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.
Patience
Rites of Spring Lyrics
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To understand a hand that's not my hand
In a moment to be defined
All clear lines of all that, that could mean
And I'm wanting eyes
That won't justify or despise all they see
And a silence inside
To help me decide and hide in me
I get so tired of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
When these skies won't fall
Wanting a chance
Just a chance that cannot be missed
Because in seconds that pass
Never there, it's just another kiss
And I'm wanting a heart
And hearts that won't just beat on their own
Because every beat without purpose or thought
You know..
Makes me feel more alone
And I'm so tired of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
Waiting
When the skies won't fall
In Rites of Spring's song "Patience," the lyrics express a yearning for understanding and connection, but also a deep frustration with the waiting and uncertainty that often accompanies these desires. The first verse opens with the singer's desire to understand "a hand that's not my hand" and "all that, that could mean." This can be interpreted as a desire to connect with someone or something outside of themselves, but also an acknowledgement of the difficulty and ambiguity of truly understanding another person. The next few lines express a longing for "eyes that won't justify or despise all they see" and "a silence inside to help me decide and hide in me." These lines paint a picture of someone who is seeking clarity and calmness amidst the chaos and noise of everyday life.
The next verse builds on the themes of longing and frustration, with the singer wishing for "a chance that cannot be missed" and a heart that won't just beat on its own without purpose or thought. These lines continue the theme of the desire for connection, but also suggest a frustration with the fleeting nature of these opportunities and the feeling of isolation that can come from not having a deep, meaningful connection. The repetition of the lines "I get so tired of waiting" and "when these skies won't fall" adds to the feeling of restlessness and impatience that permeates the song.
Overall, "Patience" is a meditation on the difficulty of connecting with others and the frustration and loneliness that can come from waiting for those connections. The lyrics are introspective and contemplative, expressing a sense of longing and a desire for understanding, but also a recognition of the challenges and uncertainties that come with pursuing those desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Wanting to understand
I seek the ability to comprehend
To understand a hand that's not my hand
I desire to understand a gesture that is not of my own
In a moment to be defined
In a specific instance that is yet to take place
All clear lines of all that, that could mean
All the distinct possibilities that come with it
And I'm wanting eyes
I wish for a sight
That won't justify or despise all they see
Eyes that do not form opinions on what they perceive
And a silence inside
A stillness within
To help me decide and hide in me
That will aid me in decision making and concealing emotions
But oh,
However,
I get so tired of waiting
I become weary of anticipation
I get so tired of waiting
I become bored of expectation
I get so tired of waiting
I become exhausted of waiting
When these skies won't fall
During times when things do not change
Wanting a chance
Desiring an opportunity
Just a chance that cannot be missed
An opportunity that must not be overlooked
Because in seconds that pass
Because time swiftly passes
Never there, it's just another kiss
Events that never occur, just like a fleeting kiss
And I'm wanting a heart
I seek a soul
And hearts that won't just beat on their own
Hearts that do not function independently
Because every beat without purpose or thought
Any heartbeats without intention or contemplation
You know..
You are aware...
Makes me feel more alone
Further deepens my sense of solitude
And I'm so tired of waiting
I am extremely exhausted of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
I become weary of waiting
Waiting
The act of waiting
When the skies won't fall
During times of staticity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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