The current line-up consists of Phil Manansala (guitar), Valentino Arteaga (ex. Lower Definition; drums), Aaron Pauley (ex. Jamie's Elsewhere; vocals/bass guitar) and Alan Ashby (guitar).
Shortly after forming, Carlile and Hall enlisted the help of Though She Wrote to create their first collaborative demo track "Seven Thousand Miles for What?" and later began recruiting the remaining band members.
After a short time, original guitarist Jon Kintz was replaced, solidifying the line up with Valentino Arteaga on drums, Shayley Bourget (ex. Covette) on guitar and vocals, and Phil Manansala (ex. A Static Lullaby) on guitar. The band then set about creating their self-titled debut album, released in March 2010 via Rise Records.
After heart surgery ahead of a gruelling tour schedule and growing tensions within the band forced Carlile to step down, former Sky Eats Airplane vocalist Jerry Roush took up his duties in 2010. This sparked a string of line-up changes that saw the departure of founding member Jaxin Hall, movement of Bourget from rhythm guitar to bass, the recruitment of an entirely new member in Alan Ashby and culminating in Carlile's return to the mic in 2011.
Between touring that year the band completed work on their sophomore effort, The Flood which would later be reissued in a deluxe format featuring 4 extra tracks in 2012. Early that year Bourget left the band due to personal issues and at present Carlile has taken over all vocal duties.
Third album is called Restoring Forces debut in 2014.
Austin Carlile left the band in 2016, months after their fourth album "Cold World" was released.
Since 2009, the band has released six studio albums: Of Mice & Men (2010), The Flood (2011), Restoring Force (2014), Cold World (2016), Defy (2018), and Earthandsky (2019)
Bones Exposed
Of Mice & Men Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I snap at the thought or the sound of your name
Pulling teeth from my stomach you've been eaten alive
My blood fills your lungs, my soul your inside
My feet they stand on ashes
From the fires that you've made
Burning bridges
If I say I wouldn't be hostile
Could you say you would do the same
If we're all made just a little bit broken
Tell me who is to blame
Tell me who is to blame
I'm sensing a feeling picking wounds of regret
That left alone there's no scarring ill dig and ill dig
Scratching and itching I'll keep biting my lip
From this pain that I'm feeling
Picking wounds of regret
A cut cannot heal
Unless you leave it alone
I'll open mine daily
Leaving bones exposed
Exposed!
If I say I wouldn't be hostile
Could you say you would do the same
If we're all made just a little bit broken
Tell me who is to blame
Tell me who is to blame
To blame!
Standing on ashes from the fires you've made
Burning your bridges just to save your face
Wounds of regret
If I say I wouldn't be hostile
Could you say you would do the same
If we're all made just a little bit broken
Tell me who is to blame
Tell me who is to blame
To blame!
We're broken, imperfect
We were all made the same
We're broken, we're broken, imperfect
We are all to, blame!
Of Mice & Men's song "Bones Exposed" is a heavy and emotional track that talks about going through the pain of love and relationships. The opening line of the song, "It's like loving a lion that cannot be tamed" paints a picture of the hurt and frustration that comes with loving someone who is unpredictable and uncontrollable. The singer then goes on to describe the physical and emotional pain that he has endured because of this person, confessing that they have been "eaten alive" by their lover's actions.
Metaphors like "pulling teeth from my stomach" and "my blood fills your lungs, my soul your inside" show the depth of the singer's anguish and the extent to which this person has consumed him. The chorus asks a rhetorical question about blame; "If we're all made just a little bit broken, tell me who is to blame?" suggesting that we are all flawed and that blame is not the answer. However, the song ends on a powerful note, with the singer declaring that "We are all to blame" for our own suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
It's like loving a lion that cannot be tamed
Loving you is like loving a wild, untamable beast that cannot be controlled or changed.
I snap at the thought or the sound of your name
Hearing your name or even just thinking about you causes an intense, reflexive reaction in me.
Pulling teeth from my stomach you've been eaten alive
Being around you has caused so much anxiety and stress that it feels like my insides are being ripped out.
My blood fills your lungs, my soul your inside
You have consumed me so completely that your very essence is now a part of me.
My feet they stand on ashes
From the fires that you've made
Burning bridges
Just to save your face
I am left to stand on the ruins of my relationships with others that you have destroyed in order to preserve your own image.
If I say I wouldn't be hostile
Could you say you would do the same
If we're all made just a little bit broken
Tell me who is to blame
Tell me who is to blame
If I were to try and let go of my anger towards you, would you be able to do the same? And if we are all flawed and damaged in some way, who is really responsible for our actions?
I'm sensing a feeling picking wounds of regret
That left alone there's no scarring ill dig and ill dig
Scratching and itching I'll keep biting my lip
From this pain that I'm feeling
Picking wounds of regret
A cut cannot heal
Unless you leave it alone
I'll open mine daily
Leaving bones exposed
Exposed!
I am constantly revisiting past mistakes and regrets, reopening old emotional wounds that will never heal unless I learn to let them be. Instead, I continue to harm myself with this self-destructive behavior, baring my most vulnerable parts for all to see.
Standing on ashes from the fires you've made
Burning your bridges just to save your face
Wounds of regret
I am forced to live with the consequences of the destruction you have caused, as you continue to act in your own self-interest and leave a trail of broken relationships behind you.
We're broken, imperfect
We were all made the same
We're broken, we're broken, imperfect
We are all to, blame!
We are all flawed and damaged in our own ways, but this does not excuse us from the responsibility of our actions. We must take ownership of our mistakes and work towards repairing the damage we have caused.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON PAULEY, ALAN ASHBY, AUSTIN CARLILE, PHIL MANANSALA, VALENTINO ARTEAGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DrBeauHightower
Legendary love these dudes
@cindyesplugas3735
"A cut cannot heal unless you leave it alone I'll open mines daily leaving bones exposed" this always gave me goosebumps
@ALmi2016
Yeah gives me goosebumps even on my head
@punxonlyy
I don't understand why everyone is giving the clean vocalist such a difficult time, I think his voice is amazing.
@secondcoming9789
Jess Mccarthy honestly dude. It's because he gives a better vocal performance in other songs on the album.
@wilberalexander5454
@We Alł Đie not really . imo
@ivefa2872
@We Alł Đie agreed
@lostlegacy3445
Ya, clean singing is not bad in metal. And it gives the screamer a small break
@mgk0586
Honestly I wouldn’t like this song without the clean vocals
@LazyMusicIncorporations
dude i got out of my emo phase back in 2015, but damn this is still one of my favorite songs i’ve ever experienced.