The band released their album In The House Of Attics in 2007 on Hopeless Records, and before that their EP Best Friends Our Worst Enemies in 2004 on Genco Records. Their EP was re-released on Hopeless Records in 2006.
The eternal rock and roll struggle is nothing new to Royden. After numerous lineup changes during their formation in 2005, Royden now stands proudly with a powerful, skilled lineup of musicians who wield instruments as sonic weaponry. They are set apart not only by their skill, but mainly by their willingness to experiment openly with the seemingly tired rock/pop genre. Royden couples jagged guitar lines with odd time signatures, post-punk basslines, and operatic, classic-rock inspired vocals. And then there’s the lyrics- dirges about celestial bodies intertwined in a dramatic romance, dance music with a backdrop of an infirmary, fast-paced power-pop about robot attacks, and a heaping portion of crushing rock and roll serving to illustrate the apocalyptic subject matter.
Members:
Treebo Pultz - Vocals
Justin Sherwood - Guitar
Tim Brummer - Guitar
Kerry Trusewicz - Bass
Nick Pultz - Drums
Former members:
Frank Rosania - Guitar
myspace.com/royden
roydenstork.com
2003-2008, reformed in 2020 as Royden Stork.
Dolittle Raids
Royden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shooting lead flies in the night.
Were hitting targets as these rockets.
Were streaking horror through the sky.
Were closing up the shutters.
And bringing out the dead.
While all the children under covers,
There hiding underneath their beds.
Signing songs to try to sleep.
We sing songs while they try to sleep.
With the morning sun.
Land minds beneath their footsteps.
Smart bombs are wrapped in sheets.
As we are ruined in the wreckage
And scattered in the streets.
So open up our coffins
And save us from ourselves.
Just let the sky fills with explosions
And empty bullet shells.
Ringing sounds through this black hole.
As we try to sleep.
The rain is blasting off the tiles.
And down on the street the damned
Silently lurking in the darkness.
Shadows and sirens scream and dance.
They are shooting off in silence.
And all the streets are filled with light.
As all the people in fire are burning up alive.
Their lives are saved by the morning sun.
Thats keeping the fire burning in everyone.
She holds her head to a loaded gun.
Pull the trigger for everyone.
In front of everyone.
The sound of the morning is beautiful. She said.
The ax hits the bell and rings out.
The sound of the morning is beautiful. She said.
Let it go
As all the people in fire are burning up alive
The song "Dolittle Raids" by Royden appears to be a commentary on the horrors of war and its impact on innocent civilians. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the destruction and chaos that ensues as bombs and gunfire rain down on a town. In the first verse, the imagery of "shooting lead flies in the night" and "closing up the shutters" highlights the fear and violence experienced by the town's inhabitants. The line "bringing out the dead" suggests the casualties of the conflict, further emphasizing the devastating toll of war. The second verse describes the mental toll of the violence, as people try to quiet their fears with songs as they struggle to sleep. The third verse explores the aftermath of the conflict, with the haunting image of "all the people in fire burning up alive", a chilling reminder of the destruction caused by war. The repeated phrase "the morning sun" seems to provide a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness, as if suggesting that even in the midst of war, life and light will go on.
Overall, "Dolittle Raids" presents a bleak commentary on the impact of war on innocent people, and the haunting lyrics and vivid imagery convey the sense of devastation and loss that wars can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Holding pistols in their pockets.
They were armed with guns.
Shooting lead flies in the night.
They were firing bullets in the dark.
Were hitting targets as these rockets.
They were hitting targets as if they were explosive rockets.
Were streaking horror through the sky.
They were causing terror by flying and shooting in the sky.
Were closing up the shutters.
They were closing windows and doors to protect themselves from the chaos outside.
And bringing out the dead.
They were retrieving dead bodies from the disaster outside.
While all the children under covers, There hiding underneath their beds.
All the children had hidden themselves under covers and beds, scared of the violence.
Signing songs to try to sleep.
They were singing songs to put themselves and others to sleep.
We sing songs while they try to sleep. With the morning sun.
They try to sing to everyone to help them sleep, and hope that everything will be better in the morning light.
Land minds beneath their footsteps.
They were walking on landmines that could explode at any moment.
Smart bombs are wrapped in sheets.
They were covering explosive bombs to look harmless.
As we are ruined in the wreckage And scattered in the streets.
They were left in ruins and had to flee from the destroyed area.
So open up our coffins And save us from ourselves.
They were asking for help as they were their own worst enemies and needed to be saved from themselves.
Just let the sky fills with explosions And empty bullet shells.
They were accepting the chaos and destruction, letting the sky fill with explosions and debris.
Ringing sounds through this black hole. As we try to sleep.
The sounds of chaos kept them from being able to sleep.
The rain is blasting off the tiles.
The rain was hard and caused a loud noise as it hit the ground.
And down on the street the damned Silently lurking in the darkness.
There were people in the streets, although dangerous, and they were waiting silent in the darkness.
Shadows and sirens scream and dance.
The shadows and sirens came together and made a chaotic scene.
They are shooting off in silence.
They were firing weapons, but it was eerily quiet
And all the streets are filled with light.
The chaos illuminated the streets, it was very bright.
As all the people in fire are burning up alive.
People were burning alive in the fire.
Their lives are saved by the morning sun. Thats keeping the fire burning in everyone.
Hope remains alive and the morning sun motivates everyone to survive.
She holds her head to a loaded gun. Pull the trigger for everyone. In front of everyone.
One person has the power to change it all, and they are ready to use it, even if it means doing it publicly in front of everyone.
The sound of the morning is beautiful. She said.
Even amidst the chaos and destruction, there is beauty in the morning sound.
The ax hits the bell and rings out. The sound of the morning is beautiful. She said. Let it go.
They try to find the beauty in the morning, even as chaos looms. They must accept the situation for what it is and let it go.
Contributed by Aaron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.