On January 23, 2006, the band signed with Vagrant Records for Kezia's American release on April 4, 2006. Their second full-length album, Fortress was released by Underground Operations in Canada and by Vagrant Records worldwide on January 29, 2008. The band released their third studio album, Scurrilous, on March 22, 2011.
The band released their independent and latest album, Volition on October 29. 2013.
Members
Rody Walker – lead vocals
Tim Millar – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Luke Hoskin – lead guitar, backing vocals, piano
Arif Mirabdolbaghi – bass guitar, backing vocals
Mike Ieradi – drums, percussion
Palms Read
Protest the Hero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Evolution comes crawling from the sea
Alive with the urgency like suicide, like suicide
Convinced the grass is greener on dry earth
The march of serrated utterance like a soft cough
Muffled murmur sneaking through the lecture hall
They crawl across the island
Sound of waves
Embodied water
Sprouting legs, loud as gallop
All the young people
Who took a leap with no faith into a riverbed
That drowns about as much as it saves
Slowing down on the ground
Against the cries of gravity
Crawling on, half buried in the sand
Extend a hand to the smallness of death
Understand that only dying is this colossal
Creation, shedding skin
To find the perfect equilibrium like fossils
All the young people
Who took a leap of no faith
All the young cowards acting out
All the young cowards acting out
For the braves forever hurled
Into the waters of their indifferent graves
For a million years raise your glass
We will never answer where we came from
For a million years raise your glass in a cheer
We'll never answer where we came from
Only how we got
For a million years raise your glass
We will never answer where we came from
For a million years raise your glass
Only how we got here
The song Palms Read by Protest the Hero is a philosophical inquiry into the nature of life and the mysteries of existence. The opening lines of the song set the tone for an exploration of evolution, the inescapable pull of life towards death, and the search for purpose and meaning. The idea of evolution coming crawling from the sea is a reference to the theory that life on earth originated in the ocean and then evolved over time. The urgency of life is compared to suicide, highlighting the inevitable nature of death that is inherent in all living things. The lyrics then speak of the human desire to find something better than what we have, which is often unattainable and causes us to overlook the beauty and value of what we already possess.
The next section of the song utilizes vivid imagery to describe the evolution of life, where the sound of waves becomes embodied water, sprouts legs, and takes on a life of its own. This description suggests that life is an organic process that grows and changes and relies on a delicate balance between the elements of nature. The lyrics then speak to the idea of taking risks, of jumping into the unknown without faith in what lies ahead. This sentiment contrasts with the image of slowing down against the cries of gravity, pointing to life as a struggle between opposing forces.
The final section of Palms Read speaks to the impermanence of life, and the need to accept death as an integral part of the cycle of creation and growth. The lyrics suggest that the only thing that is certain in life is that everything will eventually die. The idea of shedding skin and finding equilibrium is a reference to the process of adaptation that living things undergo in order to survive. The song concludes with a call to raise a glass to life, acknowledging that while we may never know where we came from or why we are here, we can appreciate the journey that brought us to this point.
Line by Line Meaning
As often as always
As predictable as the rising sun
Evolution comes crawling from the sea
Life forms evolve from sea to land
Alive with the urgency like suicide, like suicide
Intense motivation like risking one's life
Convinced the grass is greener on dry earth
Believing that other places are better than home
The march of serrated utterance like a soft cough
Harsh words spoken softly
Muffled murmur sneaking through the lecture hall
Whispers spreading in secret
They crawl across the island
Creatures move across the land
Sound of waves
Noise of the ocean
Embodied water
Water taking a physical form
Sprouting legs, loud as gallop
Growing limbs with a powerful sound
All the young people
All the youthful individuals
Who took a leap with no faith into a riverbed
Those who took a chance or risked everything
That drowns about as much as it saves
A precarious situation that could go either way
Slowing down on the ground
Reducing speed to a halt
Against the cries of gravity
Defying the laws of physics
Crawling on, half buried in the sand
Moving forward despite obstacles and difficulties
Extend a hand to the smallness of death
Offering help to those affected by death
Understand that only dying is this colossal
Realizing that death is inevitable and significant
Creation, shedding skin
Life forms shedding old ways to adapt and survive
To find the perfect equilibrium like fossils
To achieve balance and stability like preserved remains
All the young cowards acting out
Immature individuals expressing themselves recklessly
For the braves forever hurled
For the brave ones always risking it all
Into the waters of their indifferent graves
To the end without acknowledgement or appreciation
For a million years raise your glass
Celebrate life for eternity
We will never answer where we came from
Our origin will always remain a mystery
Only how we got here
We can only explain how we arrived at our current state
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ARIF MIRABODLBAGHI, LUCAS HOSKIN, MORGAN CARLSON, RODY WALKER, TIM MILLAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@toshichimera5917
As often as always
Evolution comes crawling from the sea
Alive with the urgency like suicide, like suicide
Convinced the grass is greener on dry earth
The march of serrated utterance like a soft cough
Muffled murmur sneaking through the lecture hall
They crawl across the island
Sound of waves
Embodied water
Sprouting legs, loud as gallop
All the young people
Who took a leap with no faith into a riverbed
That drowns about as much as it saves
Slowing down on the ground
Against the cries of gravity
Crawling on, half buried in the sand
Extend a hand to the smallness of death
Understand that only dying is this colossal
Creation, shedding skin
To find the perfect equilibrium like fossils
All the young people
Who took a leap of no faith
All the young cowards acting out
All the young cowards acting out
For the braves forever hurled
Into the waters of their indifferent graves
For a million years raise your glass
We will never answer where we came from
For a million years raise your glass in a cheer
We'll never answer where we came from
Only how we got
For a million years raise your glass
We will never answer where we came from
For a million years raise your glass
Only how we got here
@Chrissant
This band TRULY does have the best breakdowns/crescendos i have EVER heard or seen.
@SUPERPUKE
I can't get enough of the "raise your glass" part. its just too amazing.
@GeNzFusion
2022 and this is still my fav PTH song
@bury_theHatchet
Fortress is such a good album!
@HockeyPwnsBaseball
The composition of this song is incredible, even by PTH standards. So many different ideas explored in the span of 3:30, and none of it sounds out of place. 2:37 makes me feel triumphant
@Dreginy
That's a sick opening riff man
@baaldiablo8459
3:45 I actually thought this was its own song for the longest time lol
Its so fucking good, and we can't even give it a name...
@justtellthemno
Coding to Protest makes everything go much faster haha!!
@jgrillo638
By far one of the most epic(and I dont use that word loosley) songs ever written.
@PollanTV
that ending segment, fuuuuuuuck