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
Tandem
Protest the Hero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Takes bites of every family
And it eats some families whole
Dance around the issue
Take issue with the answers provided
The past few years radiate with treatment
But to every day she'll put her cap on and greet them
Yeah we hope one day that she can finally beat them all
She laughs for us
She laughs so we don't worry
She smiles through the pain
And keeps the details blurry
My intentions are not to expose
The depths of her trouble aren't mine to disclose
But like evening rain on the petal of a rose
It drips down to the earth and then begins to compose
And if there's one thing that remains
So crystal clear to us
It's that the wandering hands of the gods
Are so goddamn mysterious
Like there could be a justification
For the lives it takes and the lives that it's shaken
This isn't a eulogy
Or a requiem
Just some words I've sketched out
'Cause I haven't said them
This isn't about her father or brother
Just a few simple words so she knows that I love her
And tragedy will never disaffect her
I hope she knows how much I respect her
My intentions are not to expose, in verse or in prose
The depths of her troubles aren't mine to disclose
But like evening rain on the petal of a rose
It drips down to the earth and begins to compose
A song worth singing
A wound that keeps on stinging
And that one sinking feeling
It's always worth clinging onto
And a stone at a glass house
That's always worth slinging
She laughs for us
She laughs so we don't worry
She smiles through the pain
And keeps the details blurry
My intentions are not to expose
The depths of her trouble aren't mine to disclose
But like evening rain on the petal of a rose
It drips down to the earth and begins to compose
Saints walk the earth
They don't patrol the skies
They're the people right behind you
Riding tandem through the night
It's the comfort that's discovered
Between two sets of eyes
It's the hand that stills the other
That shakes like candlelight
Like candlelight
Protest the Hero’s song “Tandem” is a tribute to a friend or family member fighting cancer. The song starts by acknowledging the impact of cancer on families, with the line “Everyone knows that cancer takes bites of every family / And it eats some families whole.” The lyrics then shift to focus on the person with cancer, describing her struggles and how she handles her situation with strength and grace. The singer acknowledges that he cannot fully understand the depths of her experience, but compares it to the gentle and beautiful yet ultimately fleeting rain on a rose petal.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the importance of support and love in difficult times. The person with cancer is portrayed as a hero (“Saints walk the earth / They don't patrol the skies”), and the singer expresses admiration and affection for her. The lyrics are both mournful and hopeful, with a recognition of the pain and uncertainty of cancer, but also a determination to find comfort and togetherness in the midst of it.
One interesting aspect of the song is its structure: the verses are longer and more complex than the chorus, which consists of a repeated melody and the lines “She laughs for us / She laughs so we don't worry / She smiles through the pain / And keeps the details blurry.” This simple yet poignant chorus emphasizes the idea that the person with cancer is trying to protect her loved ones from worry and pain. The song also features some of Protest the Hero’s characteristically intricate guitar work, with changes in time signature and elaborate solos.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone knows that cancer
Takes bites of every family
And it eats some families whole
Cancer affects every family in some way and can completely destroy some.
Dance around the issue
Take issue with the answers provided
The past few years radiate with treatment
But to every day she'll put her cap on and greet them
She's got demons but you'll never meet them
Yeah we hope one day that she can finally beat them all
We avoid the issue and criticize the treatments because they can't cure everything. She goes to treatment every day and has hidden struggles, but we hope she can overcome them.
She laughs for us
She laughs so we don't worry
She smiles through the pain
And keeps the details blurry
She hides her pain to protect us and keeps the details vague.
My intentions are not to expose
The depths of her trouble aren't mine to disclose
But like evening rain on the petal of a rose
It drips down to the earth and then begins to compose
I don't intend to reveal her problems, but they leak out like rain on a rose petal and form something beautiful.
And if there's one thing that remains
So crystal clear to us
It's that the wandering hands of the gods
Are so goddamn mysterious
One thing that's clear is that the reasons behind tragedies are unknown and confusing.
Like there could be a justification
For the lives it takes and the lives that it's shaken
It's as if there could be a reason for the suffering cancer causes, but there isn't.
This isn't a eulogy
Or a requiem
Just some words I've sketched out
'Cause I haven't said them
This isn't about her father or brother
Just a few simple words so she knows that I love her
And tragedy will never disaffect her
I hope she knows how much I respect her
This isn't a tribute to her, just a few words to express my love and respect for her and to let her know that tragedy won't change that.
A song worth singing
A wound that keeps on stinging
And that one sinking feeling
It's always worth clinging onto
And a stone at a glass house
That's always worth slinging
The pain is worth expressing and holding onto, as well as the anger that comes with it.
Saints walk the earth
They don't patrol the skies
They're the people right behind you
Riding tandem through the night
It's the comfort that's discovered
Between two sets of eyes
It's the hand that stills the other
That shakes like candlelight
Like candlelight
The people who comfort and support us in life are the saints on earth, not those in the sky. They ride with us through the dark and provide comfort through touch and eye contact.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUCAS HOSKIN, RODY WALKER, ARIF MIRABODLBAGHI, TIM MILLAR, MORGAN CARLSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind