From their inception in late 2003, the band's energetic live performances earned them a hardcore fanbase after playing for only a few months on the Manchester music scene. In 2004 the band were signed to Island records and spent the year touring the UK and recording their first studio album with producer Rob Schnapf in Los Angeles. In 2005 Nine Black Alps toured the UK extensively, promoting the release of their debut album, Everything Is on 13th June 2005. Their first U.S. single was Cosmopolitan; their album Everything Is was released in America on February 28, 2006.
The band's second album, again recorded in LA with producer Dave Sardy Love/Hate, was released on 29 October 2007 and heralded a split with Island Records shortly thereafter. However, Nine Black Alps went on to self-finance and record their third full-length album with producer Dave Eringa, entitled 'Locked Out from the Inside'. Only available as a download from the band's own website - http://www.nineblackalps.com, the album was a return to the louder, heavier sounds of the first record.
Nine Black Alps, after a hiatus of almost 2 years, have been back in the studio as a 3-piece recording tracks for a fourth album, with a possible release in 2012.
Forget My Name
Nine Black Alps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so polite
You can't explain
And me, I'm getting sick
I'm sick of it
I call it quits
No one else will help me
Won't you carry on dear
Carry on without me
Please just forget my name
Forget my face, you're all the same
The human race
Someone else can take my place
And leave me here
Without a trace
You're left and right
You're rich and poor
You're black and white
And me, I'm barely here
I'm barely there
Not anywhere
Because maybe, everybody's happy
Laughing and ecstatic
Don't forget to carry on without me
Please, forget my name
Forget my face
You're all the same
The human race
Someone else
Can take my place
And leave me here
Without a trace
So you can sell me
Send me down the river
You'll find someone who's better
Won't you carry on dear
On without me, please
Forget my name
Forget my face
You're all the same
The human race
Someone else
Can take my place
And leave me here
Without a trace
Without a trace
The lyrics to Nine Black Alps's song "Forget My Name" seem to express the feeling of being tired of being a part of society and wanting to be forgotten. The opening lines of the song, "You are all the same / You're so polite / You can't explain," suggest that the singer feels alienated from those around them. They go on to say, "And me, I'm getting sick / I'm sick of it / I call it quits," indicating that they are fed up with the way things are and want to leave.
The chorus of the song, "Please just forget my name / Forget my face, you're all the same / The human race / Someone else can take my place / And leave me here / Without a trace," reinforces this desire to be forgotten. The singer seems to feel that they are insignificant and wants to disappear without a trace. They express feeling like they are barely there and not anywhere, suggesting a sense of disconnection from the world.
The final verse of the song includes the lines, "So you can sell me / Send me down the river / You'll find someone who's better / Won't you carry on dear / On without me, please," indicating that the singer feels like they are being discarded by society. Despite this, they seem resigned to their fate and urge those around them to carry on without them.
Overall, the lyrics to "Forget My Name" suggest a feeling of isolation and disconnection from the world. The singer seems to feel like they are insignificant and wants to be forgotten by society.
Line by Line Meaning
You are all the same
The singer is pointing out that everyone around him looks and acts the same, with no individuality.
You're so polite
He also comments on how they are all polite, but it seems forced and insincere.
You can't explain
The singer cannot understand their behaviour or their lack of identity.
And me, I'm getting sick
The singer is expressing his growing frustration and unhappiness with what he sees around him.
I'm sick of it
He is now at the point of feeling completely fed up.
I call it quits
He's ready to give up and move on from this situation.
Because really, falling down is easy
The singer believes that it is easier to give up than to keep on going.
No one else will help me
He feels others do not support him or offer a helping hand.
Won't you carry on dear
The singer is asking other people to continue without him.
Carry on without me
He wants others to move forward without him.
Please just forget my name
The singer does not want to be remembered by these people and wishes to leave without a trace.
Forget my face, you're all the same
He emphasizes again that nobody is different or memorable to him.
The human race
Because everyone is so similar, he laments humanity as a whole.
Someone else can take my place
He wants somebody else to take his position among these people.
And leave me here
The singer wants to be alone and forgotten.
Without a trace
He wants to disappear without leaving a mark or being remembered.
You're left and right
He notices that there is no middle ground and people are always divided into clear two sides.
You're rich and poor
He observes that there are always those with and without money.
You're black and white
He recalls that the people around him are divided by race and ethnicity.
And me, I'm barely here
The singer emphasizes again that he feels invisible and unimportant.
I'm barely there
He feels like he does not quite fit in or belong anywhere.
Not anywhere
He has no sense of home, belonging or identity.
Because maybe, everybody's happy
The singer questions if everyone is truly happy or if they are just pretending.
Laughing and ecstatic
He imagines that perhaps everyone is pretending to be extremely happy and content, but he just can't seem to feel it.
Don't forget to carry on without me
The singer repeats his desire for others to move on without him.
So you can sell me
Here, the singer is comparing himself to a product that can be sold for profit or discarded when no longer useful.
Send me down the river
He feels like others want to get rid of him or send him away, as if he is a problem.
You'll find someone who's better
He believes that there is always someone better to take his place or fill his shoes.
On without me, please
The singer ends with repeating his plea to others to move on without him.
Without a trace
He still wants to be forgotten and to leave no mark.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID SAMUEL JONES, JAMES GALLEY, JAMES BUCHANAN GALLEY, MARTIN COHEN, SAMUEL FORREST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind