Along with the political and musical evolution that was associated with "Re… Read Full Bio ↴Along with the political and musical evolution that was associated with "Revolution Summer", the mid-80s in the Washington, DC saw the development of the group house culture that would become a centerpiece of the DC punk underground for many years to come. The Garfield Street house in the Cathedral neighborhood of DC was started in 1985 and its occupants included Brendan Canty and Guy Picciotto of Rites of Spring (and later, Fugazi) as well as Michael Hampton and Ivor Hansen of Embrace. After these two bands split up in early 1986, having only played a dozen or so shows each, Michael joined up with three ex-ROS members (Brendan, Guy and Eddie) to form One Last Wish. However this band proved to be even more short-lived than its predecessors, playing only 6 shows over the 4 months they were together. Their last activity as a band was the recording of a 12-song tape at Inner Ear Studios in November. Since the band never really had a chance to develop before folding, and because Dischord was trying to lose the reputation of releasing only posthumous records, the One Last Wish tape ended up laying dormant for many years. One song was released on the State of the Union compilation in 1989, which increased the already existing interest in the recording. Finally, ten years later, the entire session came out as a Dischord/Peterbilt co-release.

One Last Wish (1986)

Michael Hampton - guitars, vocals
Brendan Canty - drums
Guy Picciotto - vocals, guitars
Edward Janney - bass, vocals

My Better Half
One Last Wish Lyrics

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I would engage the world as my ally
I would engage the world
Against jealous fear and bitter ambition
That only aspires to the done and the dead
I went down to the sea
I don't care if you don't believe me
It spoke to me about my life
It spoke with the voice of reason

It told me to risk it all with the chance of nothing returned
Isn't that the task of love?
Isn't that the challenge of love today?
I went down to the sea
I don't care if you don't believe me
It spoke to me about my life
It spoke with the voice of reason
It told me to risk it all with the chance of nothing returned
Why do we make it so hard?
Why live our lives in distance?
Why do we make it so hard?
I thought life should be a chance to defeat statistics
I thought life should be a chance

And if sometimes I don't pursue it
The sea speaks my better half

Overall Meaning

In My Better Half by One Last Wish, the singer speaks about engaging with the world around him in order to combat negative forces. He suggests that people should work together against "jealous fear and bitter ambition" which only leads to an unfulfilling life. The singer then goes down to the sea, which speaks to him about his life, telling him to risk it all even if there's a chance of getting nothing in return. The sea represents reason, urging the singer to take on the challenges of love and not make life harder than it has to be.

The singer believes that life should be about taking chances and defeating the odds. However, sometimes he admits that he doesn't pursue these opportunities. When this happens, he believes that the sea makes up for it by speaking to his better half. The idea of a better half could mean a number of things, such as the good in all of us or a significant other. Essentially, the sea becomes a source of guidance and wisdom for the singer.

Line by Line Meaning

I would engage the world as my ally
I want to work with the world to achieve my goals

I would engage the world
I want to interact with the world around me

Against jealous fear and bitter ambition
I want to overcome negative feelings and motivations such as jealousy and bitterness

That only aspires to the done and the dead
I want to avoid a life that only seeks to accomplish things that are already finished or have no value

I went down to the sea
I went to the sea for introspection

I don't care if you don't believe me
I don't need anyone's validation for my experiences

It spoke to me about my life
I had a personal realization while at the sea

It spoke with the voice of reason
My realization was logical and made sense

It told me to risk it all with the chance of nothing returned
The sea encouraged me to take risks, despite the possibility of failure and no reward

Isn't that the task of love?
Isn't love also about taking risks and putting yourself out there, even if there's no guarantee of success or happiness?

Isn't that the challenge of love today?
Aren't these risks and challenges relevant in modern times as well?

Why do we make it so hard?
Why do we complicate things, when the solution may be simpler than we think?

Why live our lives in distance?
Why do we distance ourselves from others, when connection and relationships are fundamental to human experience?

I thought life should be a chance to defeat statistics
I believed that in life, we have the opportunity to exceed expectations and go beyond what others predict or expect of us

I thought life should be a chance
I viewed life as an opportunity for growth and change

And if sometimes I don't pursue it
And if sometimes I don't take advantage of opportunities

The sea speaks my better half
The sea acts as a reflection of my truest self, and reminds me of who I really am

Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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