Only Crime plays a style of melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands. They have released two records: To the Nines (2004) and Virulence (2007).
In early 2007, Zach Blair became the new guitarist for Rise Against, replacing the recently departed Chris Chasse.
Framed Then Failed
Only Crime Lyrics
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Find resolve as the earth keeps turning
Don't tell it seems too real
We're satisfied with the lies that we think and feel
Too fine a point to arrange
When dealing with obsession
To put a face on the pain
Can't pull away from the mains
As everyone keeps drowning
This time it's worse than the signs
We framed then failed to identify
There's a cloud like a virulent storm
We justify all the air we're burning
To destroy like a petulant child
What was once so alive in a cultured mind
Clouds line the ethereal sky
But the air's too thin and nobody knows why
Time's gone down on the sentinel's watch
Brace for the fall because it's never going to stop
And we were never in control
With betrayal inside our souls
With no solutions for tomorrow
And it drives me away from my dreams
And broken pieces of today
There's a scene inside my head
I see a world's decay
Can't turn my face away
Or keep up walls of silence
For every mother's child
A commitment to recall
This sentence we submit
A future for us all
The lyrics of Only Crime's "Framed Then Failed" dwell on feelings of powerlessness and betrayal in the face of impending doom. The opening lines suggest a sense of ambiguity and difficulty in coming to terms with the world's problems. The singer admits that finding resolve in these troubling times is a difficult task, and that the lies that we tell ourselves to stay satisfied with our situation are more appealing than the truths that we know deep down.
The song quickly moves into a more introspective mood, as the singer addresses their own struggles with obsession and pain. Although it's hard to confront this pain head-on, the singer resolves to embrace it, rather than ignore it. However, the main difficulty in doing so is that everyone else seems to be "drowning" too. The next lines drive home the idea that something has gone terribly wrong: "This time it's worse than the signs / We framed then failed to identify." Here, the lyrics suggest that not only have we made mistakes in the past, but that we've never quite been able to see the scope of the problem until it's too late.
The rest of the song continues to build on these themes, as the singer observes what's happening in the world around them with a growing sense of alarm. The lyrics evoke images of a storm, a decaying world, and a future that seems uncertain at best. However, despite all this despair, the song ends on a note of hope. The final lines remind us that "a future for us all" is still a possibility, and that it's up to us to commit ourselves to creating that future.
Line by Line Meaning
So difficult to embrace or qualify
It's hard to understand or accept
Find resolve as the earth keeps turning
We hope to find solutions as time passes
Don't tell it seems too real
We choose to ignore reality
We're satisfied with the lies that we think and feel
We're content with our delusions
Too fine a point to arrange
It's difficult to perfect
When dealing with obsession
When we're dealing with our fixations
To put a face on the pain
To understand the source of emotional discomfort
I will try to embrace it
We'll try to accept the struggle
Can't pull away from the mains
Can't escape the inevitable result
As everyone keeps drowning
As everyone struggles
This time it's worse than the signs
It's worse than we thought
We framed then failed to identify
We misjudged the situation
There's a cloud like a virulent storm
There's a dark cloud
We justify all the air we're burning
We make excuses for our actions
To destroy like a petulant child
To act selfishly
What was once so alive in a cultured mind
What was once thriving and intellectual
Clouds line the ethereal sky
The abstract world looks dark
But the air's too thin and nobody knows why
There's no clear explanation
Time's gone down on the sentinel's watch
Time is ticking down
Brace for the fall because it's never going to stop
Prepare for the inevitable consequences
And we were never in control
We weren't the ones in charge
With betrayal inside our souls
With internal conflicts
With no solutions for tomorrow
Without any answers for the future
And it drives me away from my dreams
It distracts me from my aspirations
And broken pieces of today
The fragments of the present
There's a scene inside my head
I imagine
I see a world's decay
I see the destruction of the world
Can't turn my face away
Can't ignore it
Or keep up walls of silence
Or pretend it's not happening
For every mother's child
For every child born
A commitment to recall
A promise to keep
This sentence we submit
We accept responsibility
A future for us all
A hope for the future
Contributed by Claire C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jollypunkrocker
Oh My God!!! I love Only Crime!!! Nuff said.