Cooper's sophomore album, "Family Tree: The Roots" was released in October 2011. It is the first of the trilogy record called "The Family Tree" which follows the story of a fictional family from 1800 to 1950. Following "The Roots" will be "The Branches" and "The Relatives" respectively.
In between his first two Radical Face records Ben released two EP's to fill the gap. The first was "Touch The Sky". In the summer of 2011 "The Bastards Volume 1" EP was released. Other volumes will compliment the fore-coming Family Tree trilogy.
Under his 'Radical Face' moniker his music features acoustic guitar, "found-sound" percussion, and many multi-layered tracks. The sound is incredibly unique, not only because of Cooper's originality and raw talent, but also because most of the music has traditionally been recorded in the shed in his backyard.
Website: www.radicalface.com
Baptisms
Radical Face Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they were never there, so I'd pull 'em from the air
We all believed in something, but like you I can't say why
It's just a whisper in our ear, or a bottle for our fears
Hold me to light, let me shine
Come hold me to the floor and say it's alright
Come hold me 'neath the water's skin until I'm new again
Then there's something to be said for a place to lay your head
You told me I was simple, and you injured me with that piece of my mind
And I listened to the creek and it did much more for me
I'll hold you to the light, let you shine
I'll hold you against the floor and say it's alright
'Cause down beneath the water's skin where we will swim
And there's diamonds on the surface then
And, they'll come clean us, we'll both live again
These days I barely wander, and I don't need no more of them signs
I'll just breathe in all that air and be happy that it's there
"Baptisms" by Radical Face is a soulful song that talks about finding solace in nature and the journey of self-discovery. The first verse sets the tone for the song as the singer talks about his old self that used to wander in search of signs. He used to pull these signs out of thin air, but they were never there. The next line, "We all believed in something, but like you I can't say why," suggests that he is not alone in his search for meaning, but the answer is not always clear. It's a whisper in our ear or a bottle for our fears, indicating that these signs can come in different forms and may only be interpreted by the individual seeking them.
In the chorus, the singer asks to be held to the light to let him shine, held to the floor to assure him everything will be alright. The line "Come hold me 'neath the water's skin until I'm new again" refers to the act of baptism as a symbol of cleansing and rebirth. He then talks about how he realizes the value of things once they're gone, and there's something to be said for a place to lay your head, which may suggest that he has found comfort in a specific place.
The second verse has a similar structure, but this time, the singer holds someone else to the light, holds them against the floor, and takes them beneath the water's skin where they can both swim. The line "And, they'll come clean us, we'll both live again" refers to the notion that baptism is a symbolic act of purification and a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
Back when I used to wander, I was always out looking for signs
I used to roam around in search of signs and hints
But they were never there, so I'd pull 'em from the air
I never found any signs, so I started creating them myself
We all believed in something, but like you I can't say why
We all hold some beliefs, but it's hard to explain why we believe them
It's just a whisper in our ear, or a bottle for our fears
Beliefs come from a little voice in our head or as a way to cope with our fears
Hold me to light, let me shine
Help me to be my best self
Come hold me to the floor and say it's alright
Ground me and reassure me that everything is okay
Come hold me 'neath the water's skin until I'm new again
Let me start anew by immersing me in water
And I said what I was thinking: Now you can't see what's good 'til it's gone
I've realized that people take good things for granted until they lose them
Then there's something to be said for a place to lay your head
Having a place to call home is important
You told me I was simple, and you injured me with that piece of my mind
Your comment hurt me deeply and made me feel inferior
And I listened to the creek and it did much more for me
I found solace and comfort in nature's sounds
I'll hold you to the light, let you shine
I will help bring out the best in you
I'll hold you against the floor and say it's alright
I'll be your support in times of need
'Cause down beneath the water's skin where we will swim
We can start anew by diving into the water
And there's diamonds on the surface then
Even in difficult times, there is beauty and wonder to be found if we look closely enough
And, they'll come clean us, we'll both live again
The water will cleanse and refresh us, giving us a chance to start over again
These days I barely wander, and I don't need no more of them signs
I no longer feel the need to search for signs or wander aimlessly
I'll just breathe in all that air and be happy that it's there
I'll appreciate the simple things in life, like fresh air and be content with what I have
Writer(s): Cooper Benjamin P
Contributed by Michael N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
waad alqahtani
Back when I used to wander, I was always out looking for signs
But they were never there, so I'd pull 'em from the air
We all believed in something, but like you I can't say why
It's just a whisper in our ear, or a bottle for our fears
Hold me to light, let me shine
Come hold me to the floor and say it's alright
Come hold me 'neath the water's skin until I'm new again
And I said what I was thinking: now you can't see what's good 'til it's gone
Then there's something to be said for a place to lay your head
You told me I was simple, and you injured me with that piece of my mind
And I listened to the creek and it did much more for me
I'll hold you to the light, let you shine
I'll hold you against the floor and say it's alright
'cause down beneath the water's skin where we will swim
And there's diamonds on the surface then
And, they'll come clean us, we'll both live again
These days I barely wander, and I don't need no more of them signs
I'll just breathe in all that air and be happy that it's there
Abhinendra Chauhan
Special thanks to Blacklist for letting us know this awesome song..... (y)
Manjit Grewal
Agree
Cal Redwine
radical face is a fucking genius
waad alqahtani
Back when I used to wander, I was always out looking for signs
But they were never there, so I'd pull 'em from the air
We all believed in something, but like you I can't say why
It's just a whisper in our ear, or a bottle for our fears
Hold me to light, let me shine
Come hold me to the floor and say it's alright
Come hold me 'neath the water's skin until I'm new again
And I said what I was thinking: now you can't see what's good 'til it's gone
Then there's something to be said for a place to lay your head
You told me I was simple, and you injured me with that piece of my mind
And I listened to the creek and it did much more for me
I'll hold you to the light, let you shine
I'll hold you against the floor and say it's alright
'cause down beneath the water's skin where we will swim
And there's diamonds on the surface then
And, they'll come clean us, we'll both live again
These days I barely wander, and I don't need no more of them signs
I'll just breathe in all that air and be happy that it's there
Valerie Smith
Another awesome artist that I've found thanks to the Blacklist! Great music on that show.
Sarah Catherine
Agreed!!!
A Jamali
SAME!!!!!!!! i love the music they use and the show is absolutely mind blowing as well!!
Ashraf
yess🙃🙂
StoneColdHunk
Great song. I love that sometimes when your watching a TV show you find a gem like this song.
Francis Lemay
Thanks to The Blacklist for this song!! Still listening in 2018-2019