Their first 12" was released in 1998, followed by their debut CD, "This Is Just The Beginning" and "No Gimmicks Needed" LP on Blackout! Records the next year. The band subsequently signed to Side One Dummy Records and released two albums, "Funeral For A Feeling" in 2001 and "From Companionship To Competition" in 2005. KYI has also released quite a few EP's and split EP's including 2002's split with fellow LIHC band Crime In Stereo.
By January, 2006 the band had been together for ten years and celebrated by playing an anniversary show with friends Inhuman, Ensign, Two Man Advantage, Shell Shock and others at CBGB.
They disbanded in the May of 2007, playing their final show in a parking lot to 200-300 people, including many close friends. Local authorities shut down the originally intended last show after the audience far exceeded the venues capacity, and so it had to be moved last minute to a car park at a LI rehearsal studio.
Some members of the band founded Black Anvil.
What Doesn't Kill Me
Kill Your Idols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics to "What Doesn't Kill Me" by Kill Your Idols are a reflection on the struggles of teenage life, particularly the feeling of being misunderstood and out of place. The singer reminisces about crying himself to sleep and having suicidal thoughts while feeling bitter and uninspired. However, the chorus of the song serves as a reminder that these struggles have only fueled his burning soul and given him the motivation to resist the pressures and expectations of others. Instead of accepting an olive branch, the singer would rather sit out the "pathetic dance" of conformity and establish his own control.
The lyrics are a powerful commentary on the struggles of adolescence, particularly the pressure to conform to societal expectations and the toll it can take on mental health. The idea that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger is a common theme in a lot of music, but in this case, it feels particularly poignant. The singer is not just surviving but thriving, using the challenges he's faced to fuel his creativity and drive.
Line by Line Meaning
Some nights I'd cry myself to sleep, when teenage life was fast and cheap and suicidal thoughts ran deep, alone and in the dark...
As a teenager, I experienced intense emotions of sadness and hopelessness, leading me to cry myself to sleep and even contemplate suicide. I felt alone, cheap, and like life was moving too quickly for me to handle.
but it's nowhere I ain't been before, I've tasted high school hallway floors my face met many locker doors, I really left my mark...
I've been through tough times before and have experienced physical harm in high school, leaving me with physical scars that I wear as a badge of honor.
Feeling bitter, uninspired, I lacked necessities required, fall short of every goal aspired, be still my pounding fists...
I've been feeling bitter and lacking motivation to meet the necessary requirements to achieve my goals. I'm frustrated, but I'm trying to keep myself calm and not resort to violence.
Beating at concrete frustration, your endless pressing expectations, transform into my motivation, you push and I'll resist!
I'm using my frustration with the expectations placed upon me as motivation to push back against those expectations and assert my own independence and autonomy.
And what doesn't kill me- Fuels my burning soul! I'll consume your hate, and establish my control!
The challenges I face only make me stronger and more determined to succeed. I will take in any negativity directed at me and transform it into my own power and control.
Like the gull, I'll take what's left behind, and your contempt; I'll make it mine, parasitic by my own design. Just gimme all you got..
Similar to a scavenging bird, I will take what others leave behind, including their negative feelings towards me, and use it to fuel my own success. I will do this on my own terms and with my own agency.
Against a wall of circumstance, I'll sit out this pathetic dance, I won't accept your olive branch, I'd rather let it rot....
Even when facing difficult circumstances, I refuse to play the game that society expects me to. I won't accept help that comes with strings attached; in fact, I'd rather let that help go to waste.
I'm grateful for each stinging fist, each razor waiting for my wrist, you give the blade a special twist, so nice of you to care...
Even though I've experienced physical and emotional abuse, I'm grateful for those experiences because they've made me stronger. I'm also sarcastically thanking those who have inflicted harm upon me for caring enough to do so.
Though I'm turning what you left, to right I still cry alone at night, but I think it's gonna be alright, 'cause I'm still breathing air.
Despite the struggles I've faced, I'm still processing and dealing with the emotional fallout. However, I'm hopeful that things will get better because I'm still alive and breathing.
And what doesn't kill me - Fuels my burning Soul! I'll consume your hate- And establish my control!
Once again affirming that the challenges I face only make me stronger and more determined to succeed. I will take in any negativity directed at me and transform it into my own power and control.
Lyrics © BLACKOUT CATALOG
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