Screamo / emo violence band from United Kingdom
Recorded a demo CD with Tom Mitchell in his Perth living room in June 2005 and around 100 CDrs were made. They sold pretty quickly and "In This Silence We Will Slow Dance" is now out of print.
In spring 2006 recorded "Amor Fati" with Robin Sutherland in his home studio in Dundee, and co-released it on CD with Art For Blind records. This was followed by a summer UK tour with Amanda Woodward and Aussitôt Mort.
New album "The Old Road" was released on 1st August 2008, released on 12" vinyl (with free digital download). The album was once again recorded by Robin Sutherland and released by Art For Blind Records.
Dance Dance Dance
Mesa Verde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sing as they sing
until our words lose all meaning
and all that is left will be echoes of their sound.
it's all over
you play both sides
you see who wins
and you compromise.
so went the dream we passed on through.
no latecomers.
cultivate and assimilate
the words the actions the heart
of yet another
bastard subculture.
destroy every page until they all tell the same story.
you sing words you don't understand
you drop names
to impress the ones you lied to
to impress the ones you danced to.
tonight let's dance our own dance,
tonight let's make this our last.
refuse the refuse,
ascertain knowledge
from all forms of hate.
shake off the fake out rhetoric
and ditch the copy and paste:
references only spoken here.
rebuild the city
with new walls
with open doors
on both sides.
rebuild ourselves
with new ears.
for every sun
that sets to return
every ship that sails must be allowed to sink.
the seed is sewn
for a minute we're reborn
for a minute we're free
to think
to drop the act
to never let them consume us
so that our strength
may no longer be hidden.
all words must be confronted
and nothing taken for granted
except our impressionability.
The lyrics of Mesa Verde's song "Dance Dance Dance" expresses a call to discernment and an invitation to resist conformity to the dominant culture. The song begins by calling for solidarity with those who have been silenced and oppressed, stating that we must dance and sing with them until their voice becomes our echo. The lyrics also address the tendency to play both sides, to watch and compromise for the sake of fitting in, and the danger of being lost between the "well studied lines" of dominant culture. The lyrics urge us to refuse to be part of a "bastard subculture" that is built on fake rhetoric and copy-and-paste references, and instead to cultivate knowledge that fights against all forms of hate.
In the second half of the song, Mesa Verde calls for a rebuilding of the city and of ourselves. The lyrics express a hope for new walls with open doors, for a community that is inclusive and welcoming from both sides. It calls for a new way of rebuilding, one that is based on listening to each other and on rejecting the pretense and act that often consumes us. The lyrics remind us that the seed has been sown and that we have been reborn for a minute, and in that minute we are free to think and drop the act. The song challenges us to confront all words and never take anything for granted except for our ability to be impressionable and to learn.
Line by Line Meaning
we will dance as they dance,
We will imitate the actions and movements of those who came before us.
sing as they sing
We will replicate the sounds and words of those who came before us.
until our words lose all meaning
By repeating their words, we will eventually detach them from their meaning.
and all that is left will be echoes of their sound.
What remains is an endless repetition of sounds with no originality.
it's all over
The current way of living and being is unsustainable and must come to an end.
you play both sides
You support opposing views and are willing to compromise your beliefs for personal gain.
you see who wins
You prioritize the victory of one side over the other.
and you compromise.
You are willing to compromise your values to reach your goals.
lost between the well studied lines,
We get stuck in-between the words and meanings that are already established.
so went the dream we passed on through.
The hope we once had has been lost through generations.
no latecomers.
People who do not understand our culture are not welcome here.
cultivate and assimilate
We must learn and internalize the values of our culture.
the words the actions the heart
We must understand and embody our culture's language, practices, and beliefs.
of yet another
Of yet another marginalized or countercultural group.
bastard subculture.
A culture that is not recognized or valued by mainstream society.
destroy every page until they all tell the same story.
We must eliminate any existing narratives that go against our culture's beliefs.
you sing words you don't understand
You recite phrases without fully comprehending their meaning.
you drop names
You use references to appear knowledgeable or well-versed in our culture.
to impress the ones you lied to
You deceive others to gain their admiration and approval.
to impress the ones you danced to.
You seek validation from those who are already entrenched in our culture.
tonight let's dance our own dance,
Let's embrace our own way of doing things tonight.
tonight let's make this our last.
Tonight, we will no longer compromise our values or play both sides.
refuse the refuse,
Reject ideas and values that are not in line with our culture's beliefs.
ascertain knowledge
Acquire understanding through exploration and self-education.
from all forms of hate.
We must learn from and reject all forms of hatred.
shake off the fake out rhetoric
Eliminate disingenuous language and meaningless rhetoric.
and ditch the copy and paste:
Avoid blindly adopting others' ideas without careful examination.
references only spoken here.
In our culture, it is important to reference and value verbal communication.
rebuild the city
We must start anew in our environment.
with new walls
We must establish new boundaries in our culture.
with open doors
We must welcome those who are like-minded into our culture.
on both sides.
We must value the perspectives of both insiders and outsiders of our culture.
rebuild ourselves
As individuals, we must also change and grow.
with new ears.
We must actively listen and understand in order to progress.
for every sun
For every ending and beginning.
that sets to return
For every sun that goes down, there is a promise of a new day.
every ship that sails must be allowed to sink.
We must allow those who do not align with our values to leave and move on.
the seed is sewn
The process of change and growth is underway.
for a minute we're reborn
In this moment, we are experiencing a new beginning.
for a minute we're free
In this moment, we are free from the constraints of outdated beliefs and ideas.
to think
We are given the opportunity to critically examine our culture and beliefs.
to drop the act
We must abandon any façades or inauthenticity in order to progress.
to never let them consume us
We must resist the temptation to conform to mainstream ideals or popular culture.
so that our strength
By doing so, we will become stronger and more resilient as a culture.
may no longer be hidden.
Our true power and potential must be fully realized and expressed.
all words must be confronted
We must examine and reevaluate all ideas and beliefs.
and nothing taken for granted
We must not blindly accept or assume anything without critical examination.
except our impressionability.
Our ability to be shaped by our experiences and environment must be acknowledged.
Contributed by Camilla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.