Park gr… Read Full Bio ↴Patrick Park is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Park grew up in Morrison, Colorado. He was exposed to the arts at an early age: his mother was a published poet, and his father was a doctor who enjoyed playing folk and blues records and the guitar at home. Park himself began to write songs in his early teens and played in bands starting in middle school.
He moved to New York City to try and start a music career, but left after less than eight months for Los Angeles, working numerous odd jobs that ranged from clothing store retail clerk to karate teacher to support himself.
In 2000, Park completed his first demo collection, now known as The Basement Tapes. He recorded the songs in the back of a store owned by a friend's girlfriend since he did not have enough money to use a studio.
Park befriended producer Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Earlimart) later that year. He and Trumfio wrote, recorded, and mixed material for Park's debut album during the summer months of 2002. Singer/songwriter Tim Easton, pedal steel player Eric Heywood, and drummer Dave Kostiner joined them in the studio. During this time, Park also played live concerts as the opener for Julia Fordham, Gomez, Beth Orton, and Richard Buckner.
He signed a deal with Hollywood Records in 2003, and Under the Unminding Skies EP was released that February. Park's first studio album, Loneliness Knows My Name, followed in 2004. Disappointed by low sales, he later commented: "[Hollywood Records] had no idea what to do with me. They're a pop label, so they were always trying to fit a square peg in a round hole." He has since moved to Curb Appeal Records and released his second full-length album, Everyone's in Everyone, while continuing to tour across the U.S.
Park received moderate attention following airplay for "Life is a Song", which was chosen as the final song on the series finale of the Fox teen drama The O.C.
Take It Back
Patrick Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With all the things they don't say
You writers, you pundits
You're the Judas today
'Cause you sit back and watch
While the world catches fire
And then you don't say a word
The nsa's listening in
There's a war that won't end
But you fill up my head with all matter of spin
You twist a simple truth 'til it's not what it seems
And The illusion of freedom, it's the real American Dream
So people you've gotta turn your voice to a shout
You gotta open your eyes up and look what's happening right now
'Cause there's a coup going down oh and this is a fact
Soon if you wanna be free you'll have to take it back
If you wanna be free you'll have to take it back
To the callous politician
Who sends boys on killing missions
And then sits back and smiles while the blood money keeps drippin'
Don't say you serve me or anyone else
You're a fuckin' bloodsucker
You're just serving yourself
You send the truth on vacation
And the age of misinformation
Has dawned from the north down to the old slave plantations
And liberty, democracy and all the rest
Are just words that meant one thing
And now mean so much less
But you talk like a saint, so righteous and pure
But while people, they suffer, your pockets get full
You want me to think that you keep this world turning
While the smoke that keeps rising is our future burning
So people you've got to turn your voice to a shout
You gotta open your eyes up and look what's happening right now
'Cause there's a coup going down oh and this is a fact
Soon if you wanna be free you'll have to take it back
If you wanna be free you'll have to take it back
When I finally look out on my last setting sun
I wanna leave the world a better place then when I did come
The time for doing nothings long since come and gone
People open your eyes look at what's going on
The lyrics of Patrick Park's "Take it Back" are a scathing criticism of the media, politicians, and society in general. The song begins with a condemnation of the mainstream media for failing to report the truth or speak out against the injustices happening in the world. The singer accuses them of complicity and draws comparisons to the biblical figure of Judas, who betrayed Jesus by remaining silent. He goes on to describe a world where government surveillance is widespread, wars are never-ending, and the truth is manipulated to serve the interest of the powerful.
The second half of the song is a direct attack on politicians who send soldiers to war and profit off the blood of others. The singer describes a world where liberty and democracy are just words, and the politicians who claim to stand for these values are really only serving themselves. He urges people to speak out, turn their voices to a shout, and open their eyes to what's happening in the world. He concludes by saying that he wants to leave the world a better place than when he came into it, and that the time for doing nothing has long since passed.
Overall, "Take it Back" is a powerful critique of the current state of society, calling for people to take action to right the wrongs in the world. It highlights the dangers of media manipulation and political corruption while urging individuals to take responsibility for making a positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the airwaves ring loud
The media is constantly broadcasting with lots of noise.
With all the things they don't say
The media is avoiding talking about important issues.
You writers, you pundits
The media personnel, who report news and spread opinions.
You're the Judas today
You are betraying your audience by not telling the truth.
'Cause you sit back and watch
You are being passive and not taking any action.
While the world catches fire
The world is in chaos and turmoil.
And then you don't say a word
You choose to stay silent about the situation.
While the stakes just get higher
The situation is getting worse every day.
The nsa's listening in
Government agencies are monitoring private communications.
There's a war that won't end
A conflict that seems to have no resolution.
But you fill up my head with all matter of spin
You are promoting biased and misleading information.
You twist a simple truth 'til it's not what it seems
You manipulate facts to fit your own agenda.
And The illusion of freedom, it's the real American Dream
The idea of freedom is an ideal that is often not put into practice and is part of a false belief system.
So people you've gotta turn your voice to a shout
People need to speak up loudly and fight for their rights.
You gotta open your eyes up and look what's happening right now
You need to observe what is going on around you.
'Cause there's a coup going down oh and this is a fact
There is a political uprising taking place.
Soon if you wanna be free you'll have to take it back
If people want to have freedom, they need to take action.
To the callous politician
To the politician who is indifferent to the suffering of others.
Who sends boys on killing missions
Who sends young people to war.
And then sits back and smiles while the blood money keeps drippin'
And then profits from the conflicts and wars they have started.
Don't say you serve me or anyone else
Do not pretend to work for the greater good.
You're a fuckin' bloodsucker
You are exploiting the system for your own benefit.
You're just serving yourself
You are only interested in furthering your own goals and interests.
You send the truth on vacation
You intentionally suppress the truth and do not report it.
And the age of misinformation
The era where false news and propaganda are more common than the truth.
Has dawned from the north down to the old slave plantations
This is something occurring from the northernmost areas to older agricultural colonies.
And liberty, democracy and all the rest
The values of liberty, freedom, and democracy.
Are just words that meant one thing
These values used to have clear definitions and common acceptance.
And now mean so much less
Their values used to be widely embraced and pursued, but now they have lost much of their importance.
But you talk like a saint, so righteous and pure
You pretend to be morally pure and holy.
But while people, they suffer, your pockets get full
You gain wealth at the expense of others' pain and suffering.
You want me to think that you keep this world turning
You want to make people believe that you are essential for keeping the world running.
While the smoke that keeps rising is our future burning
Describing the disastrous situation and circumstances of the future.
When I finally look out on my last setting sun
When the person looks at his last sunset.
I wanna leave the world a better place then when I did come
I want to make the world a better place than it was when I arrived.
The time for doing nothings long since come and gone
The time for being inactive has passed.
People open your eyes look at what's going on
People need to be aware of what is happening around them.
Contributed by Victoria J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.