The band played a series of gigs at Manchester's In The City festival. James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch the Stone Roses play at Spike Island. Matthews watched the Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield play bass and Matthews bought himself a bass guitar.[citation needed] The rest of the members followed suit and bought the necessary equipment to complete a band, although they had little to no musical experience or training.
Through much practice their music developed and they decided on the name Puressence, a name instantly identified by most Mancunians for the paper letters 'P'-'U'-'R'-'E'-'S'-'S'-'E'-'N'-'C'-'E', which were plastered around Manchester city centre, on derelict buildings, and on bridges (the most notable being the railway bridge opposite the Haçienda).Manchester independent record label 2 Damn Loud released two singles and there was a further single with Rough Trade Singles Club.
The big breakthrough came a couple of years later, when the band signed to Island Records.
In August 2003, after more than ten years with Puressence, guitarist and founder member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen, who is originally from the Isle of Man. He has played in other bands and left Manchester band Dry Riser to join Puressence.
In 2004, the band played at The Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne.
In 2006, the band released a single titled "Palisades" on new Manchester label Reaction, followed by an album, Don't Forget To Remember, in September 2007.
On 10 and 11 September 2008 Puressence played their first shows in the US. The first was at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. The next night they played the Apple Store in SoHo. The opening song at the Mercury Lounge was "I Suppose". They passed out free CD singles of "Don't Know Any Better" to many fans around the United States.
The band split in late 2013.
The band currently consisted of:
James Mudriczki: Vocals
Lowell Killen: Guitar
Kevin Matthews: Bass guitar
Tony Szuminski: Drums / percussion
Turn The Lights Out When I Die
Puressence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I felt inside.
I can't sleep, I just can't sleep,
I walk for miles but I see no trees.
Don't you know that they don't understand?
All the days are similar in plan
They'll turn the lights out when I die.
They'll turn the lights out when I die.
And it's good to know you're with somebody half as good as me.
They'll put a statue up outside,
And I can watch with pharaohs eye's,
And then they'll all know I was somebody.
Kate, you're all washed out,
You've had your time now it's just about,
That time to give it in, 'cause someone's waiting to step right in.
Don't you know your shoes are out of style?
It's good to spit it out before you smile.
They'll turn the lights out when I die.
They'll turn the lights out when I die.
And it's good to know you're with somebody half as good as me.
They'll put a statue up outside,
Just like the pharaohs did a high,
And then they'll all know I was somebody.
All I really know is all I see, I'm half the way,
And all I really see is half I know.
So what is it that makes me loath the way I am?
So what is it, what does it mean?
When you're half the way I am.
Puressence's song "Turn The Lights Out When I Die," is a melancholic track about feeling unappreciated and underrecognized for one's true worth, as well as the struggle of living with unfulfilled potential. The song starts with the singer confessing that they had to lie about their feelings and thoughts to avoid judgment from others. He feels agitated, unable to sleep, and wanders aimlessly for miles. The line "Don't you know that they don't understand?" speaks to the singer's frustration that nobody recognizes his true value. He criticizes the monotonous nature of daily routines, suggesting that everything fades away with time. The song's chorus is a bleak reminder of mortality, with the singer imagining that "they'll turn the lights out when I die." However, he finds solace in the idea of leaving a legacy, as demonstrated in the lines "And it's good to know you're with somebody half as good as me / They'll put a statue up outside / And then they'll all know I was somebody".
In contrast, the second verse addresses another person named Kate, who the singer dismisses and belittles. He chastises her for being "washed out" and "out of style," suggesting that she has no potential for growth or success. The song presents an image of contrast between the singer's desires and expectations of himself and his dissatisfaction and apathy for anyone else.
Line by Line Meaning
Lie, I had to lie, I had to say
What I felt inside.
I had to pretend to be someone I'm not because it was expected of me and I couldn't be truthful about my feelings.
I can't sleep, I just can't sleep,
I walk for miles but I see no trees.
I'm restless and searching for something, but can't seem to find it no matter how hard I try.
Don't you know that they don't understand?
All the days are similar in plan
Nobody really understands me or my struggles, and every day feels the same and lacking in meaning.
They'll turn the lights out when I die.
They'll turn the lights out when I die.
And it's good to know you're with somebody half as good as me.
They'll put a statue up outside,
And I can watch with pharaohs eye's,
And then they'll all know I was somebody.
Even though I feel misunderstood and unappreciated in life, someday when I'm gone there will be some recognition and appreciation for who I was and what I accomplished.
Kate, you're all washed out,
You've had your time now it's just about,
That time to give it in, 'cause someone's waiting to step right in.
Don't you know your shoes are out of style?
It's good to spit it out before you smile.
It's time to acknowledge when your time has passed and to step aside for someone else; don't hide behind a fake smile when it's time to be honest with yourself.
All I really know is all I see, I'm half the way,
And all I really see is half I know.
So what is it that makes me loath the way I am?
So what is it, what does it mean?
When you're half the way I am.
I only have a limited perspective and understanding of things, which leaves me feeling incomplete and unsure of myself. I'm not sure what it is that makes me feel this way or what it means, but it's a constant struggle for me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Anthony Szuminski, James Mudriczki, Kevin Matthews, Neil Mcdonald
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
I'm Not Aving That
The BEST band I've EVER seen live, and ive done floyd, stones, oasis, and many more, this mob were truly amazing, superb frontman and one of the best voices EVER
alexvoyager
Many thanks for uploading this superb song! My favourite from their second album....
Meghan Laura
A truly amazing band
DJ UNITE MC
SO UNDA RATED IT'S UN REAL. X
Mr Couch
I guess greatness gets no glory.
Διονυσιος Κουτσιμανης
Love the guitar timbre
Graham Chadwick
Class tune
phil Zimmerman
you're you're you're you're you're.. it's you're