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
Chewing Bottles
Radical Face Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they hung me out to dry
My words never bother to rhyme
And I always wonder why
To see if I still bleed
The king has to beg for his meals
The times just get me down
But I'm just a spoke in the wheel
I'll always be around
And now our plans are just like trash in the breeze
They never stay afloat for long
But I'll take my chances
And shake the hands of those who think that they're still free
That they're still free
That they're still free
That they're still free
Come on
Grab your torches
It's time to burn this town
Like men on porches
No one will make a sound
So find the pieces
And build another one
We always need it
Because it's never done
It's all great
I can't breathe anymore
Still awake
When my face hits the floor
Spent the day
Watching waves eat the shore
I can't stay
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
No one sings anymore
The first stanza of Radical Face's "Chewing Bottles" describes a character's frustrations with their own vocal abilities. They feel like they missed their chance to say something important, and that they were left behind as a result. This character is trying to figure out if they still have feelings by subjecting themselves to extreme physical pain. It's a way of validating their existence, and their desire to still feel something. The second stanza shifts focus to the world around the character. They feel like they're just a small part of a bigger system, and that their own plans are of little importance. They're disillusioned with the status quo, and ready to burn it all down.
The last stanza seems to be the singer's personal reflections, as they realize they can't keep going on as they have been. There's a sense of suffocation and defeat. They watch the waves slowly eat away at the shore, a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, and realize that they can't stay in this situation any longer. The repeated phrase at the end, "No one sings anymore," seems to be the singer's way of acknowledging that they're not the only ones struggling with their voice. It's a statement of hopelessness, but also a call to unity.
Overall, "Chewing Bottles" is a song about feeling disconnected from the world around us. It's about the frustration of feeling like you haven't been heard, and the sense of hopelessness that comes with that. However, it's also a call to action - a reminder that we all have a voice, and that we need to use it in order to make a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
My voice never made it in time
I wasn't able to express myself in time
And they hung me out to dry
Others left me unsupported in my situation
My words never bother to rhyme
My words may not sound or look perfect but they are true to me
And I always wonder why
I question why things turned out the way they did
So now I've taken to chewing bottles
I am resorting to self-destructive behavior to check if I still have feelings
To see if I still bleed
To verify whether I am still alive and feel pain
The king has to beg for his meals
Even those in power have to face hardships
The times just get me down
I am negatively affected by the state of the world
But I'm just a spoke in the wheel
I am only a small part of the larger system
I'll always be around
I will always exist in some form or another
And now our plans are just like trash in the breeze
Our previously laid out plans are now useless
They never stay afloat for long
Plans don't last forever
But I'll take my chances
I am still hopeful and willing to take risks
And shake the hands of those who think they're still free
I want to join and support those who still have hope and are fighting for freedom
Come on
Encouragement to take a bold action
Grab your torches
Prepare to start a fire
It's time to burn this town
It's time to bring a change by challenging the established system
Like men on porches
Quietly standing together in solidarity
No one will make a sound
No one will raise their voice against us
So find the pieces
Search for the lost parts
And build another one
Use what remains to create something new
We always need it
The cycle of loss and creation repeats itself
Because it's never done
Because there is always further work to be done
It's all great
It seems like everything's okay
I can't breathe anymore
I am unable to continue in this way
Still awake
Even though I am tired, I can't rest
When my face hits the floor
I have hit rock bottom
Spent the day
I spent the day doing something meaningless
Watching waves eat the shore
Watching something natural and destructive happening
I can't stay
I cannot continue in this current state
No one sings anymore
No one is happy or singing anymore
Contributed by Victoria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Radical Red Productions
Haven't heard this song in years. Turned in on after all this time and started tearing up...
Thess OP
I love this.
ifeanyi ibeanu
Beautiful
Nox
Radical Face <3
Elisha Jane
Ugh
Thess OP
@Elisha Jane How can there be a good ugh?
And also, you replied to yourself 2 years later!
Speaking about dedication
Elisha Jane
(that was a good Ugh, btw)