Nathan Walter, front man for The Space Coast electro rock trio Quiet Science, describes the band’s second full length album as “one long fight song.” The 2011 album titled Dark Words On Dark Wings is a collection of stories about characters facing the darkest hours of their lives and how in these tremendously difficult times, the characters choose to respond. “In a world where hurt is easy to come by and despair is not always addressed, we want to plant a seed of hope and a challenge for all of us to help mend the broken.”
For Dark Words on Dark Wings, the band enlisted Jeremy SH Griffith (Underoath, Sunbears, Norma Jean) to produce and engineer, Drew Lavyne (Foo Fighters, White Stripes, Moby) to master the album. The result is a sonic masterpiece that sounds big enough to fill arenas while maintaining the innovation to demand multiple listens. The keys and guitar take turns providing a sonic landscape for its counterpart to charge through the foreground, while intense drumming gives the music its adrenaline.
For two years Quiet Science has toured the country non-stop sharing the road with artists including Switchfoot, Showbread, Abandon Kansas, Sleeping At Last, Cool Hand Luke, Future of Forestry, and Remedy Drive. Quiet Science’s first full length album, [With/Without] gained the band much attention including several features in publications such as Relevant Magazine and received airplay on radio stations across North America. Quiet Science has been in demand at many festivals including Cornerstone, Ichthus, and Summer Side Show. The band moved over 3,000 copies of [With/Without] independently, while playing over 150 shows a year since it’s release in 2010. Music from the album has been featured on E!’s Married to Rock.
With influences ranging from U2, Radiohead, and Depeche Mode the band’s sound lands somewhere between Shiny Toy Guns and The Killers but with a sound that is all their own.
With DWODW, Quiet Science hopes to create community, spark conversation and bring inspiration to all who choose to listen.
Magnetism
Quiet Science Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About You, and me, the in-between
Somehow You must be the North
And somehow I must be the South
Continuing into eternity
Like magnets we are: the farther apart the weaker I become
Though I can stand on my own feet
I ran as far as my two legs could carry me alone
'twas then I realized I was the temporary one and You are the energy
You are everything
Like magnets we are: the farther apart the weaker I become
Though I can stand on my own feet
I must admit, just barely, I need Your shoulder to lean
Like magnets we are: the farther apart the weaker I become
Though I can stand on my own feet
I must admit, just barely, I need Your shoulder to lean on
The song "Magnetism" by Quiet Science is a reflection of a person's realization of their own shortcomings and reliance on someone else. The lyrics describe how the singer had been thinking lately about the connection they share with their significant other, describing it as a magnetic force that has brought them together. The singer wonders about their own position in this force and realizes that they are the southern pole, while their partner is the northern one. The song expresses that they both are necessary for the magnetic connection to work and continue into eternity.
The metaphor of the magnetic force is prominent throughout the song, as the singer understands that like magnets, the farther apart they are, the weaker they become. The singer goes on to admit that they can stand on their own feet but still need their partner's presence and support to lean on. They acknowledge that their partner is the energy and everything they need to keep going. The chorus repeats this sentiment twice, emphasizing the idea that no matter how strong they may be, they still need their partner to complete their magnetic connection.
Overall, "Magnetism" is a beautiful song about the realization of one's need for someone else, and how they're both necessary to make the magnetic connection work. It is a deep exploration of love, relationships, and human connection, which is a recurring theme in many of Quiet Science's songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately I've been thinking
I have been pondering about something for a while now.
About You, and me, the in-between
I have been thinking about our relationship and how we stand in it.
Somehow You must be the North
You are like the North pole in a magnet's field, attracting me towards you.
And somehow I must be the South
I must be the South pole in a magnet's field, repelling you away from me.
Continuing into eternity
Our magnetic attraction and repulsion will continue forever.
Like magnets we are: the farther apart the weaker I become
The more distance there is between us, the less attraction I feel towards you.
Though I can stand on my own feet
Although I can survive without you.
I must admit, just barely, I need Your shoulder to lean on
I am struggling and I need your support to cope.
I ran as far as my two legs could carry me alone
I tried to distance myself from you by running away.
'twas then I realized I was the temporary one and You are the energy
I came to the realization that I am the temporary one in this relationship and you are the one with the energy.
You are everything
You mean everything to me and I need you in my life.
Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.