Formed in 19… Read Full Bio ↴Powderfinger were a rock band from Brisbane, Australia.
Formed in 1989, the band managed to keep the same line up since they hit the big time, Bernard Fanning (Vocals, guitars), Darren Middleton (guitars), Ian Haug (guitars), John Collins (Bass) and Jon Coghill (drums). Powderfinger are winners of nearly every major award in Australia – including the ARIA (Australian Record Industry Awards) for Album of the Year, Best Rock Album and Song of the Year.
Their musical style changed significantly over the years from a predominantly Grunge influenced one (Parables for Wooden Ears, Double Allergic) to their own brand of Alternative Rock on the following albums Internationalist and Odyssey Number 5. Several songs on Vulture street were in tribute to classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC and Songs on Dream Days at the Hotel Existence feature a prominent Neil Young influence- to whom they owe their band name from his song of the same name.
The band released seven studio albums and a greatest hits album, Fingerprints - The Best of Powderfinger 1994-2000, in 2004. Their final album, Golden Rule, was released in late 2009. Despite their popularity in Australia, Powderfinger never achieved similar success overseas.
They toured with Silverchair on the "Across the Great Divide" Concert, from August to October 2007, trying to raise awareness of the indigenous people of Australia.
On the 9th of April 2010, it was announced at a press conference and on the band's website that after 20 years together, Powderfinger would be disbanding after their farewell Sunsets Tour. Of the split, frontman Bernard Fanning stated:
With the completion of our last album, Golden Rule, we feel that we have said all that we want to say as a musical group. We firmly believe that it is our most complete and satisfying album and can't think of a better way to farewell our fans than with music that we all believe in and also with, hopefully, our best tour to date.
Fathers' Pyramid
Powderfinger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born into ignorance
My family gave me strength
Bonding my brothers
And the war was her enemy
Shed her mother's tears
Broke her mother's heart
Broke their feeble bond
Could you find me a cure
Stone by stone I build
For my fathers'
Born into peace
Grown to respect the other
My religion gave me strength
More than a bond
And the law was her enemy
Bred her brother's fears
Sparked his call to arms
To force himself upon
And I'm stripped from my love
Could you find me a cure
Stone by stone I build
For my fathers' ohh pyramid
My fathers' pyramid
My fathers' I build
Stone by stone by stone
The song "Fathers' Pyramid" by Powderfinger is about two different individuals, born into different backgrounds. The first verse talks about someone who was born into a peaceful and ignorant environment, where their family was their strength. However, war came and took away everything he loved, leaving him broken and in search of a cure. The second verse describes someone else who was born into peace and grew up to respect others because of his religion. But his bond was disrupted by the law, which became the enemy. His brother's fear led him to fight and force himself upon others. Like the first individual, he was also stripped away from his love and found solace in building his fathers' pyramid, stone by stone.
Overall, the song explores the common themes of loss, war, and the pursuit of inner peace amid external chaos. The "fathers' pyramid" symbolizes the effort of the individual to connect with his ancestors and heritage in times of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Born into peace
I was born into a world without conflict and chaos
Born into ignorance
I was unaware of the hardships and struggles that existed in the world around me
My family gave me strength
My family was my source of support and encouragement when I needed it the most
Bonding my brothers
My family ties helped me develop close relationships with my siblings
And the war was her enemy
We were against conflict and fighting, and it was something that we were determined to avoid
Shed her mother's tears
My mother cried over the pain and hardship in the world
Broke her mother's heart
The pain and suffering in the world weighed heavy on my mother's heart
Broke their feeble bond
The conflict and strife in the world caused a divide between people who once had a close relationship
And I'm stripped from my love
I have been separated from someone I love due to the chaos and turmoil in the world
Could you find me a cure
Is there a way to fix the issues that cause so much pain and suffering?
Stone by stone I build
I'm putting in the work, bit by bit, to make a positive change
For my fathers' pyramid
I'm building something that will stand the test of time and honor the legacy of those who came before me
Born into peace
I was blessed to grow up in a world without conflict or violence
Grown to respect the other
As I've matured, I've learned to recognize and appreciate those who are different from me
My religion gave me strength
My faith provides me with the support and encouragement I need to keep moving forward
More than a bond
Our connection to each other is more than just superficial or temporary
And the law was her enemy
Injustice and inequality are things we are determined to overcome
Bred her brother's fears
The fear and uncertainty caused by the problems in the world led my brother to become more militant
Sparked his call to arms
The desire to fight against injustice and inequality drove my brother to take up a more aggressive stance
To force himself upon
To take action, even if it means resorting to violence to achieve our objectives
And I'm stripped from my love
The chaos and turmoil in the world has caused me to be separated from those who are most important to me
Could you find me a cure
Can we find a way to put an end to the pain and suffering in the world?
Stone by stone I build
I'm doing my part to make a positive impact, one step at a time
For my fathers' ohh pyramid
I'm honoring the legacy of those who came before me, and working to build something that will last for generations
My fathers' pyramid
The project I'm working on is not just for myself, but also pays tribute to those who have helped me along the way
My fathers' I build
I'm constructing something that is a testament to the strength and determination of those who have come before me
Stone by stone by stone
The work is slow and tedious, but I'm making progress one step at a time
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BERNARD JOSEPH FANNING, DARREN STUART MIDDLETON, IAN DAVID HAUG, JOHN ANDREW COLLINS, JONATHAN ROBERT COGHILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind