Becoming a four-piece with Danny Lothspeich coming in, the band had a bunch of their own tunes soon ready, and they independently released their first EP, titled 'Why We Cry', only a few months before their very formation. Noise Ratchet's work gained much recognition, selling over 3,000 copies of the release and climbing to the top of mp3.com download charts. The year 2000 brought them a bunch of touring spots across California and even a few shows going off into the Midwest. Reviewers stated that 'Why We Cry' featured a riff-heavy sound coming across something like a Christian rock take on The Getup Kids and Jimmy Eat World, being sincerely spiritual as well as energetic.
Then, in January 2001, with Joel thinking of leaving the band, he asked the guys to bring in Jon Jameson to play bass. The band decided to give it a shot as they had already been talking about getting a new bassist; but little did they know that some of Joel's reasoning was to try to soften the blow if he left. However, after a few amazing shows with Jon, Joel decided to stay with the band and re-focus. The shows had been some of the best they had ever had in his opinion and brought him new inspiration.
Finally, in March 2001, despite offers from larger companies such as tooth and nail, Noise Ratchet opted for a more personal label and signed with The Militia Group. Soon after they began recording their first full-length release entitled "Till we have faces."
After the release of "Till we have faces" on April 2nd, 2002 Noise Ratchet began their first nationwide tour in May touring with the likes of Dashboard Confessional, The Juliana Theory, Switchfoot, Cool Hand Luke, and others throughout the year.
By the time 2003 came about Noise Ratchet was ready to hit it big. The year started with a tour with Switchfoot which upon returning to their hometown of San Diego they drew an incredible crowd of 2,000 fans singing along to every song. Later that year their final album for The Militia Group, a self titled EP, was released in May, and showed that Noise Ratchet was adequately prepared to rock with the big boys as they signed on with the major label American Recordings.
Immediately after signing with American Recordings Noise Ratchet started working on writing their major label debut and had dozens of demos recorded. The next several months were spent smoothing out the edges of the demos with the help of Rick Rubin while still touring across the country.
Yet it was not to be. As the band members faced conflicts with their label, everything seemed to collapse, and the album was shelved. The group itself folded in December 2004. Brandon Young went on to play in the band Delta Spirit.
vanity
Noise Ratchet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Modeling their hips and their lips.
Bleed yourselves again
'cause your beauty is only skin deep.
Following your cold surroundings.
It's all you have
Holding on
To nothing.
A hole you have. In your heart
It needs heart, it needs something
Wrapped up in your vanity.
Put on your mask every morning
Scrape it off at the end of a long, long day
Maybelline Queens with plastic faces.
Modeling their hips and their lips.
It's all you have
Holding on
Holding on
To nothing.
A hole you have. In your heart
It needs heart, it needs something
Noise Ratchet's song "Vanity" is a critique of the artificial and superficial nature of beauty standards in modern society. The opening lines allude to the false façade of the "Maybelline Queens," women who use makeup and cosmetic surgery to achieve an unattainable standard of beauty. The emphasis on physical appearance is conveyed through the reference to the hips and lips, which are often sexualized and objectified in mainstream culture.
The chorus suggests that those who are obsessed with their own beauty are holding onto something that ultimately amounts to nothing. The line "A hole you have in your heart" implies that despite the outward perfection, these individuals may be lacking spiritually or emotionally. The repetition of "holding on" underscores the idea that the pursuit of beauty can become an all-consuming obsession, leaving little room for anything else in life.
The overall message of the song is that true beauty lies within and cannot be bought or artificially created. The use of the word "vanity" in the title reinforces this theme, as vanity refers to excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments. Noise Ratchet's lyrics urge listeners to look beyond the surface and focus on what really matters.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybelline Queens with plastic faces.
Describing women who strive for perfection through makeup and plastic surgery
Modeling their hips and their lips.
Emphasizing how women try to follow a certain body type to be considered attractive
Bleed yourselves again
Describing how women conform to society’s expectations by undergoing treatments that cause physical pain
'cause your beauty is only skin deep.
Explaining that superficial beauty is not sufficient for a happy and fulfilling life
Following your cold surroundings.
People are driven by external factors such as social pressure, consumerism, and advertising to put more emphasis on their appearance than anything else
It's all you have
Holding on
Holding on
To nothing.
Highlighting the emptiness of being focused on looks only
A hole you have. In your heart
It needs heart, it needs something
Implying that a fulfilling life needs more than physical beauty alone, it needs emotional depth and satisfaction too
Wrapped up in your vanity.
People become obsessed with their appearance and how others perceive them
Put on your mask every morning
Scrape it off at the end of a long, long day
Describing the daily routine of putting on makeup to hide imperfections and taking it off when returning home
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BERNARD BIERMAN, GUY B WOOD, JACK MANUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jakob
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