“The music we like to put together is dark, but so is the subject matter, so the medium has to be as well,” O’ Brother’s lead singer/guitarist Tanner Merritt spells out the capturing of the Georgia band’s first five written songs.
To break the cimmerian shade of an album based around sleep and its emboss to the natural world a dynamic had to be created, a wall of density given breathe and firm grip around melodies unable to wander. The expected sprawl of soft, then loud, then back to soft was sacrificed projecting a new luminance where the strength was in the tiny twisting light that exhales from the EP as a whole.
The band sought to keep their on stage essence by laying the album down live, forgoing the studio temptation to fill each space. Recorded by Brad Fisher with assistance from Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull the best takes were chosen for keys and effects to be added in later creating the soundscapes tucked beneath each song.
Since the 2009 release the band has shared stages with Thrice, Circa Survive, Manchester Orchestra, Biffy Clyro. Ready to record again the band is in a new dawn; where the sun is rising and a new eclectic output is being embraced.
“I think we are enjoying the writing of our full length more than we did with the EP,” Martens explains the bands next step. “It is more of a shared experience with this one because everyone is writing. The music is coming out better than ever and we are really happy to be coming into our sound.”
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Path of Folly
O'Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
cause I'd be more than obliged
I've got a bone worth picking
We'll take it all in calculated strides
Little by little
Down the path of folly
Fueled by this overwhelming desire
I need to be needed
All my efforts lie
Lost in the line of time
All my efforts lie
Lost in the line of time
It's the existential paradox of life
That our survival relies on
Our temporary nature of design
And our failure to realize
You'll never get it but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
I wanted peace of mind
But progress thrives
On opposition
Caught in the paradox of life
Where living is dying
And I just want to live as if I were dying
Try as you will but you're never gonna be what you want
Always the insignificant mind of the brink of dissolve
Too little too late, always one step behind.
It's the existential paradox of life
That our survival relies on
Our temporary nature of design
And our failure to realize.
So take what you want at the expense of your demise.
In O'Brother’s song Path of Folly, the singer seems to be engaged in a conversation, asking someone whether they want to speak their mind so that the singer can address their concerns. The singer goes on to say that they have something to say as well, something that may cause conflict, but that they will approach it logically and thoughtfully. The repeated line “Little by little / down the path of folly” suggests that the disagreement or conflict is not something that happened suddenly but rather a gradual progression toward a negative outcome. The singer goes on to reveal that they have an overwhelming desire to be needed by others, but only crave this need when the other person is not being too needy.
The line “All my efforts lie / Lost in the line of time” seems to imply a sense of futility, where the singer is putting all their efforts into something only to have them disappear over time. This feeling may contribute to the singer’s desire to feel needed by others – to have a lasting impact on someone else. The song then delves into the existential paradox of life, where our very survival relies on our temporary nature and yet we fail to realize this paradox. The singer seems to be struggling with this realization and caught in the paradox, wanting peace of mind but understanding that progress is reliant on opposition, and that living is essentially dying.
The song concludes with the line “So take what you want at the expense of your demise.” This line implies that getting what you want comes at a cost, often something that may be detrimental in the long run. In the context of the song, it may be suggesting that the need to be needed may come at the cost of the singer's own sense of self-worth or self-sufficiency. Overall, the song speaks to the human condition and our struggle with finding meaning in our temporary existence in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
So did you care to speak your mind
Are you willing to express your thoughts?
cause I'd be more than obliged
Because I am eager to hear you out.
I've got a bone worth picking
I have an issue that needs to be addressed.
We'll take it all in calculated strides
We will approach this problem in a measured and rational manner.
Little by little
We'll make progress slowly, but surely.
Down the path of folly
Despite knowing better, we're on a self-destructive path.
Fueled by this overwhelming desire
We continue due to our intense and unstoppable cravings.
I need to be needed
I crave to have a purpose or to be desired by others.
But I only need it when you're not being so needy
But I only desire it when you're not demanding it constantly.
All my efforts lie
All my attempts have been futile.
Lost in the line of time
They have disappeared in the flow of time.
It's the existential paradox of life
This is the fundamental conflict of our existence.
That our survival relies on
Our ability to survive is dependent on it.
Our temporary nature of design
We are fleeting beings by design.
And our failure to realize
We fail to comprehend this truth.
You'll never get it but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
You may not comprehend it entirely, but that should not stop you from making an effort.
I wanted peace of mind
I longed for tranquility and contentment.
But progress thrives
But progress requires change and development.
On opposition
Progress can only be achieved by overcoming obstacles and resistance.
Caught in the paradox of life
We're stuck in the contradictory nature of existence.
Where living is dying
Ultimately, the act of living is the process of dying.
And I just want to live as if I were dying
I want to embrace life fully and cherish every moment as if it were my last.
Try as you will but you're never gonna be what you want
Regardless of your efforts, you may not achieve what you desire.
Always the insignificant mind of the brink of dissolve
You may always feel unimportant and on the verge of falling apart.
Too little too late, always one step behind.
It might be insufficient, belated, and insurmountable to catch up to others.
So take what you want at the expense of your demise.
Take what you desire at the cost of your own destruction.
Contributed by Savannah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ronnock
Additionally, it's difficult to discern what Tanner's perspective is on life; it always seems oxymoronically/paradoxically inclined. Perhaps that's the point he's trying to illustrate? A kind of pessimistic optimism - the joys and banes of free will under a universal principle of which we cannot fathom?