Formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the early 2010s, indie rock quartet Nap … Read Full Bio ↴Formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the early 2010s, indie rock quartet Nap Eyes combine the driving jangle of classic Flying Nun bands with an arch lyricism and scrappy lo-fi ethos that played out over a trilogy of critically acclaimed albums in the middle years of that decade. Built around the literate, often stream-of-consciousness voice of songwriter/guitarist Nigel Chapman, the band underwent a slight sonic shift in 2020 with their more elaborately arranged fourth outing, Snapshot of a Beginner.

Bandmates Chapman, bassist Josh Salter, drummer Seamus Dalton, and lead guitarist Brad Loughead debuted with a self-titled EP that came out in 2011. Though Dalton and Salter were both in the group Monomyth, and Loughead was a member of Each Other, Nap Eyes kept cranking out music, with two EPs (Tribal Thoughts and Four More Songs By) in 2012 and two 2013 releases (Joint Uppers & Other Favourites! and Dreaming Solo). They recorded fast, eschewing overdubs and getting a live and loose sound. Their first full-length was recorded in 2013 in Montreal by Mike Wright, who was also in Each Other with Loughead. Whine of the Mystic was first issued in 2014 in a limited run by Plastic Factory, then co-reissued in July 2015 by You've Changed Records and Paradise of Bachelors.

Once again employing their preferred studio method, Nap Eyes recorded their follow-up album, 2016's Thought Rock Fish Scale, entirely live in the studio over a period of four days. Completing what they considered to be an informal trilogy of LPs, the band returned in March 2018 with the deeply personal I'm Bad Now. For Nap Eyes' fourth album, they took a more measured and hi-fi approach, working with producers Jonathan Low (the National) and James Elkington at the National's Long Pond studio in Upstate New York. The resulting album, Snapshot of a Beginner, was released by Jagjaguwar in April 2020.

No Fear of Hellfire
Nap Eyes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I follow, you follow, I follow, and fall in
You follow, I follow, you follow, and fall in
Sunday morning
Sunday morning only comes around once these days
Without no warning
Never warns me anymore
But what I want now is not to please
Tried for a while

I tried to find a way
Offer the way I feel about you
There's something in the way
Our hearts are made today
From a polymer
From a blackest coal

And it's like me
Or it's not like me
To be so good
No fear of hellfire
No fear of hellfire
Makes me feel good
All along the wayside I found skeletons of the old days
I tried to find my way beside the one I want to be beside But always, always I fall back
Then again, I know a goodbye is not meant for happiness but something like it
Life is very hard
Yes, tried to find a way
And I found something out
I found romance
I played my cards right, or I played them wrong

And it's like me
Oh, it's not like me
To be so good
No fear of hellfire

No fear of hellfire
Makes me feel good

Overall Meaning

In Nap Eyes's song "No Fear of Hellfire," the singer is reflecting on the ups and downs of their life and relationships. The repeating lines "I follow, you follow, I follow, and fall in / You follow, I follow, you follow, and fall in" suggest a cycle of repetitive behavior, where the singer and their partner are both following and falling for each other, but also experiencing moments of doubt and confusion. The mention of Sunday morning coming around "once these days" and without warning underscores the fleeting nature of time and how life can feel like it's moving too quickly.

The singer expresses a desire to find authenticity and not just go through the motions of pleasing others. They've tried to find a way to express their true feelings towards their partner but something is hindering them. The mention of "polymer" and "blackest coal" in the stanza before the chorus suggests the idea of something that is both malleable and immutable, like the nature of their heart and emotions.

The chorus, "No fear of hellfire / Makes me feel good" is a stark contrast to the darkness and uncertainty that has been expressed throughout the rest of the lyrics. It's as if the absence of fear and doubt brings a sense of lightness and relief. The repeated lines "And it's like me / Oh, it's not like me / To be so good" further underscore the singer's uncertainty and almost disbelief at their own sense of contentment.

Overall, "No Fear of Hellfire" explores complex themes of love, authenticity, and the passing of time. The lyrics are open to interpretation and allow listeners to draw their own conclusions about what the song means to them.

Line by Line Meaning

I follow, you follow, I follow, and fall in
I mimic your actions and ultimately end up failing

You follow, I follow, you follow, and fall in
You mimic my actions and ultimately end up failing

Sunday morning
It's a lazy Sunday morning, a day of rest

Sunday morning only comes around once these days
The rarity of a Sunday morning as a day of rest

Without no warning
It comes without warning

Never warns me anymore
It's no longer anticipated or cherished

But what I want now is not to please
I no longer care to satisfy or impress anyone else

Tried for a while
I attempted it for some time in the past

I tried to find a way
I attempted to figure things out

Offer the way I feel about you
I express my feelings about you in the way I know how

There's something in the way
Something is blocking our progress

Our hearts are made today
Our emotions are currently in flux

From a polymer
Our emotions are complex and intertwined

From a blackest coal
Our emotions have a dark, murky quality

And it's like me
I am reminded of myself

Or it's not like me
This feels out of character for me

To be so good
To behave so virtuously

No fear of hellfire
I am not afraid of divine punishment for my actions

Makes me feel good
My lack of fear is empowering

All along the wayside I found skeletons of the old days
I have encountered remnants of the past on my journey

I tried to find my way beside the one I want to be beside
I attempted to find my path alongside the person I desire to be with

But always, always I fall back
But inevitably, I end up back where I started

Then again, I know a goodbye is not meant for happiness but something like it
I recognize that goodbyes are not solely for happiness, but can also bring something similar

Life is very hard
Life is extremely difficult

Yes, tried to find a way
I did attempt to find a solution

And I found something out
I eventually discovered something

I found romance
I discovered love

I played my cards right, or I played them wrong
I made decisions that could have been either correct or incorrect

Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Brad Loughead, Josh Salter, Nigel Chapman, Seamus Dalton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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