Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt T… Read Full Bio ↴Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Brian Pittman (bass), and Matthew Hoopes (guitar, backing vocals), during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone College. The band is named after guitarist Hoopes' automobile, a Plymouth Reliant K car, with the spelling intentionally altered to avoid trademark infringement over the Reliant name.

In 2000, Dave Douglas replaced Stephen Cushman on drums. In 2004, John Warne, formerly of Ace Troubleshooter replaced Brian on bass guitar. In 2005,Jon Schneck joined on with additional guitars, as well as banjo, bells, and backing vocals. In 2008, Ethan Luck, formerly of The O.C. Supertones and Demon Hunter replaced Dave on drums.

The band has released 9 albums, including 2 Christmas albums, as well as 6 EPs, and some other miscellaneous projects. Starting in 2000 with their second album, Relient K was signed to Gotee Records, a Christian record label. In 2004, their album Mmhmm shot them into mainstream popularity when it released at #15 on Billboard 200, and was released on Gotee, Mono Vs. Stereo (both Christian record labels), as well as Capitol, a secular label. They stayed with Gotee/Capitol until 2007, and their album Five Score and Seven Years Ago released at #6. Their latest album, Forget and Not Slow Down was released in 2009 with Mono Vs. Stereo. The band has done very well in both the Christian and mainstream music industries. The band has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards. The band has sold over 2 million records, with three albums being given gold certification by the RIAA.

The band's musical style has changed over the years, starting off as very pop-punk, and maturing into a unique sort of pop-alternative-rock, with many songs varying in style, and some including acoustic guitars, piano, banjo, synths, bells, etc. Through the years, their lyrics and songwriting have matured, but they have not lost their silly side and sense of humor. They still often reference their Christian faith throughout their songs.

Matt Thiessen, the band's main songwriter, also has a solo side project, Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He has also collaborated with Owl City. Dave Douglas also had a solo side project, Agnes.

Outro
Relient K Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I swear this to you
I wish that this was not the truth
But it's something that you fell into
And crawling out is hard when you
Are not so sure it's what you want to do

(I swear this to you)
When a nightmare finally does unfold

(I wish that this was not the truth)
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold
(But it's something that you fell into)
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold
(The choice is hard to make when you
Are not convinced it's what you wanna do)

When a nightmare finally does unfold
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold

Overall Meaning

In "Outro" by Relient K, we encounter a lyrical reflection on the difficult process of overcoming a negative situation. The first stanza begins with a swear, indicating that the message that the singer is about to convey is meant to be taken seriously. The lyrics express a desire for the situation not to be true, but acknowledging that it is something that the person "fell into." The line "crawling out is hard when you / are not so sure it's what you want to do" conveys a sense of hesitation to make a change, possibly from the fear of the unknown or an attachment to the current state of affairs. The repetition of the first line in the second stanza amplifies the urgency of the situation, hinting at the gravity of the nightmare that has happened or that is about to occur. The following lines provide some insight into the importance of perspective in such trying times: "Perspective is a lovely hand to hold / The choice is hard to make when you / Are not convinced it's what you wanna do." It suggests that seeing the situation from a different angle might make the decision to climb out of the predicament a bit easier. The last line brings the lyrical reflection full circle by repeating the idea from the first stanza.

Overall, "Outro" encourages listeners to take a moment to re-evaluate difficult or negative situations from a different perspective before deciding on the next steps to take. It acknowledges that change can be hard, but sometimes, it is necessary to climb out of a nightmare.

Line by Line Meaning

I swear this to you
When I say this, I'm being completely honest

I wish that this was not the truth
I truly wish that the reality was different from what it is

But it's something that you fell into
The situation you're in, it happened gradually and you didn't realize it

And crawling out is hard when you
It's difficult to escape from the situation

Are not so sure it's what you want to do
When you're uncertain, it's hard to make a decision

When a nightmare finally does unfold
When the worst case scenario happens

Perspective is a lovely hand to hold
It's comforting to have a different point of view to help you deal with the situation

The choice is hard to make when you
It's difficult to decide what to do

Are not convinced it's what you wanna do
When you're not entirely sure, it's hard to commit to a decision

Contributed by Natalie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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