Murder by Death is an American five-piece indie rock/death country band fro… Read Full Bio ↴Murder by Death is an American five-piece indie rock/death country band from Bloomington, Indiana. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore film of the same name.

Murder by Death released its first studio album (Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing) in 2002, and has since released seven more studio albums. The band's current lineup consists of two founding members, Adam Turla and Sarah Balliet. Balliet plays cello for the band, an instrument that has been present consistently throughout the band's evolution. Murder by Death's 2012 album Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon reached #76 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most successful release.

Murder by Death was formed in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana, by guitarist Adam Turla, cellist Sarah Balliet, percussionist Alexander Schrodt, keyboardist Vincent Edwards, and bassist Matt Armstrong. One of the group's first shows was at the Channing-Murray Foundation's cafe The Red Herring in Urbana, Illinois, with former American Football drummer Steve Lamos' solo project DMS. After the show, the head of the TEAM AV record label with which Lamos was working offered to help Turla and his bandmates secure additional shows. Around the same time the band met Thursday vocalist, Geoff Rickly, when the two bands played on the same bill at a gig in their hometown of Bloomington. Rickly introduced the band, known at the time as Little Joe Gould, to his friend Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records), who also took an interest in the band. In 2001 the band self-released the eponymous Little Joe Gould EP and early the next year contributed the song "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to the TEAM AV compilation Foreign Nationals. A short time later the group changed their name to Murder By Death, which they felt better represented their sound.

Murder by Death plays a range of music including instrumentals, rock and alt.country. The band uses cello (with an electric cello for live shows) to create a gothic sound with occasional Western references.

The band often arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil into concept albums. For example, the band's second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?, describes a story in which the Devil wages war against a small village in Mexico.

Only Time
Murder By Death Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've had time
Time enough
To make up my mind
How to say it right
When times got tough
I made my bed
Then I laid in it
It was my chance

My moment
To take the reigns
To face the day
Burn out bright but I faded away

I march these halls
I do my time
The reflection I see
Is no longer mine
My body wracked with pain
And to what end?
This place is changing me
I don't know myself, know myself, know myself
I rise from my slumber too soon
Drifting alone
Marooned

The tracks of my tears fade away
I hear the hum of the engine pushing through space

There's only time
In this place
Nothing to separate the nights from the days
Only time
To make it right
To fill the days and the nights
Only time (only time)
Only time (only time)

Only time (only time)
Only time

Overall Meaning

The song "Only Time" by Murder By Death seems to be about the passing of time and how it affects human beings. The lyrics express the idea that time can change us, leaving us feeling lost and disconnected from who we once were. The chorus repeats the phrase "only time," emphasizing the importance of this concept in the song. The verses explore specific moments in the singer's life where they had to make difficult choices that ultimately led them to where they are now. The line "I made my bed then I laid in it" suggests that the singer takes responsibility for their actions, even if the consequences weren't what they expected. They also acknowledge that they had a chance to take control of their life, but ultimately "faded away."

The second verse begins with the singer "marching these halls" and doing their time. This could be interpreted as serving a prison sentence or simply going through the motions of life, feeling trapped and disconnected from themselves. They describe their body as being wracked with pain, and question if all of it is worth it. The line "this place is changing me" suggests that the environment or circumstances around them are having a negative impact on their sense of identity and purpose. The bridge introduces a sense of isolation, with the singer feeling adrift and alone. However, the final lines of the song suggest that there is still hope in the passing of time, that it can be used to "make it right" and "fill our days and the nights."

Line by Line Meaning

I've had time
I have had enough time to reflect on my choices and actions

Time enough
A sufficient amount of time

To make up my mind
To come to a final decision

How to say it right
To articulate my thoughts and emotions accurately

When times got tough
During challenging times

I made my bed
I took responsibility for my actions

Then I laid in it
I faced the consequences of my decisions and actions

It was my chance
An opportunity presented itself

My moment
A pivotal moment in my life

To take the reigns
To take control and responsibility

To face the day
To confront life's challenges

Burn out bright but I faded away
I shone brightly for a moment but faded into obscurity

I march these halls
I inhabit this place

I do my time
I undergo my sentence

The reflection I see
The image of myself that I perceive

Is no longer mine
I don't recognize myself anymore

My body wracked with pain
My body is suffering physically

And to what end?
For what purpose?

This place is changing me
My environment is altering me fundamentally

I don't know myself, know myself, know myself
I am losing a sense of self

I rise from my slumber too soon
I awaken prematurely

Drifting alone
I am adrift by myself

Marooned
Stranded, without any means of escape

The tracks of my tears fade away
The evidence of my sadness disappears

I hear the hum of the engine pushing through space
I hear the sound of distant movement

There's only time
The only thing there is, is time

In this place
Within my current environment

Nothing to separate the nights from the days
There is no discernible difference between day and night

Only time to make it right
Time is the only opportunity to correct mistakes

To fill the days and the nights
To occupy oneself during both day and night

Only time (only time)
'Only time' is reiterated as the most important concept

Only time (only time)
'Only time' is reiterated once more

Only time (only time)
'Only time' is yet again reiterated

Only time
Time is the most valuable resource available

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Sarah Jackson Balliet, Dagan Thogerson, Adam Michael Turla

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Vasoula Tsiminaki

6y↑18

I've had time -Time enough
To make up my mind - How to say it right
When times got tough - I made my bed
Then I laid in it - It was my chance
My moment - To take the reigns
To face the day - Burn out bright but I faded away

I march these halls - I do my time
The reflection I see - Is no longer mine
My body wracked with pain - And to what end?
This place is changing me - I don't know myself, know myself, know myself
I rise from my slumber too soon - Drifting alone - Marooned

The tracks of my tears fade away
I hear the hum of the engine pushing through space

There's only time - In this place
Nothing to separate the nights from the days
Only time - To make it right
To fill the days and the nights
Only time (only time) ...