1) a band Ben Gibbard was… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Pinwheel:
1) a band Ben Gibbard was in before Death Cab for Cutie
2) a band featuring Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne.
3) a Minneapolis hard rock band formed in 2008
1) In the Ben Gibbard version, Ben shared lead vocal duties with Justin Kennedy, who now fronts L.A. popsters Army Navy. The band sounds more like Built to Spill than it does Death Cab.
2) Adam and Chris, now of Fountains of Wayne, met at William College in 1986. They played in a series of bands together and sometime in the late 1980s/early 1990s recorded some demos as Pinwheel. Four songs from these recordings eventually became Fountains of Wayne songs; Troubled Times, I Know You Well, Imperia, and Half a Woman.
3) Minneapolis-based rockers Pinwheel have just released their first full length album "Reset" and there's a distinctly powerful sonic groundwork being laid - think the melodic veracity of Tool meeting the instrumental headiness of Nine Inch Nails. Call it industrial; call it prog-metal; call it what you will, but one thing is clear: the impressive chops summing Pinwheel's whole are an aggressive, boundary-testing aberration. The band's output is tightly-executed and atmospherically jarring, ideal for fans of electronic-tinged hard rock. Combine all that with a notoriously raucous live show, and you've got one of the Twin Cities' buzziest hard rock bands.
Band Members:
Ben Brock - Vocals
Sam Benson - Synths
Ryan Nelson - Bass/Guitar
Joe Kester - Percussion
Distress
Pinwheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are told fortune favors the bold
But I'm broke
Heart and soul
Rust and mold as this story unfolds
What a joke
Tried to write
All the lines that have never been read again
Tried to say
But words just get in the way
Leave a stain
On the stage
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
I thought the weight was more than I could take
I′ll face the end alone but nothing's set in stone
And I just wouldn't want it any other way
Take your time
Dig in deep
Then resign to apathy
Clear your mind then you rinse and repeat
Repeat, repeat, repeat after me
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
I thought the weight was more than I could take
I′ll face the end alone but nothing′s set in stone
And I just wouldn't want it any other way
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
Somewhere along the way
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
I thought the weight was more than I could take
I′m breaking every bone to lift away the stone
Only to have you push it right back into place
Right back into place
Right back into place
Right back in my... place
Pinwheel's song "Distress" seems to be about the struggle of trying to make something out of oneself despite financial, emotional, and mental hardships. The lyrics "We are told fortune favors the bold, but I'm broke, heart, and soul, rust and mold as this story unfolds, what a joke" suggest that despite being bold and trying to succeed, the singer is struggling financially and their circumstances are deteriorating. They may be broke even though they put in all of their heart and soul into their work, leaving them feeling a sense of despair.
The second part of the song talks about the struggle of trying to write something meaningful, but somehow not being able to connect the right words that can leave a mark. "Tried to write all the lines that have never been read again, tried to say but words just get in the way, leave a stain on the stage" shows how it can be hard to put your thoughts and feelings into words in a way that will resonate with others. The repeated line "somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake" suggests that even though they may have tried their hardest, they still feel like they haven't done enough or done it right.
The chorus serves as a reminder to take things slow and to take care of oneself. The line "take your time, dig in deep, then resign to apathy, clear your mind then you rinse and repeat" shows that it is important to take breaks, reflect and repeat the process of trying to succeed.
Overall, Pinwheel's "Distress" seems to be a powerful commentary on the struggles of trying to succeed, both emotionally and financially, while still holding onto the desire to make their work meaningful and impactful despite the odds.
Line by Line Meaning
And it's so
It is what it is
We are told fortune favors the bold
People say that taking risks can lead to success
But I'm broke
But I have no money
Heart and soul
I've put everything I have into this
Rust and mold as this story unfolds
As time passes, this situation is deteriorating
What a joke
This is laughable
Tried to write
I attempted to put my thoughts on paper
All the lines that have never been read again
Lines that people won't find interesting or memorable
Tried to say
I tried to speak my mind
But words just get in the way
But my words aren't as effective as I'd like them to be
Leave a stain
Leave a negative impression
On the stage
In front of people
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
At some point, I messed up
I thought the weight was more than I could take
I believed that the pressure was too much for me to handle
I'll face the end alone but nothing's set in stone
I'll face the consequences by myself, but the outcome isn't determined yet
And I just wouldn't want it any other way
I wouldn't want to change a thing
Take your time
Do things slowly
Dig in deep
Explore the situation thoroughly
Then resign to apathy
Then give up and stop caring
Clear your mind then you rinse and repeat
Forget what happened and do it all over again
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
At some point, I messed up
I thought the weight was more than I could take
I believed that the pressure was too much for me to handle
I'll face the end alone but nothing's set in stone
I'll face the consequences by myself, but the outcome isn't determined yet
And I just wouldn't want it any other way
I wouldn't want to change a thing
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
At some point, I messed up
Somewhere along the way
At some point
Somewhere along the way I must have made a mistake
At some point, I messed up
I thought the weight was more than I could take
I believed that the pressure was too much for me to handle
I'm breaking every bone to lift away the stone
I'm trying my hardest to remove the obstacle
Only to have you push it right back into place
Just for you to ruin it again
Right back into place
Back to where it started
Right back into place
Back to where it started
Right back in my... place
Back to where I started
Contributed by Penelope F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.