Jets to Brazil was an American rock band. It was founded by Blake Schwarzen… Read Full Bio ↴Jets to Brazil was an American rock band. It was founded by Blake Schwarzenbach, former frontman of Jawbreaker, who found himself in Brooklyn, New York, after Jawbreaker disbanded. There he united with friend Jeremy Chatelain (who is not to be confused with the French singer of the same name); the two had met at the final Jawbreaker show, Chatelain himself having emerged from the break-up of Handsome.

Together they began working on four-track recordings aided by drum machines until they asked Chris Daly, previously the drummer for Texas Is the Reason, to join them. Daly created the name "Jets to Brazil" (perhaps taken from a poster seen in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's), and the band joined Jade Tree Records in 1997.

It was under Jade Tree that they recorded their first (and, following the successes of their previous bands, highly anticipated) album, Orange Rhyming Dictionary. Following its eventual success they went on to release Four Cornered Night, which introduced the fourth member of the band: former Van Pelt guitarist, Brian Maryansky. In 2002, Jets to Brazil launched their third — and what was to be final — album, Perfecting Loneliness. By 2003 the band had broken up, for unspecified reasons.

Pale New Dawn
Jets to Brazil Lyrics

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sickly surrender to cola remember machines
shaky somnambulist shiver out all your screams
go to the room with the chair and wait for your life
scared that the voices i hear may never be mine

seven december a paper back letter recalls
you knew such happiness crashing her loveliness one wedded fall
cutting through gray where you're holding the pages amazed

cutting the picture to ribbons in winter parades

pale new dawn put something on
you're thinking faster than i run
now the more i get connected
the less i know who i am
and it feels like i'm the only one

the month has gone rabbits the winter is taking my life
am i a passenger passing through scenes in someone else's life
cold will outlast me apartments are castles in space
warm with the void holding court in a four poster grave

pale new dawn put something on
i hate the shape of things to come
now the more we get connected
the less i know who you are
i don't' think you thought that far

they gave you a food stamp
for the air sucking wound in your chest
all the best. all the best.

strange pale fighter you only grow lighter in time
willfully silent declaring yourself with your cold scribbled rhyme
making her find you beneath all the skin of your mind
she's digging towards nothing a hollowed out center in time

pale new dawn put someone on
i hate the shape of all you want
now the more you get connected
the less i get who you are
but i don't want to think that hard

it's a lonely way to live
when you take what you give (and you don't give in)

in a nation of promises
your anonymous promises

Overall Meaning

“Pale New Dawn” by Jets to Brazil is a song about feeling lost and disconnected in a world that is constantly getting more and more connected. The song is full of vivid imagery and metaphors that help to illustrate the complex emotions that the singer is feeling. The first verse talks about surrendering to machines and feeling like a somnambulist, which is somebody who sleepwalks. The verse then moves on to talk about the fear of losing oneself and not being able to tell the difference between one’s own voice and the voices of others.

The second verse talks about a love that was lost and how it continues to haunt the singer even after so many years. The imagery used in this verse is very powerful and helps to portray a sense of deep sadness and longing. The verse talks about cutting up pictures and holding onto memories as a way of trying to keep the past alive. The chorus then comes in, talking about how the more connected we get as a society, the less we seem to know about ourselves. This sense of disconnection is something that many people can relate to in today’s world.

The third verse talks about the passing of time and how it can feel like we are just passengers in somebody else’s life. The verse then moves on to talk about how we create our own little castles in the midst of the void that surrounds us. The fourth and final verse talks about how we distance ourselves from others and how this can lead to a sense of loneliness. The verse talks about the importance of taking what we give and how we can’t stay anonymous in a world that is full of promises. Overall, “Pale New Dawn” is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the complexities of the human experience in our rapidly changing world.

Line by Line Meaning

sickly surrender to cola remember machines
Submissive to our desire, we indulge in technological advancements that make life easier for us, even if it means consuming unhealthy beverages.

shaky somnambulist shiver out all your screams
Your body is tired and on the verge of giving up, but you still manage to let out screams that express fear or pain.

go to the room with the chair and wait for your life
Take a seat in a room and wait for the future to unfold, as you have no control over what will happen.

scared that the voices i hear may never be mine
Fearful that the opinions or thoughts that I hear around me may not reflect my true identity or beliefs.

seven december a paper back letter recalls
On a specific day in December, a letter in paperback form is remembered.

you knew such happiness crashing her loveliness one wedded fall
At one point, you were privileged to share in the joy of being in a loving relationship, only for it to come crashing down in a single season.

cutting through gray where you're holding the pages amazed
Flipping through pages filled with gloom and uncertainty, you are amazed by the amount of emotion that can be captured in words.

cutting the picture to ribbons in winter parades
Breaking apart an image in winter-time celebrations, as if to symbolize destruction instead of joy.

pale new dawn put something on
With the dawn comes a new day that is quiet and unsettling, maybe some music or noise will ease the discomfort.

you're thinking faster than i run
You are trying to keep up with the pace of your own thoughts, but it seems too fast to keep track of.

now the more i get connected
As I engage in social connectivity, I find that I am becoming increasingly disconnected from myself.

the less i know who i am
The more connected I am, the more I begin to lose a sense of my true identity.

and it feels like i'm the only one
It seems like I'm the only one grappling with these thoughts, despite the assumption that everyone else is equally connected.

the month has gone rabbits the winter is taking my life
Time is passing by too quickly, and the cold weather is impacting my overall health and well-being.

am i a passenger passing through scenes in someone else's life
I feel like a mere spectator, drifting through life without a clear sense of purpose or direction.

cold will outlast me apartments are castles in space
In this big world, my insignificant life is meaningless, compared to the existence of the empty, cold buildings we call our homes.

warm with the void holding court in a four poster grave
The comfort of my own mind serves as my refuge in this constant battle between life and death, which I see as a metaphorical four-poster grave.

i hate the shape of things to come
Thinking about the future causes me great anxiety, as I anticipate only negative outcomes.

now the more we get connected
As we continue to engage in social connectivity, we also grow increasingly disconnected from one another and ourselves.

the less i know who you are
With the increase of social connection, I begin to lose a deep understanding of your true identity.

i don't' think you thought that far
You do not seem to have thought too far into the long-term consequences of your actions and connections.

they gave you a food stamp for the air sucking wound in your chest
Some assistance was given to you to appease some internal suffering that drained the life in you.

all the best. all the best.
Best regards on your journey ahead, despite the challenges you may face.

strange pale fighter you only grow lighter in time
As time passes, you seem to become more passive and pale, as if your fighting spirit has diminished.

willfully silent declaring yourself with your cold scribbled rhyme
Preferring to be silent, you communicate by scribbling down the thoughts that weigh on your mind and emotions.

making her find you beneath all the skin of your mind
She tries to get to know you on a deeper level, beneath the surface of your thoughts which you seem to keep buried.

she's digging towards nothing a hollowed out center in time
Despite her efforts to get to know you, she seems to find nothing inside, like the hollowness that grows with the passing of time.

i hate the shape of all you want
The shape of your desires and aspirations seems to bring a sense of discomfort and unease in me.

the more you get connected the less i get who you are
As you continuously engage in social connections, it becomes harder for me to truly understand who you are as a person.

but i don't want to think that hard
The thought of putting in the effort to truly understand you seems overwhelming and intimidating to me.

it's a lonely way to live
Living in such a disconnected manner is a lonely way to exist.

when you take what you give (and you don't give in)
When you are only taking what you deserve, you refuse to give in, even if it means enduring hardships.

in a nation of promises
In a society that offers so many unfulfilled promises.

your anonymous promises
The promises you receive remain anonymous and indefinite, giving no guarantee to a better future.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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