The band has released five albums: "3/5" (1997), "The Cat and the Cobra" (1999), "Go Forth" (2001), "Let's Stay Friends" (2007) and "Root for Ruin" (2010). "Inches", a compilation of the non-album singles the band released between 1995 and 2004 was released in April 2004.
Brace Yourself
Les Savy Fav Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I was a tree I was a seed
Before I was a cliff I was a canyon
Before I was a feast I was a famine
Before I was a day I was a dawn
Before I was a prince I was a swan
Before I was a corpse I was a kid
Before I was a crush I was a kiss
Before I was a got I was a wish
Brace yourself!
Before I was a word I was a sound
Before I was a sky I was a ground
Before I was a stone I was a hill
Before I was a wheel I was a will
Before I was a birth I was a kill
Before I was a wash I was a filth
Brace yourself!
The lyrics of Les Savy Fav's "Brace Yourself" suggest a philosophical reflection on the nature of time, existence, and transformation. The song opens with a series of paradoxical statements that describe the singer's previous forms before he became what he is now. He claims that he was a sword before he was a war, a seed before he was a tree, a canyon before he was a cliff, a famine before he was a feast, and so on. These lines imply that everything has its origin in something else and that change and evolution are inherent in the nature of things.
The chorus, "Brace yourself!" adds a sense of urgency and anticipation to the lyrics. It's as if the singer is warning us to prepare ourselves for the inevitable changes and challenges that life brings. The following verses continue the theme of transformation and adaptation by asserting that before he was a word, he was a sound, before he was a sky, he was a ground, before he was a birth, he was a kill, and so on. Again, these lines suggest that everything has a history and a context that shapes its meaning and significance.
Overall, the song seems to celebrate the idea that life is a process of growth, transformation, and self-discovery. It encourages us to embrace change and be ready to face whatever comes our way. The lyrics are poetic and evocative, and the music matches their intensity with a driving beat, distorted guitars, and dynamic vocals that create a sense of urgency and excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
Before I was a war I was a sword
I am the outcome of my past. Before I was a raging war, I was just a weapon, sharpened and ready to be drawn out and used for war.
Before I was a tree I was a seed
I am the result of my beginnings. Before I was a tall standing tree, I was just a small, single seed that was planted and nurtured to grow into a strong, sturdy sapling.
Before I was a cliff I was a canyon
I am the end product of a long journey. Before I was a steep cliff, I was once a deep, winding canyon that was eroded and carved out over time.
Before I was a feast I was a famine
I am the balance of life. Before I was a grand feast, I was once a time of scarcity and famine, where only the barest amount was available and I struggled to survive.
Before I was a day I was a dawn
I am the progression of time. Before I was a full day, I was just the beginning of a new day - the dawn - full of hope and promise of what's to come.
Before I was a prince I was a swan
I am the unexpected. Before I was a royal Prince, I was just a graceful, beautiful swan - the underdog that can hold its own and surprise those who underestimate it.
Before I was a corpse I was a kid
I am the fragility of life. Before I was a lifeless corpse, I was just a child, innocent and full of life, with so much potential ahead of me.
Before I was a cloud I was a grid
I am fluidity and changeability. Before I was a fluffy cloud, I was just a rigid grid - something structured and defined that can be transformed into something new with a shift in conditions.
Before I was a crush I was a kiss
I am a gradient of emotion. Before I was a grand crush, I was simply a sweet kiss - the starting point of something greater, yet still satisfying in its own right.
Before I was a got I was a wish
I am the power of intent. Before I got what I wanted, I first had to wish for it - visualizing and aiming for a goal that was not yet a reality.
Brace yourself!
Prepare for the forthcoming realization that life and its experiences are a continuum, and that the evolution of the present self is dictated by one's past and future endeavors.
Before I was a word I was a sound
I am the foundation of communication. Before I was a fully-formed word, I was just a mere sound - a faint whisper of a thought, a feeling, or a need.
Before I was a sky I was a ground
I am perspective. Before I was the vast, open sky up above, I was just a grounded, limited view from below. The same can be said for every situation in life.
Before I was a stone I was a hill
I am the result of time and change. Before I was just a solid, unchanging stone, I was once a rolling, moving hill, shaped and transformed over time by natural force.
Before I was a wheel I was a will
I am the power of intent. Before I was a turning wheel, I was once just a simple and determined will - the energy and drive that gave life to a creation and propelled it forward.
Before I was a birth I was a kill
I am the complicated process of life. Before I was born into this world, the event signified a death - the end of a process that had been keeping my life potential at bay.
Before I was a wash I was a filth
I am the process of purification. Before I was clean and pure of filth, I was once wallowing in the muck and dirt - the process of purifying and cleansing was necessary.
Brace yourself!
Prepare for the forthcoming realization that life and its experiences are a continuum, and that the evolution of the present self is dictated by one's past and future endeavors.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HARRISON HAYNES, SETH JABOUR, SYD BUTLER, TIM HARRINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
zoyclem
This song is really spacey and driving at the same time. Five stars all the way.
Fear hater
realy good band..reminds me Fugazi...