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.
Part Of It
Relient K Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chains and locks and ropes and knots to tether.
But nothing's sticking to the pieces,
I can't seem to hold it all together.
But you should know
'Cause that explains why it all just fell apart.
Just you and me.
We're a part of it, everyone
We're a part of it, everything.
And if a nightmare ever does unfold,
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold.
Well I've been trying to ingest this
But everything to me just seems like nonsense.
And I was sure if I can get it
I guess it's time for me to grow a conscience
To combat the lapse
That explains why all of this simply collapsed.
It's not the end of the world,
Just you and me.
We're a part of it, everyone,
We're a part of it, everything.
And if a nightmare ever does unfold
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold.
It's been forever since I've gone
But I'm the Cusack on the lawn of your heart
Maybe forever 'til I go
But before then you should know
That I could tear that place apart,
I could tear that place apart.
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 on you
I'm not sure it's what you want to do
Not convinced it's what you want to do.
It's just the weight of the world
Given out under the string.
And we're a part of it, everyone,
And we're a part of it, everything.
And when a nightmare finally does unfold
The nightmare finally shows
It's not the end of the world
Just a calamity,
And we're a part of it, everyone
And we're a part of it, everything.
And when a nightmare finally does unfold
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold.
The lyrics to Relient K's "Part of It" explore the complex and often tumultuous nature of relationships and the challenges we face in trying to hold them together. The singer has been working hard to try and keep things together, using various adhesives and knots, but nothing seems to be working. Even though things have fallen apart, the singer recognizes that this is not the end of the world. We are all, as the title suggests, "a part of it" - part of the ups and downs, the successes and failures, the good times and the bad. While there may be times when it feels like we are in the midst of a nightmare, perspective can be a guiding hand to help us through.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of both frustration and resignation. The singer has been trying to "ingest" everything, but it all seems like nonsense. They are struggling with a sense of guilt or remorse, feeling the need to "grow a conscience" to make things right. The ending lines of the song reveal the intensity of the emotion behind the lyrics: "I'm not sure it's what you want to do / Not convinced it's what you want to do." There is a sense of desperation, a desire to make things work coupled with the knowledge that it may ultimately prove futile.
Overall, "Part of It" is a thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of relationships and how we navigate them. It encourages us to keep perspective in times of stress or difficulty, to recognize that we are not alone in our struggles and that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been working with adhesives
I've been trying to hold everything together.
Chains and locks and ropes and knots to tether.
I've been trying different ways to hold things in place, but nothing seems to work.
But nothing's sticking to the pieces,
But everything keeps falling apart anyway.
I can't seem to hold it all together.
I can't seem to keep everything from falling apart.
But you should know
But it's important for you to understand
'Cause that explains why it all just fell apart.
Because that's why everything fell apart.
It's not the end of the world,
It's not the worst thing that could happen.
Just you and me.
It's just us dealing with it.
We're a part of it, everyone
We're all involved in this.
We're a part of it, everything.
This affects everything around us.
And if a nightmare ever does unfold,
And if things get even worse,
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold.
It can be comforting to have a different perspective on things.
Well I've been trying to ingest this
I've been trying to understand this.
But everything to me just seems like nonsense.
But I just can't make sense of it all.
I guess it's time for me to grow a conscience
I realize I need to start caring more.
To combat the lapse
To fight against my lack of concern.
That explains why all of this simply collapsed.
That's why everything fell apart.
It's been forever since I've gone
It's been a long time since I've left.
But I'm the Cusack on the lawn of your heart
But I'm still here, waiting for you.
Maybe forever 'til I go
Maybe I'll always be here, waiting for you.
But before then you should know
But before that happens, you need to understand
That I could tear that place apart,
That I could cause even more damage.
I swear this to you,
I promise you,
I wish that this was not the truth
I wish things weren't like this.
But it's something that you fell into
But this is something you got yourself into.
And crawling out is hard on you
And it's not easy for you to fix it.
I'm not sure it's what you want to do
I don't know if you even want to fix it.
Not convinced it's what you want to do.
I don't think you're motivated enough to fix it.
It's just the weight of the world
It's just the pressure of everything around us.
Given out under the string.
Starting to give way.
And we're a part of it, everyone,
And we all have a role to play in this.
And we're a part of it, everything.
It affects everything and everyone around us.
And when a nightmare finally does unfold,
And if things get even worse,
The nightmare finally shows
The worst of it is finally revealed.
It's not the end of the world
It's not the worst thing that could happen.
Just a calamity,
Just a disaster.
And we're a part of it, everyone
And we all have to deal with it.
And we're a part of it, everything.
It affects everything and everyone around us.
And when a nightmare finally does unfold
And if things get even worse
Perspective is a lovely hand to hold.
It can be comforting to have a different perspective on things.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: MATTHEW THIESSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind