Only in their mid-20s, Middle Class Rut, consisting of Zack Lopez (guitar/vocals) and Sean Stockham (drums/vocals), are already veteran musicians; both guys were core members of Leisure, which was signed to DreamWorks back in 2000 when Sean and Zack were just in their early teens. After Leisure disbanded several years later, Zack and Sean returned to their hometown of Sacramento, California. Hunkering down in their homegrown studio, they started jamming and writing music together. After penning more than 60 songs, their new project, Middle Class Rut, was officially born in December 2006.
The band's first national tour happened in the fall of 2008, when they hit the road with The Receiving End Of Sirens and Envy On The Coast. From the first show of that tour, Middle Class Rut completely destroyed expectations and won over legions of new fans. After seeing the band's intense and
charismatic performance, Alternative Press wrote in its January 2008 issue that "..it's mind-blowing to witness the sheer depth and complexity of the sound these two guys are capable of unleashing on their own, but once the novelty subsides, you're left with incendiary post-rock with visible traces of 90s alternative."
After a series of EP's, Middle Class Rut's debut album 'No Name No Color' was released on October 5 2010 in the US and on November 22 2010 in the UK.
Dead Eye
Middle Class Rut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It’s not your hole to be in, easy to let it go
But deep down at the bottom in the back of your mind
The saddest sense of being finds you every night
And everyone you love is already gone
I dreamt that I was drowning in the middle of the sea
But things like that don’t happen to people like me
And that’s just what you tell yourself
The dead eye leave in the background
The dead eye leave in the day
You can’t escape the feeling, it’s in everything you do
Consider yourself lucky that you have as much to lose
And try not to waste your life thinking about the end
The message and the meaning, well you knew it all along
The thing about forever, it goes on and on and on
Sometimes I wish I would give it all back
The dead eye leave in the background
The dead eye leave in the day
Where you been hiding all your demons
How can you look me in the eye
If you can tell me, when can you tell me why
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave in the day
The lyrics of Middle Class Rut's "Dead Eye" explore the theme of existential anxiety and the fear of being forgotten after death. The song starts by describing a feeling of detachment from the world around the singer. They feel like they don't belong and are surrounded by strangers. This detachment then leads to a sense of sadness and loneliness that keeps haunting the singer every night. The lyrics illustrate how this emotion is difficult to escape, despite the singer's efforts to push it away and ignore it.
The chorus of the song talks about the "dead eye" that leaves in the background of the singer's life. It is a metaphor for death, something that is always present but not openly acknowledged. The phrase "dead eye" also suggests a lack of emotion or empathy, as if the singer is living in a world that has lost its spark. Despite these feelings, the song urges listeners to focus on the present and not waste their lives thinking about the inevitability of death.
The bridge of the song addresses the idea of hiding one's demons and not being able to look others in the eye. It suggests that everyone struggles with their own sense of loneliness and fear of being forgotten. The final repetition of "The dead eye leave in the day" reinforces the message that the fear of death is always present, but it is possible to overcome it by focusing on living life to the fullest.
Overall, the lyrics of "Dead Eye" encourage listeners to confront their fears and anxieties about death by embracing the present moment and finding meaning and purpose in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
A place you’ve never been to, people you don’t know
You find yourself in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation surrounded by strangers
It’s not your hole to be in, easy to let it go
Though it's natural to want to avoid unpleasantness, sometimes it's important to confront and deal with uncomfortable situations
But deep down at the bottom in the back of your mind
Despite trying to ignore it, a sense of sadness continues to linger in your thoughts
The saddest sense of being finds you every night
This feeling of sadness is particularly acute during the lonely hours of the night
And everyone you love is already gone
The people you care about have already moved on from your life, leaving you feeling isolated and alone
I dreamt that I was drowning in the middle of the sea
You have a recurring nightmare of being trapped and helpless in a vast, unforgiving environment
But things like that don’t happen to people like me
Despite experiencing the pain and fear associated with such a scenario, you refuse to accept that things like that could happen to you
And that’s just what you tell yourself
You're in denial about the possibility of experiencing tragedy or loss in your life
The dead eye leave in the background
The numbness and sadness that accompanies depression are ever-present, but are often ignored or pushed aside
The dead eye leave in the day
This mental state persists even during times that are supposed to be happy or enjoyable
You can’t escape the feeling, it’s in everything you do
Your depression colors everything in your life, making even simple tasks feel overwhelming
Consider yourself lucky that you have as much to lose
Despite feeling overwhelmed and lonely, you have people and things in your life worth caring about
And try not to waste your life thinking about the end
Don't let your preoccupation with death prevent you from living your life to the fullest
The message and the meaning, well you knew it all along
Your intuition already knows what's wrong and what needs to be done, but you struggle to act on it
The thing about forever, it goes on and on and on
The sadness you feel seems like it will never end, and you're afraid of being stuck in that state forever
Sometimes I wish I would give it all back
You sometimes regret the things that bring you happiness because they also come with the pain and sadness that accompany being human
Where you been hiding all your demons
You've kept your struggles with depression hidden from others
How can you look me in the eye
Others can't tell that you're struggling because you're good at putting on a brave face
If you can tell me, when can you tell me why
You're not sure when or even if you can ever reveal your true feelings to others
The dead eye leave
The numbness and sadness associated with depression make it difficult to feel any joy or hope
The dead eye leave in the day
This mental state persists even during times when you should be happy or enjoying yourself
The dead eye leave in the background
Even when you try to ignore or push aside your struggles with depression, they remain ever-present in the background of your life
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Oriana Fernandez
A place you’ve never been to, people you don’t know
It’s not your hole to be in, easy to let it go
But deep down at the bottom, in the back of your mind
The saddest sense of being, finds you every night
And everyone you love is already gone
I dreamt that I was drowning in the middle of the sea
But things like that don’t happen, to people like me
And that’s just what you tell yourself
The dead eye leave in the background
The dead eye leave in the day
You can’t escape the feeling, it’s in everything you do
Consider yourself lucky that you have as much to lose
And try not to waste your life, thinking about the end
The message and the meaning, well you knew it all along
The thing about forever it goes on and on and on
Sometimes I wish I would give it all back
The dead eye leave in the background
The dead eye leave in the day
Where you been hiding all your demons
How can you look me in the eye
If you can tell me, when can you tell me why
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave in the day
Michael Morgan
Eight years later... I'm still loving this song, band
Dustin Lovell
Gotta love a band that makes 'actual' music videos and doesn't just throw together a bunch of random live footage. Not sure who directed this, but it's pretty epic!
Joey Calvey
My favorite song by them, also one if my favorite music videos. This band is so good and stop underrated I hope to be able to see them live one day.
Steven L
I think they always directed themselves my guess Sean (Drummer) did this one
C S
Dustin Lovell It's a really nice video, isn't it? :)
uncrownedoak
Something even more rare and sometimes more creative is when the band is not in their music video at all.
Recovery to Redemption
Their melodies are haunting, beautiful, and rocking as fuck at the same time. I'm kind of a newbie to these dudes, but wow.
Ethereal and uplifting.
I want to share the stage with these dudes.
kyle knight
Just listening to these guys for the first time EVER today and theyre 4/4 songs for me so far. AWESOME!
Oriana Fernandez
A place you’ve never been to, people you don’t know
It’s not your hole to be in, easy to let it go
But deep down at the bottom, in the back of your mind
The saddest sense of being, finds you every night
And everyone you love is already gone
I dreamt that I was drowning in the middle of the sea
But things like that don’t happen, to people like me
And that’s just what you tell yourself
The dead eye leave in the background
The dead eye leave in the day
You can’t escape the feeling, it’s in everything you do
Consider yourself lucky that you have as much to lose
And try not to waste your life, thinking about the end
The message and the meaning, well you knew it all along
The thing about forever it goes on and on and on
Sometimes I wish I would give it all back
The dead eye leave in the background
The dead eye leave in the day
Where you been hiding all your demons
How can you look me in the eye
If you can tell me, when can you tell me why
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave
The dead eye leave in the day
Enough Said2021
thank you