In 2012, Gorbel founded a new band, Night Terrors of 1927, along with friend Blake Sennett (former lead guitarist of the band Rilo Kiley. That band split on 5 May 2017 and the same day Gorbel announced his involvement with a new band, Mourners, and a side project entitled Numblife.
In 2018, The Honorary Title re-united for a short tour to celebrate the 15th release anniversary of their first self-titled EP.
On April 3, 2018, The Honorary Title announced on their Facebook page a reunion show to celebrate the 15th release anniversary of their first self-titled EP.
Desperate Hands
Jarrod Gorbel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clothes are torn, glass shattered
It was a year leading up to this event
She had a meltdown, cried wolf can't be trusted
'Cause you took the biggest knife in the kitchen you could find
Called the police and claimed that I was tryin'
Trying to kill you when in fact I was trying to save your life
You had me trapped in my own apartment
24 hours, dodging clenched fists
Scribbling letters, bidding your friends and family farewell
Desperate hands and a hollow heart
Whiskey unleash the beast starving inside of me
No one will understand us
Feel less like her lover and more like her father
Are you gonna be a good girl?
Can you make me that promise, not to lash out on me?
How is that you made my life a living hell but still find you to be irresistible
Which of my things did you sneak out last night?
In hopes to bring us together one last time
Ransom being the only thing you ever loved
For weeks tend to thank her, the hatred overflow
The following week I needed you the moment I'm alone
Shared my friends before I lost them, my bed, my home, my life
Desperate hands and a hollow heart
Whiskey unleash the beast starving inside of me
No one will understand us
Feel less like her lover and more like her father
Threatened to throw yourself out of the car
In rush hour traffic, 16 miles an hour
Desperate hands and a hollow heart
Whiskey unleash the beast starving inside of me
No one will understand us
Feel less like her lover and more like her father
The lyrics to Jarrod Gorbel's "Desperate Hands" depict a tumultuous, abusive relationship in which the singer is trapped. The opening lines describe an incident in which the singer and his partner have been involved, resulting in torn clothes and shattered glass. The incident was a culmination of a year of turmoil in the relationship, in which the partner had cried wolf and could not be trusted.
The lyrics go on to detail how the partner falsely accused the singer of attempting to kill her, using the biggest knife available and calling the police. The singer was actually trying to save her life. He was then trapped in his own apartment for 24 hours, dodging clenched fists and writing letters bidding farewell to his loved ones. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is both struggling to maintain his compassion for his abusive partner and dealing with the psychological damage of the abuse.
Overall, the song shows the difficult reality of being stuck in an abusive relationship, where the abuser often flips between love and violence, and where the victim can be left feeling helpless and trapped.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's been several hours since our incident
It's been a while since we had our altercation
Clothes are torn, glass shattered
Our fight was violent and destructive
It was a year leading up to this event
Our relationship had been deteriorating for a long time
She had a meltdown, cried wolf can't be trusted
She had a breakdown and her credibility was called into question
'Cause you took the biggest knife in the kitchen you could find
You grabbed the most dangerous weapon available
Called the police and claimed that I was tryin'
You accused me of something I didn't do
Trying to kill you when in fact I was trying to save your life
I was trying to protect you, not harm you
You had me trapped in my own apartment
You held me captive in my own home
24 hours, dodging clenched fists
I spent a whole day avoiding your punches
Scribbling letters, bidding your friends and family farewell
I wrote goodbye letters to the people important to you
Desperate hands and a hollow heart
I am feeling powerless and empty
Whiskey unleash the beast starving inside of me
Alcohol is unleashing my inner demons
No one will understand us
No one can comprehend our toxic relationship
Feel less like her lover and more like her father
I am taking on a parental role in trying to fix our relationship
Are you gonna be a good girl?
Are you going to behave?
Can you make me that promise, not to lash out on me?
Can you commit to not hurting me again?
How is that you made my life a living hell but still find you to be irresistible
Despite the suffering you've caused, I still have strong feelings for you
Which of my things did you sneak out last night?
What did you take from me without my knowledge?
In hopes to bring us together one last time
You took something of mine as a ploy to reunite
Ransom being the only thing you ever loved
You only care about using me for what I can give you
For weeks tend to thank her, the hatred overflow
I exprerience bouts of gratitude and rage for you over time
The following week I needed you the moment I'm alone
I become dependent on you again shortly after our fights
Shared my friends before I lost them, my bed, my home, my life
I gave up what was important to me for you
Threatened to throw yourself out of the car
You were willing to risk your life to get your way
In rush hour traffic, 16 miles an hour
In a dangerous and busy scenario
Contributed by William D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.