August
Love...With Arthur Lee Lyrics


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Put your swords away I'm already down
The higher we both climb the further we fall
Now were under looking up into the floor
And burn each other though we're dying for more
We're stuck on this dysfunction We love it to our death
We celebrate destruction by lighting up this bed....

You can take your love away but don't you ever leave alone
Burn the ghosts we've carried home
Come on touch me show me your imperfect too
These broken lights they shine on us tonight

We don't talk much when there's so much to say
We don't listen but yet we try anyway
My stomach sick bitter and open
Reveries of helplessness have left me all but hopin'

We strip each others beauty and we push it to the end
We face each other smiling and leave it all unsaid

We kiss till we bleed
We Feel So much its killing us
We fight till were free
And he threatens to leave but won't let me
We cry till we see
Infatuations Break Us down
Were healing at three
We dance inside this tragedy

You can take your love away but don't you ever leave alone
Burn the ghosts we've carried home




Come on touch me show me your imperfect too
These broken lights they shine on us tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Arthur Lee's song "August" tell a story of a tumultuous and dysfunctional relationship that is both exhilarating and destructive. The first verse describes how the couple is already down, and despite the fact that they continue to climb higher, they will only fall further. They are consumed by their dysfunction, and they celebrate their mutual destruction by lighting up the bed. The second verse talks about how the couple doesn't communicate much, despite the fact that there is so much to say. They don't truly listen to one another, but they try anyway. The singer is feeling deeply uncertain and helpless, and he is sick to his stomach with bitterness and regret. Despite all of this, they continue to strip each other down and face each other smiling, leaving it all unsaid. The chorus emphasizes the importance of not leaving each other alone, of facing the ghosts of their past together, and of embracing each other's imperfections. The broken lights that shine on them represent their shattered lives and the tragedy of their love.


Overall, "August" is a hauntingly beautiful and complex song that explores the depths of a passionate but destructive relationship. It is a raw and emotional portrayal of a love that burns too bright and too fast, but that ultimately leaves the lovers shattered and broken.


Line by Line Meaning

Put your swords away I'm already down
Don't try to hurt me anymore; I'm already at my lowest point


The higher we both climb the further we fall
The more we try to succeed in our relationship, the more we risk failing


Now were under looking up into the floor
We're so down that we're looking up at the ground


And burn each other though we're dying for more
We hurt each other even though we crave more love


We're stuck on this dysfunction We love it to our death
Our dysfunctional love is killing us but we can't let it go


We celebrate destruction by lighting up this bed....
Our destructive relationship is what we celebrate in bed


You can take your love away but don't you ever leave alone
You can end the relationship, but don't leave me feeling completely alone


Burn the ghosts we've carried home
Let's get rid of the past that still haunts us


Come on touch me show me your imperfect too
Show me that you're not perfect and that's okay, just like me


These broken lights they shine on us tonight
All our flaws and imperfections are visible tonight


We don't talk much when there's so much to say
We struggle to communicate even though there's a lot to discuss


We don't listen but yet we try anyway
We don't listen to each other even though we make an effort to communicate


My stomach sick bitter and open
I'm sick to my stomach with bitter emotions that I can't hide


Reveries of helplessness have left me all but hopin'
Daydreams of being helpless make me lose hope for our relationship


We strip each others beauty and we push it to the end
We tear each other down and push our relationship to the brink


We face each other smiling and leave it all unsaid
We pretend everything's okay and don't say what really needs to be said


We kiss till we bleed
Our passion is so intense that it physically hurts us


We Feel So much its killing us
Our heightened emotions are ultimately causing our downfall


We fight till were free
We fight until we feel like we have some sense of control over the relationship


And he threatens to leave but won't let me
My partner says they'll leave, but they continue to stay


We cry till we see
We cry until we can finally see more clearly


Infatuations Break Us down
Our infatuation with each other is what's ultimately causing our downfall


Were healing at three
We're starting to heal at three in the morning after our tumultuous night


We dance inside this tragedy
We try to find some joy in the midst of this tragic relationship




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ARTHUR LEE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Zyrrhos

@Zach Kopka. Zake I created a playlist on my iTunes that takes the best of Four Sail and The Blue Thumb Recordings. I think had some of the best tracks on The Blue Thumb Recordings been given the same treatment as the arrangements on Forever Changes or Four Sail, it would have been a top to bottom masterpiece like Forever Changes. Anyway, here's the track listing:
Listen to My Song (The Blue Thumb Recordings)
August
I Still Wonder (The Blue Thumb Recordings)
I'm With You
Good Times
Singing Cowboy
Dream
Robert Montgomery
Willow Willow (The Blue Thumb Recordings)
Nothing
Gather 'Round (The Blue Thumb Recordings)
Always See Your Face



All comments from YouTube:

TheDman216

George Suranovich was such an awesome drummer

Borodin

So underrated! He's a monster.

Robert Anderson

You are absolutely right. Whatever happened to that guy?

Michael Marino

You're right I drum and he caught my ear from the get go.

Joe M.

@Robert Anderson While playing a Sunday night gig in 1990 George experienced chest pains and was rushed to a hospital. A few days later\ George received bypass surgery. But during his recovery he suffered a massive heart attack and died. A few weeks after his death, a memorial concert was held at the Graffiti club in Pittsburgh.

machinemolle1968

Any drummer holding trad grip is great

6 More Replies...

Alex Kriukov

What an incredible song. George Suranovich was an incredible drummer. This song ranks up there with the music on Forever Changes, though very different stylistically. A great hard rock/jazz fusion jam.

Mike Fakh Beats

In my opinion this is the best rock song ever written

Duff Gordon

It's somethiong great, but not "rock"??

John Peniell

Man I love that guitar solo...gives me the shivers and goosebumps!

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