Love Spirals Downwards was begun by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum and then-girlfriend Suzanne Perry. In 1991, Lum and Perry recorded a demo, which led to a contract with Projekt Records. Over its 8-year history, the band released four full-length albums, a career retrospective, and a CD single, selling (by their own account) in excess of 40,000 CDs. They were also included on over two dozen various artist compilations, including the Heavenly Voices series released by the German label Hyperium.
Perry's sister Kristen collaborated with Lum on two tracks for the 1998 album, Flux. One of her songs, "Psyche ," was used on episode #501 of Dawson’s Creek, originally airing on 10/10/2001. This episode is included on the Season 5 DVD set.
Jennifer Wilde (then working under her maiden name, Jennifer Ryan Fuller) collaborated with Lum and Perry on two tracks for Love Spirals Downwards' 1994 second release, Ardor. Her vocals from one of these songs, "Sunset Bell," were reused for a new version of the song 4 years later on the band's album, Flux. Wilde went on to form her own band, Liquid State, in January 2006.
Although the band never officially broke up, in 1999 Lum began releasing music under the shortened moniker, Lovespirals, featuring new vocal collaborator, Anji Bee. In January 2000, the Love Spirals Downwards career retrospective CD, Temporal, was released by Projekt with no indication of the duo's split.
Soon after the 2002 release of Lovespirals' first full-length album, Windblown Kiss, Projekt announced that Perry would release an EP under the band name, Melodyguild. Though recorded in 2003, the band's debut EP, Aitu, wasn't released until mid-2008. Perry has since collaborated with Falling You on material released in 2006 and 2008.
In 2007 Projekt re-released the first two Love Spirals Downwards albums remastered by Ryan Lum with additional tracks included in newly designed digipacs.
Sideways Forest
Love Spirals Downwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing we do
So hard to keep anything
When you're expected to
This is the time when water stops
History dies with you
Like rings of trees in sideways forest
Lands change in the same ways
Like waves and words
Better not to watch at all
This changes everything
This is the time when water stops
History dies with you
Like rings of trees in sideways forest
Forgetting
This is the time when water stops
History dies with you
Like rings of trees in sideways forest
Forgetting
The lyrics to Love Spirals Downwards' song Sideways Forest paint a bleak picture. The first two lines - "Sky's the same as it always was / Nothing we do" - suggest that, no matter what we do, nothing really changes. It's hard to keep anything because we are expected to conform to some pre-existing notion or expectation. The mention of water stopping, history dying with us, and trees forgetting all reinforce the sense of futility and impermanence.
The second verse is equally stark. Lands change, but in the same ways. Watching seems almost pointless. It's as if everything that happens is just a re-run of something that came before, with no new insights or understanding gained from the experience. The idea of forgetting is repeated, as if to suggest that it's difficult, if not impossible, to hold onto anything for very long.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of ennui and disillusionment. They suggest that we are trapped in a cycle of repetition, that nothing we do really matters, and that all we can do is try to forget the fact that we are powerless to effect any real change.
Line by Line Meaning
Sky's the same as it always was
The sky remains unchanged, unresponsive to human actions and emotions.
Nothing we do
Our actions have no effect on the unchanging sky, highlighting our insignificance in the grand scheme of things.
So hard to keep anything
It's difficult to maintain anything significant when we are constantly faced with the unchanging reality of the world around us.
When you're expected to
Society's expectations make it particularly hard to break free from the monotony of daily life.
This is the time when water stops
A metaphorical image of stagnation and lifelessness; a moment when time seems to stand still.
History dies with you
Individuals carry the legacy of the past with them, and when they are gone, memories and knowledge are lost forever.
Like rings of trees in sideways forest
The distorted and confusing image of trees growing sideways represents the disorienting and confusing experience of losing touch with history and memories.
Forgetting
The ultimate result of the passage of time and loss of memories.
Lands change in the same ways
The natural world around us goes through cyclical patterns of change, repeating its past in new forms.
Like waves and words
Change is inevitable and often imperceptible, like the movement of waves or the shift in language over time.
Better not to watch at all
The overwhelming nature of these cyclical changes leads us to close our eyes and turn away from the repetitive nature of life.
This changes everything
The cyclical changes happening in the natural world have a profound effect on our lives, even if they are imperceptible at times.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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