Eitzel's first solo album was the (now elusive) cassette-only 'Mean Mark Eitzel Gets Fat' (1982), which pre-dates his AMC work. He released a solo live album, songs of love live in 1991, featuring raw and emotional acoustic versions of his best AMC songs. His first solo album proper was 1996's 60 Watt Silver Lining, a highly personal, jazz-inflected work.
He went on to release albums of varying styles and quality, including another difficult-to-find effort in Lover's Leap USA, produced as a tour-only CD and notable for including two songs which Eitzel's own sleeve notes instruct the listener to skip past. This was followed by 1997's West, a collaboration with REM's Peter Buck, and the stark and harrowing Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby in 1998. 2001 saw him take a new electronic direction with The Invisible Man, followed in 2002 by two covers projects: Music for courage & confidence and The Ugly American, which included re-interpretations of American Music Club songs by Eitzel and a traditional Greek band!
american music club reformed in 2003, and released an album, Love Songs for Patriots, as well as touring the United States and Europe. Eitzel released new solo material in 2005, candy ass, which saw a return to the electronic experimentation of the invisible man. A new AMC record, The Golden Age was released in February 2008.
The Mark Eitzel discussion list Firefly can be found at http://mail.neurotica.com/mailman/listinfo/firefly
In Your Life
Mark Eitzel Lyrics
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The vacancy you're forced to fill is only going to prove, only going to prove that you were wrong
And you're forced to listen, you're forced to listen, that you have nothing left
In your life, you had it in your life
You threw away your life
Throw it to me
Just gonna lead you nowhere
Just gonna lead you into marking time
They say you should embrace the danger,
So cross the street into the traffic
You know you'll be okay
Just let them go on by
You're stuck with me, you're stuck with me yeah, I'm hanging by...
In your life, you had it in your life
You threw away your life
Throw it to me
A road that only leads you, leads you under mine,
Gives you no chance to breathe
They threw you in the deep end and they left you floating
Stood on the sidelines and laughed at your place in life
Now you can't do the dog paddle and it's humiliating
Guessing games and calling names: undermined by love and life
Scattered sun and terror: doesn't make it any clearer
You can't say return to sender
In your life, I live in your life
I live in your life
And that's all that saves me
The song "In Your Life" by Mark Eitzel explores the idea of one’s life being a journey that is not always easy. He talks about how time doesn't have any exit signs, it just strings you along. In this line, he’s highlighting the fact that we’re all just moving forward without a clear path or direction. The vacancy you're forced to fill is only going to prove that you were wrong. This is talking about how filling life with meaningless things in hopes of filling a void inevitably will lead to regrets. He says that one is forced to listen to the voice that says they have nothing left.
The chorus is rather simple, repeating the same phrases thrice. He talks about how in one's life, they had it all but threw it away. He implores the listener to throw their life to him. He advises listeners not to trust the projections of society since they will only lead to a life going nowhere, to embrace dangers and worst-case scenarios since only then will one learn and grow.
In the second stanza, he brings a metaphor to the forefront talking about a road that only leads you under mine, giving you no chance to breathe. He advises one to let go of things and people that don't help them grow and hang on to the ones that do. The song ends with Mark talking about how he lives in the listener's life, and that's all that saves him.
Line by Line Meaning
Time doesn't have any exit signs, just lights that string you along
Life doesn't give you clear paths to take and only offers vague signals for guidance.
The vacancy you're forced to fill is only going to prove, only going to prove that you were wrong
The expectations put on you are impossible to meet and only show that you're not good enough.
And you're forced to listen, you're forced to listen, that you have nothing left
You're constantly reminded that you're inadequate and have nothing to offer.
Don't ever trust their projection
Don't believe the version of yourself that others try to create for you.
Just gonna lead you nowhere
Their vision of you won't help you find your own path in life.
Just gonna lead you into marking time
Their expectations will only keep you stagnant and prevent forward progress.
They say you should embrace the danger,
Some people encourage taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone.
So cross the street into the traffic
Take the risk and face the dangers that come along with it.
You know you'll be okay
You believe that you're capable of handling whatever comes your way.
Just let them go on by
Don't let other people's limited views hold you back from achieving your goals.
You're stuck with me, you're stuck with me yeah, I'm hanging by...
I'll always be here for you, even if things get tough.
A road that only leads you, leads you under mine,
The path you're on only serves to help me in some way.
Gives you no chance to breathe
The demands placed on you are suffocating and leave no room for relaxation or self-care.
They threw you in the deep end and they left you floating
They put you in a difficult situation and then abandoned you to deal with it on your own.
Stood on the sidelines and laughed at your place in life
Others mocked you for not being in a higher position in life.
Now you can't do the dog paddle and it's humiliating
You're struggling to stay afloat and feel embarrassed by your lack of progress.
Guessing games and calling names: undermined by love and life
You're constantly criticized and judged by others, and it's affecting your confidence and sense of self-worth.
Scattered sun and terror: doesn't make it any clearer
The chaos and uncertainty in your life only make it harder to see the way forward.
You can't say return to sender
You can't escape your problems or responsibilities by sending them back to someone else.
In your life, I live in your life
I'm intimately connected to your life and experiences.
And that's all that saves me
Your presence in my life gives me hope and helps me through difficult times.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER BUCK, MARK EITZEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind