He developed a method of tuning his guitar that complemented his voice and worked with his background as a bass player. Finding his niche in indie rock circles, Molina made home recordings under the names 'Songs: Albian', 'Songs: Radix', and 'Songs: Unitas' to pass out at live shows. Settling on 'Songs: Ohia', Molina released a single on Palace Records in 1996. The first 'Songs: Ohia' full-length followed in 1997; released on the Secretly Canadian label.
By 2001, Molina had given his tenor guitar a rest in favor of a regular six-string instrument and had put together a full band to back him. However, 2002's Didn't it Rain saw Molina working with members of neo-bluegrass outfit Jim & Jennie & the Pinetops, achieving an almost gospel sound that was a vast departure from the dense feel of Ghost Tropic. Constantly recording and writing new songs, Songs: Ohia released a handful of singles and EPs in 2002, including a split EP with Louisville's My Morning Jacket and a collaborative EP (under the name Amalgamated Sons of Rest) with Will Oldham and Alasdair Roberts. Pyramid Electric Co. and Magnolia Electric Co., originally conceived as a double album, were released separately in early 2003. The former, a sparse solo album, was recorded with Mike Mogis (from Lullaby for the Working Class) while the latter featured a full band and was recorded by Steve Albini.
Jason Molina died, at age 39, on 18. March 2013 from complications of alcoholism.
Pyramid Electric Co
Jason Molina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dragged themselves out to this spot
A sickness sank into the little one's heart
Mama said son
That's just the cold
That's just the emptiness
It's being alone
You'll get used to it
You'll have friends who won't come home
You'll see their bones
Not separate yet from death
But you'll get used to it
You'll get used to it
We all get used to it
See the bloody arrow above us
See the blood that underlines it
Dark repetition
In Jason Molina's song "Pyramid Electric Co", the lyrics describe the transformation of the world and how things drastically change over time. The line "When the great pyramids dragged themselves out to this spot" speaks to the ancientness of these structures and how they appear to have appeared out of nowhere. The line "A sickness sank into the little one's heart" could refer to the feeling of unease or fear that comes with realizing just how small and insignificant one is in the grand scheme of time and space.
The mother's words of "That's just the cold, that's just the emptiness, it's being alone in the dark," can be seen as advice to her child to accept and learn to live with the harsh realities of life. The repetition of "You'll get used to it" emphasizes the fact that no matter how difficult or painful something is, humans have the capacity to adapt and eventually become accustomed to it. The final lines of "See the bloody arrow above us, see the blood that underlines it, dark repetition" could refer to the cyclical nature of life and how history tends to repeat itself, often with violent or tragic consequences.
Overall, "Pyramid Electric Co" is a song that speaks to the impermanence and fragility of life, while also acknowledging our ability to adapt and survive in the face of hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
When the great pyramids
The enormous structures (pyramids) from ancient times
Dragged themselves out to this spot
Arrived at this location through an unexplained force
A sickness sank into the little one's heart
A feeling of sadness came over the singer
Mama said son
The artist's mother spoke to him
That's just the cold
The feeling of sadness is normal
That's just the emptiness
The singer is feeling empty inside
It's being alone
The singer is feeling lonely
In the dark
The feeling of loneliness is like being in the dark
You'll get used to it
You'll become accustomed to these feelings
You'll have friends who won't come home
People you care about will die and never return
You'll see their bones
You'll see evidence of their death
Not separate yet from death
They have recently passed away
But you'll get used to it
The singer emphasizes the importance of adapting to loss
You'll get used to it
The singer emphasizes the importance of adapting to loss
We all get used to it
Everyone faces these types of losses and must adapt
See the bloody arrow above us
There is a symbol of death and destruction
See the blood that underlines it
The blood highlights the violent nature of humanity
Dark repetition
The cycle of life and death continues without end
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jason Molina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Julien Robillard
An old friend of mine made me discover J. Molina with this album a few years ago. His life was going down the drain, and he felt some solace in this. I saw him degrading, falling into heroin and alcohol, till the day I learnt about his suicide... On facebook. This album will forever be connected to these memories for me.
repunched
Yikes that is terrible news. I’m so sorry for your loss. Friends are hard to come by and it’s a shame you lost your the way you. I too find his music hard to listen at times although in the right mood I actually find hope within them. Life’s hard and I feel that Jason Molina understood this more than most which makes him somehow relatable. I’m off topic so I’ll wrap it up.
genericusername546
Despite being a Jason Molina fan for nearly 20 years, I've only listened to this album a handful of times over those decades. I've always thought of it as a "In case of utter desolation, break glass" emergency type deal. Kind of seems that most of the times I end up listening to it I'm lying on the floor.
van mahler
Absolutely agree with you...
J D
love this album. Absolutley hurts to listen to it. I dont know why i cant stop tho, even years later
nothingstands
i cry and smile like 38 different times listening to this album.
stardustinmotion
this is the blues. the down to earth, unflinching BLUES. absolutely gorgeous.
Philip Eaton
liquid prozac truth sur
Tomsk75
The best singer in the XX Icentury
laurent paya
I ask myself about his gear on Pyramid Electric Co., firts track. Such an amazing guitar sound !