The band's original lineup was Mitch Wilson (vocals/guitar), Brian Desjean (bass), Aaron Mancini (guitar/vocals), and Ike Zaremba (drums). Prior to their first full-length, the band replaced Mancini with Ryan Ferguson (guitar/vocals). After their first and second full-lengths, Drunk on the Moon (1995) and Hit Man Dreams (1997), Chris Prescott was enlisted to play drums. The group went on to release two more full-lengths: Fire in the City of Automatons (1999) and Riot for Romance (2002). They played their last show in June 2009 in Solana Beach, which was due to a brief resurge in popularity due to the band touring with Jimmy Eat World for a 10th anniversary tour.
Current Projects: Mitch Wilson is currently playing guitar for The Focus Group as well as his side project Moonlife. Brian Desjean is playing bass for Get Your Death On!, a new San Diego prog-core band which formed in late 2005. Ryan Ferguson has been touring for his solo project (www.last.fm/music/Ryan+Ferguson) with a new full-length released August 2007. Chris Prescott has recently joined Pinback on drums for their tour and new album. He also is played guitar/vocals for The Jade Shader which formed in 2004 with the late Terrin Durfey of Boilermaker.
Titanic
No Knife Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The undressing of the moon
I hear the sounds of a dying man
And I ignore it
If I could open my eyes
Lean back and swallow up the tide
I
Might be here
The lyrics to No Knife's song "Titanic" are full of vivid imagery and intense emotions. The opening line "I turn to see it, the undressing of the moon" is a striking image that conveys both beauty and vulnerability. The moon is often a symbol of feminine energy, and the act of undressing could represent a stripping away of pretenses or defenses. In this context, it could suggest a moment of raw emotional honesty.
The next line "I hear the sounds of a dying man and I ignore it" is a stark contrast to the previous line. The beauty is replaced with a sense of dread and helplessness. It's unclear what the dying man represents - perhaps a literal death, or a metaphorical one. Regardless, the singer feels powerless to act and chooses to ignore it.
The final lines "if I could open my eyes, lean back and swallow up the tide, I might be here tomorrow" seem to suggest a desire to escape from the pain and turmoil of the world. The idea of being able to "swallow up the tide" implies a sense of control over the overwhelming forces of nature. However, this escape is conditional on being able to confront reality ("open my eyes") - without that, there can be no hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
I turn to see it
I look in the direction and observe it
The undressing of the moon
The gradual disappearance of the moon from the sky
I hear the sounds of a dying man
I receive acoustic input of someone's last moments alive
And I ignore it
But I choose not to pay attention to it
If I could open my eyes
If it were possible for me to widen my vision
Lean back and swallow up the tide
Strengthen myself and take in the enormity of the situation
I
This person
Might be here
Would have a chance of survival
Tomorrow.
The following day or in the future
Contributed by Makayla K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.