O’Kandi and Sleath were previously in the controversial band, Bono Must Die which broke up after a law suit by Bono himself. After changing their name in 2008, they enlisted Ajarrista and James.
Their debut single 'Dead Disco Dancer' was released in August 2009 followed by 'Ruins' in April 2010. Their debut self-titled album was launched on July 12th 2010 through the dalston based label Deadly People Recordings and it was produced alongside Jas Shaw from Simian Mobile Disco.
The second album 'Apnea' was preceded by the track 'PT Cruiser' in March 2012, with a second single 'Chimera' on June 11th 2012.
http://ochildren.co.uk
Ruins
O. Children Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bandits from the east have squeezed us dry,
And if we should be calm before we lay,
We'll thank our lucky stars for yesterday.
Killin' time, cruising round the ruins in the sun,
Seething blood embezzled by this gun,
Don't dare make a peep before they go,
Stick with me,
Go mad here,
Don't be scared,
I'm here.
Out of the shadows, I'm cutting and screaming,
Protecting your honour, with a shot in my hand,
A number knife gun, I'm cutting and kicking,
The sand of the desert, the eyes of the dammed,
I've got nothing to say, I feel fine I'm okay,
I don't have nothing to say, i feel fine i'm ok.
You gotta run, run, run, run, run,
Don't let them be crying, with the blood in my hands.
Valentine, the ruins are no place for you to play.
They'll kill you if you come back here again,
The ruins are no place for you to play,
They'll kill you if you come back here again,
Save yourself and run down to the sea,
Find a place to lay and wait for me,
The ruins are no place for you to play.
They'll kill you if you come back here again.
They'll kill you if you come back again.
The lyrics of O. Children's song "Ruins" depicts a scene of violence and destruction, contrasting with the sweetness of its name. It starts with the singer addressing a person called Valentine, implying a sense of intimacy between them. However, they are the only ones left to each other, as their country has been invaded and looted by "bandits from the east." Despite the situation, the two seem to treasure their memories of the past and hold onto the hope that they still have a future together. The imagery of "cruising around the ruins in the sun" invokes a sense of freedom and rebellion, but they are also aware of the danger and the need to stay quiet and unnoticed.
As the song progresses, the singer's emotions get more intense, and he seems to be in a fight or flight mode. The lines "out of the shadows, I'm cutting and screaming" show him being defensive and potentially violent towards whoever is threatening him and Valentine. He has a "shot in his hand" and is ready to protect his companion's honor. The lyrics become more nonsensical, with random expressions such as "number knife gun" and "eyes of the dammed," representing the chaos and confusion of the situation. The chorus repeats "you gotta run" as a warning to Valentine to escape while she can, but the repetition also conveys a sense of urgency and panic.
Overall, "Ruins" is a song that creates a vivid picture of a dystopian world where two people are trying to survive against all odds. The lyrics convey a sense of despair and defiance, but also a hint of tenderness and loyalty between the two characters.
Line by Line Meaning
Valentine, there's no-one left to part from you and I,
We can't count on anyone to help us.
Bandits from the east have squeezed us dry,
People have stolen or taken everything we have.
And if we should be calm before we lay,
If we are going to die, we should be peaceful.
We'll thank our lucky stars for yesterday.
We will be grateful for the good times we had before.
Killin' time, cruising round the ruins in the sun,
We have nothing to do but explore the destroyed area.
Seething blood embezzled by this gun,
We have had to use violence to survive.
Don't dare make a peep before they go,
We should stay quiet until our attackers leave.
Not a shiver, from head to toe.
We need to remain calm and collected.
Stick with me,
Stay close to me.
Go mad here,
Let's act wild and crazy in this violent place.
Don't be scared,
There is nothing to be afraid of if we are together.
I'm here.
You can count on me.
Out of the shadows, I'm cutting and screaming,
I will fight fiercely to protect us.
Protecting your honour, with a shot in my hand,
I will do whatever it takes to defend your reputation.
A number knife gun, I'm cutting and kicking,
I am using all weapons at my disposal to fight.
The sand of the desert, the eyes of the dammed,
This place is bleak and full of suffering.
I've got nothing to say, I feel fine I'm okay,
I don't need to speak, I am doing well.
Don't let them be crying, with the blood in my hands.
I don't want to hurt anyone else.
Valentine, the ruins are no place for you to play.
It's too dangerous for you to be here.
They'll kill you if you come back here again,
You won't survive another visit.
Save yourself and run down to the sea,
Flee to the water to get away from the danger.
Find a place to lay and wait for me,
Stay safe until I come back for you.
The ruins are no place for you to play.
It's too perilous for you to be here.
They'll kill you if you come back here again.
It's too dangerous to revisit this area.
Contributed by Landon T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@EenMagnetron
Good news! He just posted on Reddit about how he is gonna pick up music again! Belisare was right, he was going through some difficulties, but that now he is motivated again to make music.
Full story of the man himself:
''I'm an independent artist in an unusual situation (explained below). I'm looking for people with more experience and recent knowledge of Independent life. I'd like them to drop some knowledge on my situation and guide me through it. If this works out I aim to use it to both release better music and give back to the Independent community 💡.
Ok so 10 years ago I wrote, recorded and independently released two albums and a host of other singles, remix etc releases( vinyl via a distributor) that would almost always receive critically prositive to mixed reviews but was loved and I mean LOVED by the underground. I was a kid so never did it for the money and I got to have some amazing experiences until life took it's toll and a series of tragedies meant that I had to take a break from music and get better.
Fast forward to 10 years later and after years of therapy and self realisation I decide I'm ready to start making music again. I reach out to old music industry acquaintances for advice and maybe a leg-up but the majority are ghosts nowhere to be seen. Ok. So I research. I start looking up all about DSPs and how all this stuff I heard about while focusing on my Vinyl releases while my distro did all the online work. I hear about claiming a Spotify artist profile so I claim one for my new project. I get to work on my new project I'm plugging, I'm trying to make contacts and I'm getting good, steady support. I'm content. I then see the option to link my other project (the 10 y/o one). A few days go by and I am in. Holy shit. 1.2+ million all time streams, most of those accrued in the last 2 years. At least 2 different songs a week on the discover weekly playlist...and not a fluke. This has been a regular occurrence for quite some time. The debut single I released 10 years ago has taken on a new life of its own also sitting at nearly 1m streams (I'm pretty sure it will be there by the end of the month 🤞. And I only just found out. I'm speechless I'm very happy. Over the moon even. But confused. All I know is that this is completely fan and playlist driven, completely independent and I own my masters. I keep trying to tell my people but they don't seem to be taking me seriously and I really think they might miss an opportunity but holy shit this feels amazing
Help me Reddit! Wtf do I do now? 😅''
Link to post: https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/eiqw9y/i_just_found_out_i_hit_the_spotify_algorithm_in/
@klausmaus464
_RUINS [songtext]
Valentine, there's no-one left to part from you and I,
Bandits from the east have squeezed us dry,
And if we should be calm before we lay,
We'll thank our lucky stars for yesterday.
Killin' time, cruising round the ruins in the sun,
Seething blood embezzled by this gun,
Don't dare make a peep before they go,
Not a shiver, from head to toe.
Stick with me,
Go mad here,
Don't be scared,
I'm here.
Out of the shadows, I'm cutting and screaming,
Protecting your honour, with a shot in my hand,
A number knife gun, I'm cutting and kicking,
The sand of the desert, the eyes of the dammed,
I've got nothing to say, I feel fine I'm okay,
I don't have nothing to say, i feel fine i'm ok.
You gotta run, run, run, run, run,
Don't let them be crying, with the blood in my hands.
Valentine, the ruins are no place for you to play.
They'll kill you if you come back here again,
The ruins are no place for you to play,
They'll kill you if you come back here again,
Save yourself and run down to the sea,
Find a place to lay and wait for me,
The ruins are no place for you to play.
They'll kill you if you come back here again.
They'll kill you if you come back here again.
@oscarsoto9512
Criminally underrated
@mikedlc9766
neta que si
@anonymousbaby5649
Yes!
@ShellshockedRadio
What a great song, I love it! I put it into my "Shellshocked Radio - Recommendations" List: https://youtu.be/p6rB6BYov2o and Radio Show! Very well done!
@louizifer8922
Its cause the singer is black goth isnst black and it never will be whole gothic culture is about not beeing black ....u habe to understand this mrs Lady sir...
@saccharineeee
@louizifer8922 what are you wafflin about? you can't even spell or use correct grammar 💀💀 embarrassing, making yourself look like a dumbass online
@midnightmosesuk
I am mortified that I've only just discovered O. Children. They've recreated the sounds of my teenage years perfectly without becoming some cheap imitation. Suddenly, I'm a big fan. This is grown up music for grown up people.
@clayguy33
Exact same here. Completely off my radar
@aryakafashi6443
I discovered them 12 years ago when I was 17. They were the first post-punk band I had ever listened to. In a matter of a month, my whole music taste changed. I have been listening to post-punk ever since
@TheScarletBlaze
His voice is so warm there is something very soothing about low vocals like this