On a cloudy night in Austin, Texas during the annual SXSW festival, the thr… Read Full Bio ↴On a cloudy night in Austin, Texas during the annual SXSW festival, the three members of ON AN ON were waiting in line to see Miike Snow; they were a bit sweaty, undeniably hungry, and, well, kind of drunk. The Chicago & Minneapolis-based musicians – Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci, and Ryne Estwing — that comprise the band had played music with one another in various capacities for the better part of a decade — most recently as members of indie-pop outfit Scattered Trees, with whom they were performing that very weekend. And while they’d always shared something of an unspoken musical connection, the three of them, at that very moment, felt a different sort of bond; together they had an insatiable impulse to flip the script on everything they had known about making music.

Conservative compromises would be a thing of the past; ON AN ON, as they would name their band, would make music and art that melted outside the lines. It was perfect timing: they were already scheduled to record in a Toronto studio in two week’s time with acclaimed producer, Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene). With a knack for genre-melding, and a boundary-pushing mindset, Newfeld would prove to be the perfect match for the trio’s new caution-less approach: synthesizers, scattershot electro beats and ambient ear candy would give guitars, bass and drums a newfound ghostly sheen. The end result was Give In, ON AN ON’s ten-track debut album – a dream-washed textural journey armed with a biting perspective on the commonality of loss. The affair sizzles with electricity and calls one in with its unnerved openness. It’s a project – and approach to music — the three musicians in ON AN ON had been waiting for.

Bad Mythology
On An On Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

your glass blade
a minotaur
it's shining sharp
a minotaur
at your door
pay your rent
so I know which heart is yours
you kill your child

your first born
we're dinosaurs living in the stone age
I do it
I do it to see your face (?)
I do it
I do it to see your face (?)
I sold my soul
to (?)
to save our
it's some bad
mythology
the guards here
I don't know which heart is yours
you kill your child
your first born
we're dinosaurs living in the stone age
I do it
I do it to see your face (?)

I do it
I do it to see your face (?)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of On An On's song "Bad Mythology" are cryptic and open to interpretation. The use of mythological themes and symbolism creates a dark and mysterious tone throughout the song. The first verse mentions a "glass blade" and a "minotaur," which could represent a weapon used against a mythical beast. The minotaur is a well-known figure from Greek mythology, a half-man, half-bull creature imprisoned in a labyrinth by King Minos. The glass blade could be a metaphor for something fragile, yet sharp and dangerous, possibly representing the singer's vulnerability.

The chorus of the song repeats the lines "I do it to see your face," which is an ambiguous statement. It could be interpreted as the singer committing a violent act to get a reaction out of someone, displaying a skewed sense of affection. The chorus reinforces the sense of desperation and instability in the song's lyrics. The last verse mentions "selling my soul" to save something, again invoking a sense of darkness and danger in the imagery. The repeated line "we're dinosaurs living in the stone age" could be interpreted as a reference to feeling out of place or obsolete in modern society.

Overall, "Bad Mythology" is a haunting song with impenetrable lyrics. The use of mythological themes and symbolism creates a sense of intrigue and foreboding. The repeated line "I do it to see your face" adds to the unease and unstable atmosphere of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

your glass blade
Your fragile and sharp weapon

a minotaur
A mythical creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, known for its ferocity

it's shining sharp
It is reflecting light, emphasizing its sharpness

at your door
Close proximity, perhaps a threat

pay your rent
A recurring debt or obligation

so I know which heart is yours
To confirm emotional commitment and loyalty

you kill your child
Sacrificing something dear to you

your first born
Your most precious possession

we're dinosaurs living in the stone age
Outdated and stuck in the past

I do it
The action is intentional

I do it to see your face (?)
The motive is to witness a reaction, perhaps an emotional response