Rival Schools is a Post Hardcore band from New York, United States that was… Read Full Bio ↴Rival Schools is a Post Hardcore band from New York, United States that was formed in 1999 by members from several influential 80's and 90's hardcore bands (including Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, CIV, Youth Of Today, Burn, Project X, Judge, Moondog, Warzone, Side by Side and Iceburn). The band started from the ashes of a short lived project, World's Fastest Car which had Artie Shepard of Mind Over Matter and Bad Trip fame involved, but the project went no further than demos. Apparently Walter and Artie had a difference of opinions hence the split. Artie then started Errortype: 11.

* Walter Schreifels - vocals, guitar
* Cache Tolman - bass
* Sam Siegler - drums
* Ian Love - guitar (left in 2002)

The band decided to start a series of EPs where multiple groups form a single band and they looked to Jonah Matranga formerly of Far, New End Original and Gratitude. The lone result was titled Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing, released on 24th July 2001. Their full-length album titled United By Fate was released on 28th August the same year on Island Records. Shortly after the release of United By Fate, the band released their first single, Used for Glue. The second single released from the album was Good Things. Both releases enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV, both in the US and UK.

Ian Love left the band in 2002, and played as part of an Experimental-Rock band named Cardia, releasing an eponymous album in 2003.

A second album was expected for spring/summer 2003, but it did not surface. However, the master tapes of the album were leaked onto the internet, comprised of eleven tracks:

01- Just a Second
02- The Perspective Reach
03- I Don't Know
04- Your Answer
05- See What You Got
06- Looking
07- Don't Change
08- Shared Information
09- Surrendering Position
10- Seems So Real
11- Get Out of This Place

Rival Schools parted ways in September 2003. Schreifels formed a new band called Walking Concert, releasing an album in 2004. The second album will now be released sometime in 2006.

Sammy Siegler joined Nightmare of You and briefly provided percussion for Limp Bizkit.

The band reformed for shows in Summer 2008 and a new album is expected.

The band was originally named Rival Schools United by Fate, after a video game, but due to legal reasons had to change their name to just Rival Schools.

Holding Sand
Rival Schools Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sew a late seed
And so inside
A cast out, unwanted son
A crawl to what you want
Sit down, you fault, you run away from anyone
And where you live, I feel most on
A corner of space that you don't run
And guard's off, I pass you by

Makes no impression as you stand
Makes no impression holding sand
A waif across the sea, aloss
Because you can't think straight
It's your calling
Wasted mourning
You wish it was your hand sliding down her back
Call, this is the first thing that you can solve
As the weight comes off again
Always the last to remember a name
Makes no impression as you stand
Makes no impression holding sand
You had your captive fan, and then what?
She saw your face and it tied your hands
Made no impression on me
Only left out holding sand

And it runs through
Shows in your face and runs through your hands

Overall Meaning

In the song "Holding Sand" by Rival Schools, the lyrics portray a sense of isolation and insecurity. The opening line, "Sew a late seed," refers to planting a seed too late in the season, suggesting the idea of missed opportunities or potential. This is followed by "And so inside, a cast out, unwanted son," which alludes to feeling rejected or abandoned. The lyrics then describe a person who struggles to connect with others and often runs away from any confrontation, as seen in "Sit down, you fault, you run away from anyone."

The chorus of the song, "Makes no impression as you stand, makes no impression holding sand," emphasizes the idea of being transient and unmemorable. The lyrics also reference a lost love interest, but the singer's shyness or insecurity prevents them from making a move, as seen in "you wish it was your hand sliding down her back." The song's title "Holding Sand" is a metaphor for holding onto something that is fleeting and impossible to grasp, further emphasizing this theme of insecurity and transience.

Line by Line Meaning

Sew a late seed
Starting something too late to be effective

And so inside
Internally, you already know

A cast out, unwanted son
A person who has been rejected and abandoned

A crawl to what you want
Slowly working towards your goal

Sit down, you fault, you run away from anyone
Self-doubt causes you to avoid others

And where you live, I feel most on
The place you inhabit feels familiar to me

A corner of space that you don't run
You cling to a safe space where you don't take any risks

And guard's off, I pass you by
When you drop your defenses, I move on

Makes no impression as you stand
You don't leave a lasting impact

Makes no impression holding sand
Like sand, you can't hold onto anything

A waif across the sea, aloss
A lonely and lost person in a foreign land

Because you can't think straight
Your lack of clarity impedes your decision-making

It's your calling
Your destiny is to pursue this path

Wasted mourning
You're wasting your time grieving

You wish it was your hand sliding down her back
A missed opportunity for intimacy

Call, this is the first thing that you can solve
Reaching out to someone is the first step in solving your problems

As the weight comes off again
You're starting to feel lighter

Always the last to remember a name
Your forgetfulness makes you feel disconnected from others

You had your captive fan, and then what?
You once had attention, but for what purpose?

She saw your face and it tied your hands
Fear or anxiety prevented you from making a move

Made no impression on me
You didn't affect me in any way

Only left out holding sand
Leaving behind nothing concrete or meaningful

And it runs through
This feeling persists

Shows in your face and runs through your hands
Your emotions are evident in your demeanor

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WALTER ARTHUR SCHREIFELS, KEVIN P. SHIELDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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