Following the band's dissolution, singer and guitarist Guy Picciotto, guitarist Eddie Janney, and drummer Brendan Canty formed One Last Wish with Embrace alumnus Michael Hampton. The three later joined former Rites bassist Mike Fellows for a quasi-reincarnation of Rites of Spring named Happy Go Licky, releasing an LP/CD of various live concert recordings though never producing any studio work. Picciotto and Canty eventually teamed up with the former Embrace singer Ian MacKaye (owner of the band’s label, Dischord Records) in Fugazi.
Rites of Spring was the band’s self-titled debut album from 1985. Its twelve songs were recorded at Inner Ear Studios in February of 1985, and released on vinyl in June of that year as Dischord Records #16. The album was rereleased on CD and cassette in 1987, with an additional track from the same session, "Other Way Around", as well as the four songs from the Rites' follow-up EP, All Through a Life, Dischord #22. The CD and cassette originally retained the number "16" while the 1991 repress, as well as the 2001 remastered version of the same seventeen songs, were numbered "16CD" and given the new title End on End.
The band are named after Igor Stravinsky's famous ballet composition entitled The Rite of Spring/Le Sacre du printemps. The piece is widely dissonant and the context of the ballet is extremely bleak, revolving around pagan rituals.
Other Way Around
Rites of Spring Lyrics
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It must belong to someone but not to me
Maybe I was too quick, too quick to turn my head
But I had to go, just to get around
Other way around
The world it wants you weak
Another way around
I was so young, I didn't know what it meant
I was so young, but it's so hard to stay still
I was so young, and it's getting harder still
Just to get around, the other way around
Maybe tomorrow, hope won't come stillborn today
And maybe tomorrow, sound won't fill in for words to say
And we'll get around
We'll get around
The other way around
In Rites of Spring's song Other Way Around, the singer seems to be reflecting on their own experiences of hurt and confusion, wondering if what they have seen and done is truly a part of them or if it belongs to someone else entirely. The idea of turning one's head quickly suggests a desire to avoid pain or difficulty, but the singer acknowledges that they had to go through it in order to find a different way of living - the "other way around."
The lyric "the world it wants you weak" suggests that society can be oppressive and draining, pushing people down instead of lifting them up. But the singer resolves to find a way to resist and overcome this pressure, even if it means enduring more hurt and uncertainty. The repetition of the phrase "I was so young" indicates a sense of innocence or naivete that has been lost through these experiences, making it difficult to stay still or find a sense of stability.
Ultimately, the song offers a message of hope and resilience, with the idea that tomorrow may bring a brighter future and a way to move beyond the pain of the past. The repeated phrase "we'll get around" suggests a shared struggle and a determination to find a better way together.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe what you've seen isn't part of me at all
Perhaps the image you have in your mind doesn't belong to me.
It must belong to someone but not to me
The picture in your mind may exist, but it doesn't belong to me.
Maybe I was too quick, too quick to turn my head
I might have been too hasty to look away, without a second thought.
But I had to go, just to get around
I had to move on, even if it meant finding a different path.
Other way around
Sometimes, the best way forward is in the opposite direction.
The world it wants you weak
The world around us often aims to take away our strength and resilience.
Another way around
But we can find a different approach, a way out of the weakness.
I was so young, I didn't know what it meant
When I was inexperienced, I didn't comprehend the impact of my actions on others.
To be hurt and then to hurt
I didn't realize how much pain I could cause, once I had been hurt myself.
I was so young, but it's so hard to stay still
Even though I was young, it was difficult for me to just sit still and do nothing.
I was so young, and it's getting harder still
As time passes, it becomes even more challenging to stay put and not take actions.
Just to get around, the other way around
Sometimes, we have to go against the grain, just to find a better path ahead.
Maybe tomorrow, hope won't come stillborn today
Perhaps we can hold on to the idea that hope may blossom in the future, even if it's not present right now.
And maybe tomorrow, sound won't fill in for words to say
Maybe one day, we will find the right words to express ourselves truly, and won't have to rely on just sounds.
And we'll get around
And eventually, we'll find a way through our struggles.
We'll get around
We can overcome our challenges if we keep moving forward.
The other way around
Sometimes, there is a different path that we should take, which may lead to new perspectives and growth.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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