In May 2007, Tony McNaboe, Spencer Albee, and Dave Gutter made a surprise announcement on Portland's WCYY that they planned to reunite, and were in the process of scheduling local reunion shows. On May 29th, they announced that they would play two reunion shows at Portland club "The Asylum," one on July 28th, 2007 and another on July 29th. They also performed at the Maine Lobster Festival on August 2nd. In addition, after a month of rumors and gossip, the band also announced that they have been working on a new album of previously unreleased material and newly written music, which will be released coinciding with the two reunion shows. The album will be released independently, due to the band's past frustration with dealing with record labels. While initially rumored that these two shows would be the only Rustic Overtones reunion, Dave Gutter has confirmed that the band is "here to stay." In August 2008, it was announced that Spencer Albee had officially left the band and had been replaced by Sean Morin.
Members:
Dave Gutter - Guitar and Vocals
Jon Roods - Bass
Sean Morin - Keyboards/Vocals
Tony McNaboe - Drums
Dave Noyes - Trombone
Jason Ward - Baritone Sax
Kyan Zoidis - Alto Sax
Albums:
Shish Boom Bam (1993)
Long Division (1994)
My Dirt (1996)
Rooms By The Hour (1998)
Volume Up (Promo) (1999)
¡Viva Nueva! (2001)
Light at the End (2007)
New Way Out(2009
Gutter and Roods grew up together, beginning their musical journey in a family basement along with other future Overtones (all friends from high-school). Following their first independent release in 1994, Albee joined the mix, rounding out what would become the distinctive Rustic Overtones sound.
Many of the former members have new bands including Gutter and Roods in Paranoid Social Club and Albee's band As Fast As.
Oxygen
Rustic Overtones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
drown inside myself.
The water rushing in,
Please help me breathe again,
In hell.
I hope you're doing well,
In hell.
Cause that's where I find myself when
Until you come back to me.
Cause I'm half way dead,
Since you turned your back to me, back to me.
Since you turned your back to me, back to me.
I beg you please,
Will someone rescue me?
Someone set me free.
And now I'm lost here out at sea,
And I'm gone,
So far gone.
In so deep that I can't hardly see the light shine down on me.
I can't Hold my breath,
Until you come back to me,
Cause I'm half way dead,
Since you turned your back to me, back to me.
Since you turned your back to me, back to me.
We can go tonight,
We don't argue and fight,
I know,
You're the closest thing to peace I know.
The world can get it wrong,
But we can get along.
Make love, don't make war.
Make love, don't make war.
But I can't Hold my breath,
Until you come back to me,
until you come back to me.
Cause I'm half way dead,
Cause you turned your back to me, back to me.
Cause you turned your back to me, back to me.
The lyrics to Rustic Overtones' "Oxygen" describe the feeling of drowning inside oneself and the desperation for rescue and release. The metaphor of water represents a suffocating feeling, as if one cannot breathe without the presence of another person. The singer sings about feeling lost at sea and consumed by darkness, unable to see the light. There is a sense of hopelessness in the lyrics as the singer pleads for someone to set them free.
However, the tone shifts in the final stanza with a more positive outlook. The singer suggests that they can go somewhere and avoid arguments, stating that the person they are addressing is the closest thing to peace that they know. The lyrics suggest that instead of making war, they should make love, implying that love is the solution to their problems. However, the singer still admits that they cannot hold their breath until the person they are addressing comes back to them, highlighting the importance of their presence in their life.
Overall, the lyrics of "Oxygen" convey a sense of desperation and hopelessness, as well as a desire for love and peace. The water metaphor effectively represents suffocation and the need for someone else to help one breathe.
Line by Line Meaning
I drown,
I feel like I'm drowning
drown inside myself.
I feel like I'm trapped and suffocating in my own feelings
The water rushing in,
Metaphor for my overwhelming emotions
Please help me breathe again,
I need someone to help me through my struggles
In hell.
In a state of emotional pain and despair
I hope you're doing well,
Expressing concern for someone else's well-being despite feeling miserable myself
Cause that's where I find myself when
This is where I am mentally and emotionally
I can't Hold my breath,
I can't keep going without relief
Until you come back to me.
I need the support and love of someone else to get through this
Cause I'm half way dead,
Metaphor for my emotional state - feeling numb and hollow
Since you turned your back to me, back to me.
I feel abandoned and alone because of someone else's actions
I beg you please,
Desperate plea for help
Will someone rescue me?
Asking for someone to save me from my own emotions
Someone set me free.
I need someone to help me break free from my emotional prison
And now I'm lost here out at sea,
Metaphor for feeling adrift and alone
And I'm gone,
Feeling like I've lost myself and who I used to be
So far gone.
Feeling like I'm too far gone to be helped
In so deep that I can't hardly see the light shine down on me.
Feeling like there's no hope in sight and everything is dark and depressing
We can go tonight,
Looking for an escape from my troubles
We don't argue and fight,
Trying to find peace and stability in a relationship
I know,
Confident in this one person's ability to help me
You're the closest thing to peace I know.
Feeling like this person is my only source of comfort and stability
The world can get it wrong,
Feeling like the world is against me
But we can get along.
Finding hope in a positive relationship
Make love, don't make war.
Pleading for a peaceful, loving relationship
But I can't Hold my breath,
Despite trying, I feel like I'm suffocating in my own emotions
Until you come back to me,
Continuing to rely on this one person for support
Cause I'm half way dead,
Still feeling numb and hollow
Cause you turned your back to me, back to me.
Feeling like I've been abandoned and rejected
Contributed by Jasmine O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.