlie J.H.
It's 2021 and this is still one of my favourite songs. It kept me company during some of the most meaningful moments of my life, and I'm glad it will continue to do so. <3
Melissa Jenkins
This is the best song no one has ever heard.
Ti Xu
true say
Aniket
I have heard.
alb0zfinest
Try Glorify by Ivan and Alyosha, just as amazing in my opinion.
김이삭
I think so.
How sad.
너무 좋은 곡인데 안타깝네요
IowanMathew
It honestly feels that way about a lot of great indie acts from the early to mid 2010s. They each, if they were lucky, had some dedicated cult followings but then abruptly faded into the ether.
Jessica Metcalfe
i am obsessed. since last summer, i've been obsessed. i hope you guys are wildly successful... though i think the fact that you're touching so many people already with your talent is grounds to say you're successful in an artistic sense. love ivan & alyosha. dancing foreverrrrrr
Lia Jackson
If I could wake my crooked heart
If I was there right from the start
To feel what it was like to be turned on
If you could fly the battling wind
To miss the mark correct within
If your wish came true your dreams made real
Running for cover
Running to hide
If I could be the walls of man
To rest my head and trust the plan
And fighting like a child to get my way
If I could see the garden place
Before the fall, would things have changed?
I wasn't there, and neither were you
But I take the blame, as you should too, my friend
Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
Yeah, we're running for cover
Running to hide
We've been trying with each other to unravel the age old story
But I'm starting to think that there's a reason we don't understand
And it's easy to blame someone else for my wants and my worries
But I know, I accept that it's just a part of who I am
Now we're running for cover
Running to hide
And you say it's not my problem
I decide out of mind
Yes, we're running for cover
Yeah, we're running afraid
As we run with one another
Of the mess that we've made