Paint It Black is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based modern hardcore punk b… Read Full Bio ↴Paint It Black is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based modern hardcore punk band. Their music is often described as melodic hardcore, characterized by fast tempos, catchy melodies and emotionally charged vocals delivered via shouting and singing. They have released three full-length albums, CVA, Paradise, and New Lexicon, all of which have been on Jade Tree Records.

The band features Dan Yemin as the group's vocalist and lyricist. Yemin is most known as the guitarist for New Jersey's Lifetime and was also the guitarist of another Philadelphia-based punk/hardcore act, Kid Dynamite. Former drummer David Wagenshutz has also been a member of Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, California's Good Riddance and None More Black, the latter whom is fronted by former Kid Dynamite vocalist Jason Shevchuk. The other two members, bassist Andy Nelson and guitarist Josh Agran, both also currently play in Affirmative Action Jackson, a hardcore punk band based in Philadelphia. Wagenschutz left in July 2006 to pursue his family and new band Higher Giant, and has since been replaced by Jared Shavelson of The Hope Conspiracy and None More Black.

In 2009, instead of a recording a proper album, they released nine new songs over two 7" EPs released by two different labels. The first one, Amnesia, was released on June 16, 2009 on Bridge Nine Records. The second one, Surrender, was released in August 2009 on Fat Wreck Chords.

Severance
Paint It Black Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So you're the fucking tin man? If you only had
A heart. Your eyes are rusted shut, too caught
Up in yourself to start letting down your guard,
Or trying to discard your insulation. You got
Fired before you could retire or hand in your
Resignation.

You better shed your skin, man, or this is going

To get more frustrating. Inhale, exhale, repeat.
But you're still asphyxiating.

The ice is getting thin. You better watch where
You're stepping or you might fall in. It's no sin
(and this is where the strings come in). All this
Pretending is wearing thing.

We don't know where to start.

We shut down with the intent to prevent things
From falling apart.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Severance" by Paint It Black convey a message of frustration towards someone who appears to be closed off and unwilling to let their guard down. The opening lines of the song, "So you're the fucking tin man? If you only had a heart," suggest that the subject of the song is lacking in emotion and empathy, perhaps due to past experiences that have caused them to build up walls around themselves. The line "Your eyes are rusted shut, too caught up in yourself to start letting down your guard" reinforces this idea and highlights the difficulty in breaking down these barriers.

The song continues to urge the subject to shed their skin and discard their insulation, which can be interpreted as a call to let go of their protective mechanisms and allow themselves to be vulnerable. The repetition of the phrase "Inhale, exhale, repeat. But you're still asphyxiating" emphasizes the feeling of being trapped and suffocated within these walls. The metaphorical imagery of the ice getting thin and the warning to "watch where you're stepping or you might fall in" suggests that the subject is nearing a breaking point and may soon be forced to confront their issues.

The final lines of the song, "We don't know where to start. We shut down with the intent to prevent things from falling apart," convey a sense of helplessness and frustration towards the subject for their unwillingness to open up and communicate. Overall, the lyrics of "Severance" offer a poignant commentary on the human experience of struggling with personal pain and how it can impact relationships and communication.

Line by Line Meaning

So you're the fucking tin man? If you only had A heart.
You lack human emotion and are robotic in your ways.

Your eyes are rusted shut, too caught Up in yourself to start letting down your guard, Or trying to discard your insulation.
You're too closed off and don't want to show vulnerability or connect with others. You protect yourself from the outside world.

You got Fired before you could retire or hand in your Resignation.
You were let go from your job before you could leave on your own terms, indicating a loss of control in your life.

You better shed your skin, man, or this is going To get more frustrating. Inhale, exhale, repeat. But you're still asphyxiating.
You need to shed your old ways and transform yourself, otherwise you will continue to suffocate and be stuck in a state of frustration.

The ice is getting thin. You better watch where You're stepping or you might fall in. It's no sin (and this is where the strings come in). All this Pretending is wearing thin.
Your current state of being is precarious and you need to be cautious or you may fall. It's okay to admit that you're not okay and stop pretending that everything is fine.

We don't know where to start. We shut down with the intent to prevent things From falling apart.
We feel lost and overwhelmed and shut down in order to avoid making things worse. We fear change and instability.

Contributed by Muhammad Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS