Oleander is a post-grunge band from Sacramento, California. Its name is der… Read Full Bio ↴Oleander is a post-grunge band from Sacramento, California. Its name is derived from the poisonous wildflower oleander.

Oleander was formed by Fred Nelson Jr. (drums), Doug Eldridge (bass guitar), Ric Ivanisevich (guitar) and Thomas Flowers (vocals, guitar) in the mid-90s. Their debut was Oleander, an EP released on Fine Records in 1996, which they followed with the full-length album Shrinking the Blob in 1997. The song "Down When I'm Loaded" became a regional hit, and Oleander signed with Universal Records.

During this time, Nelson left the band and was replaced with Scott Devours. Their major label debut was 1999's February Son which featured the hit singles "Why I'm Here" and "I Walk Alone." After supporting the album with a tour, they released Unwind in 2001. The song "Champion" became a hit, and a symbol of the sacrifice of firefighters during the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.

Some time later, the band parted ways with Universal Records and moved to Sanctuary, where they released Joyride in 2003.

In November, 2003, drummer Scott Devours issued a statement announcing he was leaving the band to join Ima Robot. The decision was amicable.

The band is on an unofficial hiatus. No statement has been released by the band, however vocalist Thomas Flowers is currently collaborating with the band The Black Summer Crush. The Black Summer Crush have parted ways with front-man Thomas Flowers (ex-Oleander). As a result, the band will now be fronted by Jay Buchanan and have changed the band name to The Pleasant Return. Flowers is rumored to be reuniting with his former Oleander band-mates.

Don't Break My Fall
Oleander Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What can I say?
When every word you won't believe anyway
No promise made
Just means there's nothing wrong today

What can I do?
Cause I could never make things up to you
And we both new

That if things don't change it'll all be thrown away

Don't break my fall
Cause things look better from down here
To lose it all
Just means another chance for you to
Gain it back again
And maybe even have a laugh my friend

What can I hide?
When every feelings locked down deep inside
My hands are tied
But I'm hangin' on
And I'm hangin' in

Sure do like the sound of it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Don't Break My Fall" by Oleander express the feelings of a person who is struggling to keep their relationship intact but without much hope. The song's narrator is trying to communicate with their partner about their difficulties, but every word they say is met with skepticism, and their promises mean nothing. The persona is accepting that their relationship is going through a rough patch but hoping that it doesn't end. They're trying to hang on even though everything seems to be falling apart, as they don't want to lose their partner.

In the second verse, the persona acknowledges that they are unable to make it up to their partner for the mistakes they have made in the relationship. There is a feeling of resignation that creeps in as the persona realizes that they both know the relationship is heading for an inevitable end. However, hope still is there the persona hopes that their relationship should not break completely. They hope that things look better from down here on the ground as they try their best to hold on, hoping that their partner would give them one more chance.

Overall, the song is about the fear of breaking down entirely and dealing with the consequences of failure. The song's narrator is scared of losing everything and hopes that their partner will give them one last chance to make things right.

Line by Line Meaning

What can I say?
I am at a loss for words

When every word you won't believe anyway
My words carry no weight with you

No promise made
I have not committed to anything

Just means there's nothing wrong today
Things are currently okay

What can I do?
I am unsure how to proceed

Cause I could never make things up to you
I cannot undo what I have done

And we both knew
We are aware of the situation

That if things don't change it'll all be thrown away
If we do not take action, our situation will be ruined

Don't break my fall
Do not bring me down

Cause things look better from down here
From this lowly position, I can see the good

To lose it all
To have everything slip away