They released three full length albums “Mustaches Wild”, “Suplex”, and “Self Titled LP.” (Note that “Self Titled LP” is a literal title. The title is not “Karp.” Even the CD version of the record is titled “Self Titled LP.”) They also released several EPs and 7” records. Their recordings were released by several Northwest-related labels such as K Records, Kill Rock Stars, and Punk In My Vitamins.
Members went on to form Tight Bros from Way Back When, The Whip, and Big Business. Though, The Whip would dissolve after Scott Jernigan was killed in a boating accident in 2003. Bassist Jared Warren would eventually join the Melvins throughout the late 2000s and mid 2010s, as well as join seminal post-hardcore band, Unwound, in their 2022 reunion tours.
A documentary film about the band KARP was made in 2009 by Bill Badgley of the band Federation X http://karplives.com
Valley of The Kings
Karp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let the kindred spirits go
Keep on building, stone on stone
Never fail, never doubt
Stands alone, stone on stone
I shall lie within this shrine...
Waiting for ten thousand years
Free from preconceived ideas
Sleeping through the age of man
Darkest hour before the dawn
Patiently, silently
Hanging on a single hope
Clinging to a fragile rope
Desperation, preservation
Keeping the faith
Too much at stake
Do what the Gods say...
Every day the idea grows
Money is no object so
Keep on building, stone on stone
Let the temple reach the clouds
Stands alone, stone on stone
Working on the grandest scale
How could worshipped idols fail
What is mine is mine you know
Rights are not for you and so
Keep on building,
Stone on stone
Make it strong
And make it proud
Stands alone stone on stone
In this glory lies the key
Mine is immortality
Untold wealth hidden with care
By stealthy people
Promised riches stored in haste
By urgent people
Sworn on the good book, hard look,
Hardly a whisper away
Sworn on the new faith, keepsake,
Keeping a distance away
Jewels lie thick, as far as the eye
As far as the eye can barely see
Elegant crystal, the wishful
Dragged through the sands of time for me
Born from resistance, innocence
Into the darkness the blind will be thrown
Born from acceptance, vehemence
Venomous promises innocent foes
You will all hear me, all fear me
Standing in line with your faith at your feet
Do what your will has and fight back
Come meet your maker, Your saviour!
One man, fate unknown
Born of stone on stone
One flame lights the fire
Dawn of stone on stone
My faith will stand up alone
Your light enriching the sacred stone
One man, fate unknown
Born of stone on stone
The song “Valley of the Kings” by Karp is about the creation of an ancient Egyptian temple and the idea of preservation and immortality. The first stanza describes a determination to build, illustrated by the repetition of “stone on stone” and the resolve to never fail or doubt. The singer appears to be preparing a shrine for the ages, where they will lie waiting “for ten thousand years,” free from preconceived ideas and isolated from the world. The tone of the first stanza is one of relentless perseverance, with the author willing to endure through the “darkest hour before the dawn,” hanging on to their faith and to a “fragile rope.” The second stanza indicates that the project is well underway, and the builder is now working on a grander scale, hoping to reach the clouds with the high temple they are creating. The third and final stanza suggests that, through this effort, the singer will gain immortality, as the temple contains “untold wealth hidden with care,” and “elegant crystal” jewels are scattered throughout. The singer appears to be making promises to both themselves and to their worshippers that their legacy will endure, as they proclaim: “My faith will stand up alone. Your light enriching the sacred stone.”
Overall, the song is a meditation on the desire to create something timeless or eternal that will outlast one’s own life. The singer seeks to overcome the limits of their own mortality through art, architecture, and spirituality. The theme of the song, of defiance and determination in the face of the void, carries over into the lyrical content, which is full of defiant affirmations of faith and resolve.
Line by Line Meaning
Desperation on your own
Feeling hopeless in isolation
Let the kindred spirits go
Leave behind those who think like you
Keep on building, stone on stone
Continuously work towards a goal
Never fail, never doubt
Stay confident and persistent
Stands alone, stone on stone
The result will be a monument of its own
I shall lie within this shrine...
Placing oneself in a sacred location forever
Waiting for ten thousand years
Enduring the ages and waiting for the right time
Free from preconceived ideas
Open to new possibilities
Isolated, hibernating
Withdrawn and dormant
Sleeping through the age of man
Through generations of history
Darkest hour before the dawn
Things may get worse before they get better
Patiently, silently
Quietly waiting and watching
Hanging on a single hope
Holding onto a ray of optimism
Clinging to a fragile rope
Holding on to a weak lifeline
Desperation, preservation
Desperately holding on
Keeping the faith
Maintaining hope and trust
Too much at stake
Risking too much to give up now
Do what the Gods say...
Following a divine will or sense of destiny
Every day the idea grows
The goal becomes more important with time
Money is no object so
Not held back by financial limitations
Let the temple reach the clouds
Build something immense and awe-inspiring
Working on the grandest scale
Creating something monumental
How could worshipped idols fail
A belief that their work will succeed in leaving a legacy
What is mine is mine you know
Protecting one's possessions or ideas
Rights are not for you and so
Asserting authority over others
Make it strong / And make it proud
Boldly creating something enduring
In this glory lies the key
The reward for their work will be immortality
Mine is immortality
Their legacy will remain forever
Untold wealth hidden with care
A valuable treasure hidden meticulously
By stealthy people
Those who worked secretly to obtain the wealth
Promised riches stored in haste
Acquiring wealth quickly without concern for consequences
By urgent people
Obtained by those who act rapidly and decisively
Sworn on the good book, hard look,
Making a serious promise with great determination
Hardly a whisper away
The promise is close but not yet achieved
Sworn on the new faith, keepsake,
Making an unwavering pledge to a new belief system
Keeping a distance away
Avoiding those who may interfere
Jewels lie thick, as far as the eye
The wealth contains a vast amount of jewels and gems
As far as the eye can barely see
The amount of wealth is beyond comprehension
Elegant crystal, the wishful
The wealth also contains beautiful, valuable crystals that were highly desired
Dragged through the sands of time for me
Obtained over a long period and with great effort
Born from resistance, innocence
Created from struggle or opposition, but with purity and sincerity
Into the darkness the blind will be thrown
Some will be caught off guard or suffer consequence for their ignorance
Born from acceptance, vehemence
Created from embracing change or opposition with intensity
Venomous promises innocent foes
An irony that some who are unaware will be hurt by promises of treasure
You will all hear me, all fear me
Demanding respect and claiming authority
Standing in line with your faith at your feet
Position of power in the face of others' beliefs
Do what your will has and fight back
Taking control of one's actions and pushing against opposition
Come meet your maker, Your saviour!
Challenging those who stand in the way of success to face the consequences
One man, fate unknown
The individual's destiny is uncertain
Born of stone on stone
The result of the individual's hard work and persistence
One flame lights the fire
One idea or motivation sparks greater success
Dawn of stone on stone
The beginning of an enduring legacy
My faith will stand up alone
The individual's belief in their work will remain steadfast
Your light enriching the sacred stone
The success of others contributes to the larger monument
One man, fate unknown
Reiterating the uncertainty of one's destiny
Born of stone on stone
A reminder of the toil required to create something great
Contributed by Jordan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
The Green Mind
reminds me of unwound's Abstraktions