Formed in the winter 2001, Life Long Tragedy have taken a life altering course. This was their first band, formed when founding members vocalist Scott Phillips, guitarist RJ Phillips, and drummer Jason Woolery were only 14 to 16 years old. Less than six months later guitarist Jery Gallegos and bassist Cody Sullivan rounded out the lineup which has since been unchanged In 2005, Life Long Tragedy released their debut, "Destined for Anything" on This Blessing This Curse. Soon after, the band toured the U.S. and Europe before finding a home on Deathwish.
In late 2006, Life Long Tragedy teamed up with Los Angeles based Final Fight for a split 7"EP release on Deathwish. The effort was well received, quickly selling out in physical copies, then later becoming one of the top downloaded releases on downloadpunk.com.
Over a year in the making, "Runaways" captured the raw beauty that weeps from the core of Life Long Tragedy. Songs like "The Bottomless Hole" and "Hey Death" showcased their bold growth, finding confidence at slower tempos and in more open song writing than their contemporaries. While "Youth" and "Ignoring Lessons" raced forth with the rabid rebellious energy that Life Long Tragedy have been previously been known for. All of this was complimented by some of the most heart wrenching lyrics and crude melodies in recent memory. All together, these qualities made "Runaways" an infectious effort that will be championed my many for years to come.
Life Long Tragedy called it a day in 2008.
Scott Phillips - vocals
RJ Phillips - guitar
Jery Gallegos - guiar
Cody Sullivan - bass
Jason Woolery - drums
http://myspace.com/lifelongtragedy
Youth
Life Long Tragedy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'87 to right now, I lost myself inside the fog.
Afraid we'll have to amputate all your wasted dialogues
Wearing my suburban frown,
I let my body drown.
Lost track of the resilience that once helped me from falling down.
Don't carry my casket, throw my ashes to the wind.
They say good things come with age
Cancer, finances, jobs with shitty pay
Disdain for my coming of age.
Wisdom's a prisoner to my pent up rage.
Comfort in sins tuck me into my death bed.
Peeling through the layers, where the fuck have the years gone?
'87 to right now, I lost myself inside the fog.
Afraid we'll have to amputate all your wasted dialogues.
Been depressed about the adult crash.
Yeah, I never thought I'd be tricked like that.
For all I know still got a ways to go
Until I'm leaving for good and aint lookin' back.
Bottom of the deepest ocean,
Wasn't quite what I was hopin'.
Old wounds found ways to reopen,
Leaving me confused.
Victims of imagination,
Do my best to fight persuasion.
Don't know if I have the patience
To wait it out and maybe bloom.
The lyrics of Life Long Tragedy's song "Youth" delve deep into the emotions of the singer as they reflect on their life and the passage of time. The song starts off with the singer peeling through the layers of their life and wondering where all the years have gone. They mention losing themselves inside the fog, which could be a metaphor for feeling lost and confused about their life's direction. The singer is afraid that their wasted dialogues will have to be amputated, which could signify that they feel that their words and thoughts have been unproductive and not useful.
The next section of the song talks about how the singer feels about growing older. They say that good things come with age, but then list negative things such as cancer, finances, and jobs with low pay. The singer mentions having disdain for their coming of age, perhaps because they feel that they are not where they thought they would be at this point in their life. The singer also talks about how their wisdom is a prisoner to their pent up rage, indicating that they have a lot of frustration or anger bottled up inside them.
The final section of the song talks about the singer's struggles with mental health and their uncertain future. They mention being depressed about the "adult crash," which could mean that they feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities that come with being an adult. The singer feels like they have old wounds that keep reopening, leaving them confused about their life's direction. They talk about being victims of their imagination and fighting against persuasion, indicating that they are trying to overcome negative thought patterns.
Overall, the song "Youth" is a raw and introspective reflection on the passing of time, growing older, and the struggles of navigating adult life.
Line by Line Meaning
Peeling through the layers, where the fuck have the years gone?
Looking through my past, I question where my life has gone
'87 to right now, I lost myself inside the fog.
Between my birth year and present I've been struggling to find myself while feeling lost in ambiguity
Afraid we'll have to amputate all your wasted dialogues
My meaningless conversations might require drastic action
Wearing my suburban frown,
Feeling down in this dull life I lead
I let my body drown.
Feeling defeated and hopeless, letting life take control
Lost track of the resilience that once helped me from falling down.
I've lost the confidence and strength that once prevented me from giving up
Don't carry my casket, throw my ashes to the wind.
Upon my death, I don't want a traditional funeral or burial
Begin the culmination.
The start of reaching the end and summing up life's experiences
They say good things come with age
Society believes that as one gets older, life gets better
Cancer, finances, jobs with shitty pay
However, with age comes negative things like medical issues, money problems, and bad jobs
Disdain for my coming of age.
I don't enjoy growing up and the responsibilities that come with it
Wisdom's a prisoner to my pent up rage.
I'm angry and that emotion is stopping me from growing wise and learning from life's lessons
Comfort in sins tuck me into my death bed.
Feeling cozy and cozy with bad habits that will eventually lead to my death
Been depressed about the adult crash.
I'm saddened by the harsh reality of being an adult
Yeah, I never thought I'd be tricked like that.
I never expected adulthood to be so difficult and harsh
For all I know still got a ways to go
I may still have a long journey to fulfill before it's all over
Until I'm leaving for good and aint lookin' back.
I won't reflect on anything after I pass away
Bottom of the deepest ocean,
I feel the lowest of the low
Wasn't quite what I was hopin'.
This isn't what I envisioned for my life
Old wounds found ways to reopen,
Past traumas are resurfacing and causing pain
Leaving me confused.
I'm unsure about what to do with these painful memories
Victims of imagination,
Being trapped in my own head
Do my best to fight persuasion.
Trying hard to resist the negative thoughts that consume me
Don't know if I have the patience
I'm not sure if I can wait for relief from this mental anguish
To wait it out and maybe bloom.
I'll try to endure and hopefully grow from it
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.