Pale Saints were a British alternative rock band formed by Ian Masters (bas… Read Full Bio ↴Pale Saints were a British alternative rock band formed by Ian Masters (bass/vocals), Graeme Naysmith (guitar), and Chris Cooper (drums). They began as a three-piece band based in Leeds, England, in 1987. The band was signed to 4AD records by 4AD chief Ivo after their first London show. They were amongst a number of groups in the nineties who were dubbed as shoegaze by the NME and Melody Maker.

Early band interviews showed them to be a fun-loving bunch in contrast to their dark, lyrically pessimistic pop music. Guitarist Graeme Naysmith and drummer Chris Cooper described themselves as enthusiastic football fans and were perpetually excited about touring. Lead vocalist Ian Masters was often known to gratuitously lie in interviews, helping the group to successfully build up a certain party reputation.

In late 1990, the band added Meriel Barham, the original vocalist from Lush, as second guitarist and vocalist.

Ian Masters departed the band in 1993. By most accounts, he became more and more disenchanted with pop music and wanted to go in a more experimental direction with minimal drums and ambient sounds. He also seemed to have lost all joy for touring and live performance.

Pale Saints added former Heart Throbs bassist Colleen Browne in 1993. Meriel Barham departed in September of 1995 and the band eventually came to an end in early 1996, partly as a result of weak label support and relative lack of interest.

Ian Masters formed Spoonfed Hybrid, a duo who released a self titled album on the Guernica Label. Challenging and more experimental than Pale Saints releases.

Following the Spoonfed Hybrid Ian Masters and Warren Defever made an album together in Livonia, Michigan called 'ESP Summer'.

Shortly after Ian Masters moved to Japan, where he still lives. Material under the name 'Two Sun Tears' (a collaboration with Cailan Burns of Pretty Boy Crossover) has been released and Masters has been collaborating with musicians in Japan (Luminous Orange), Brazil (Gerador Zero) and America (Dive Index).

Way the World Is
Pale Saints Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This is the way
The way it has to be
This is the way
The way we all will go

Slaving away for a bit of peace
Watching our money as it rolls on in

Time will get you in the end
And take away the things
The things you thought you had
Time will take away your friends
And leave you all alone
Alone until the end

This is the way
The way it has to be

And this is the way
The way we all will go

Overall Meaning

In Pale Saints' song "Way the World Is," the lyrics delve into the reality of life and the inevitability of time. The song highlights the harsh truth that no matter how much we strive for peace and stability in life, time will eventually take away everything we have. The song opens with a powerful declaration that the way things are is the way it has to be, suggesting that there is little to no control that humans have over the course of life.

The lyrics then move towards showing how we work so hard for little rewards, with the repetition of the phrase, "slaving away," indicating the level of effort required to make ends meet. The mention of money, how we watch it roll in or out, serves as a constant reminder that our lives revolve around finances, and these concerns are an unescapable aspect of life.

The final lines point towards the consequences of living, with the inevitability of time catching up with everyone. It emphasizes that time takes everything away, including close friends, leaving one feeling alone in the end. The song's overall message is powerful and thought-provoking and highlights how we need to appreciate and cherish the little things in life as the bigger picture is outside of our control.

Line by Line Meaning

This is the way
The current situation is inevitable

The way it has to be
It is the natural order of things and there is no way to change it

This is the way
We all have to follow this path

The way we all will go
We are all destined to follow this path

Slaving away for a bit of peace
We work tirelessly to find even a moment of tranquility

Watching our money as it rolls on in
We continually monitor and manage our finances as they accumulate

Time will get you in the end
Eventually, the passage of time will catch up to you

And take away the things
With time, we will lose the possessions we hold dear

The things you thought you had
The things we believed we possessed will disappear

Time will take away your friends
With time, we will lose the people we love

And leave you all alone
As time passes, we may end up being alone