Pulley's debut, Esteem Driven Engine, was released in 1996 by Epitaph. Riddle joined No Use for a Name full-time soon afterwards and was replaced by Tyler Rebbe. Follow-ups included 60 Cycle Hum in 1997 and their eponymous third album in 1999.
They also released Together Again for the First Time (after the death of Jim Cherry) and Matters, both showing their disillusionment with the aging out of the 'old' scene.
Four Walls
Pulley Lyrics
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It reminds me I'm alone. procrastination,
Gotta get my shit together,
Gotta go out and get a life of my own.
I'll call my friends,
They all work too many hours in the day.
Pick up my pen, I try to write
I watch t.v. 'til it's the end of me,
Is there anything more? come eight-o-clock
And I'm out that door just another night of nothing,
Like the nothing before. the t.v.
Set it occupies my wasted time,
Until anxiety it finds me and it starts to get me down.
So I sit here and I sink a little deeper
I am crippled by security that keeps me safe and sound.
The t.v. set my only friend my artificial sun,
On for hours on end. my window on a world,
I just don't see my simulcast life of monotony
New generation futures in my hands,
Infrared remotes obeying my command.
Another night of nothing,
Just like the nothing before.
I got no ties that'll bind still I can't make up my mind,
I've got no place to go,
That I can leave this place behind neurosis starts to breed
I can feel it eating me,
Another visit from my old friend anxiety.
Get up, walk away, then I'm reminded
While I stay. I got no place to go to end all this dismay,
The couch is like quicksand, the floor is like tar,
The TV sucks me in,
Assures I won't get far.
Hands on a clock and they're going backwards,
Another night of nothing, like the nothing before.
The song "Four Walls" by Pulley speaks to the feelings of loneliness, procrastination, and boredom, that can arise from being stuck in the same place day after day. The four walls signify a sense of being trapped and isolated, with the silence only adding to the unsettling feeling of being alone. The singer knows that something needs to change and he admits that he needs to get his life together, prioritizing his objectives and creating a better routine for himself.
In an attempt to break free from the monotony of his life, the singer tries to find inspiration within himself by picking up a pen to write, but to no avail, he feels he has nothing to say. He turns to the TV to pass the time but it ultimately just adds to the anxiety and frustration he experiences. The TV serves as a window into the world, but the singer doesn't really see it because he's too consumed by his own issues.
Despite having nothing tying him down, the singer can't seem to make up his mind or escape his current situation. He is crippled by the security of his current lifestyle and struggles with the neuroses and anxiety that come from being stagnant. He wants to get up and walk away but feels he has nowhere to go because he's stuck in a cycle of nothingness.
Line by Line Meaning
Four walls I know too well, silence is disturbing,
I am trapped within these walls and the only thing that makes it worse is the silence, it reminds me of my loneliness.
It reminds me I'm alone. procrastination,
The silence reminds me that I am alone and it causes me to procrastinate.
Gotta get my shit together,
I need to make a change in my life.
Gotta go out and get a life of my own.
I need to get out of this place and create a life for myself.
I'll call my friends,
I will try to reach out to my friends.
They all work too many hours in the day.
However, they are always working and I can never seem to find the right time to connect with them.
Pick up my pen, I try to write
I turn to writing as a way to pass the time.
But I've got nothing to say.
However, I find that I have no inspiration, nothing to say.
I watch t.v. 'til it's the end of me,
I sit down in front of the TV, watching it until I feel like I'm about to die.
Is there anything more? come eight-o-clock
I wonder if there is more to life than this as the clock ticks towards eight-o-clock.
And I'm out that door just another night of nothing,
I leave my house to do something, anything, but I still end up doing nothing.
Like the nothing before. the t.v.
My life is filled with monotony, just like the day before, and the TV is always there to keep me company.
Set it occupies my wasted time,
The TV takes up all of my time.
Until anxiety it finds me and it starts to get me down.
Eventually, anxiety finds me and begins to overwhelm me.
So I sit here and I sink a little deeper
I sit down and allow the anxiety to consume me.
I am crippled by security that keeps me safe and sound.
I am paralyzed by my own sense of security, the false sense of safety that comes from staying in my comfort zone.
The t.v. set my only friend my artificial sun,
The only thing that brings me any sense of comfort is the TV, my artificial sun.
On for hours on end. my window on a world,
It stays on for hours, giving me a glimpse of the outside world that I am too afraid to be a part of.
I just don't see my simulcast life of monotony
I am blind to the fact that my life is filled with monotony, just like everyone else's.
New generation futures in my hands,
I am part of a new generation with the future in my hands.
Infrared remotes obeying my command.
I have control of infrared remotes that allow me to control the TV.
Another night of nothing,
I end up doing nothing again.
Just like the nothing before.
It's just like every other night before.
I got no ties that'll bind still I can't make up my mind,
I have no commitment or obligation but still can't decide what to do.
I've got no place to go,
I have nowhere to turn.
That I can leave this place behind neurosis starts to breed
I need to get out of this place before my neurosis becomes too much to handle.
I can feel it eating me,
I can feel my neurosis consuming me.
Another visit from my old friend anxiety.
I am once again visited by my old friend - anxiety.
Get up, walk away, then I'm reminded
I need to get up and leave, but I am reminded of how trapped I am.
While I stay. I got no place to go to end all this dismay,
I feel stuck and don't know where to go to end this sense of sadness.
The couch is like quicksand, the floor is like tar,
I am so stuck and overwhelmed that the couch feels like quicksand, and the floor feels like tar.
The TV sucks me in,
I am once again drawn to the TV, unable to escape.
Assures I won't get far.
It assures that I won't go anywhere or accomplish anything.
Hands on a clock and they're going backwards,
Time seems to be slipping away and I am getting nowhere.
Another night of nothing, like the nothing before.
Another night of doing nothing, just like every other night before.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES PAUL III CHERRY, JORDAN LIEBERMAN, MATT B. RIDDLE, MIKE HARDER, SCOTT RADINSKY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind