When John Balicanta decided to attend NYU, he not only had to move from his… Read Full Bio ↴When John Balicanta decided to attend NYU, he not only had to move from his native California to New York City but he also had to leave his high-school band behind. Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Balicanta had formed Lola Corin (translated from Filipino, it means "Grandma Corin") with high-school friends Brian Spina (guitar) and James McIvor (bass). They were a loud band, playing in the style of the Smashing Pumpkins, Fugazi, and Failure, until college broke them up. While at NYU, Balicanta was studying audio engineering and needed an internship. He got one at Dumbo Studios, owned by Peter Robinson who was the V.P. of A&R at RCA Records. Balicanta was now recording demos and performing under the name Lola Ray, and invited Robinson to one of his open-mic gigs. Robinson was willing to get behind Balicanta and shop his demo around if he could come up with a real band. Through Dumbo Studios, Balicanta met drummer Alex Smolinski but finding a suitable guitarist and bassist in New York City proved difficult. Old buddies Spina and McIvor moved to new New York and joined the new band as soon as they received Balicanta's call. Robinson gave Good Charlotte's Benji Madden a tape of the band, and Lola Ray found the perfect label for their debut. With a sound that coupled their earlier hard, alternative rock style with a powerful pop polish, Lola Ray released their debut, I Don't Know You, on Good Charlotte's new label D.C. Flag in April of 2004.

In 2006, they released their second album, Liars.

Since then, they have undergone a line up change. Alex left the band for vocals in his side project and as of October, James left to return to university. No hard feelings are felt.

crumble
Lola Ray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everyone I know can go to hell
My so called friends and family as well
If I could I would pull off the fight
I'm trying to sleep off the crimson light.

Once more, don't cry
They will die they are ordinary girls
I hear, your cries

You and I will dominate the world

Crumble like you mean it
I've waited so long to be happy
No one ever loved you
Like we do
Like I do

I can't feel my legs tonight
Laying down cause nothing here is right
I'm sick of being so god damn polite
Nothing you can say will stop me tonight

Crumble like you mean it
I've waited so long to be happy
No one ever loved you
Like we do
Like I do

They see this room
And they just face
They crowd around
And they kiss your face
And your friends are here
To lift your heart

But no one knows just who you are
We are everyone's friends

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lola Ray's song "Crumble" express the feeling of disillusionment and frustration that the singer is experiencing with people around her. She expresses a strong sense of wanting to break free from the society and people who do not understand her. The opening lines indicate that the singer feels let down by everyone she knows, including friends and family. She even goes to the extent of saying that she wishes she could fight with them. However, she sees herself stuck in a place where she is unable to break free from her surroundings and the "Crimson Light" that is holding her back from being happy.

In the chorus, she reiterates her frustration and pain by asking for a bold crumble, a phrase that signifies her intention to break free from her circumstances. She suggests that she's been waiting for so long for something to change; something to make her happy. The interesting use of the word "crumble" as the title of the song is a metaphorical representation of someone falling apart when they are not happy, and the fear of this happening to the singer.

In the second verse, she shows her determination to be free from the chains that bind her. She suggests that nothing can stop her now and that she won't be polite about how she feels anymore. The song reaches its climax with the line of "No one ever loved you, like we do. Like I do." indicating that she has found someone (or some people) who are willing to understand her and love her for who she is. The last line of the song "We are everyone's friends" is an interesting juxtaposition to the opening lines of the song, indicating that the singer has found her tribe, and they are far more understanding than her original friends and family.

Line by Line Meaning

Everyone I know can go to hell
I am so done with everyone in my life

My so called friends and family as well
Even those who are supposed to love me have let me down

If I could I would pull off the fight
I wish I could fight back against those who have hurt me

I'm trying to sleep off the crimson light.
I am trying to forget about the past and move on

Once more, don't cry
You don't have to cry anymore

They will die they are ordinary girls
Those who have hurt me are not special or important

I hear, your cries
I understand your pain

You and I will dominate the world
Together, we can overcome anything

Crumble like you mean it
Let yourself fall apart and feel your emotions fully

I've waited so long to be happy
I've been through so much pain and I deserve to be happy

No one ever loved you
You feel like nobody has ever truly cared for you