S. Carey is American musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is… Read Full Bio ↴S. Carey is American musician Sean Carey of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carey is best known as the drummer and supporting vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver. In August 2010, Carey released his first solo album, All We Grow.

The debut album is the result of a young lifetime spent immersed in music. As a band member of Bon Iver from the very beginning, Carey endured a flip of his formal training to step firmly into a worldwide-touring rock band. His performance degree in classical percussion from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and his love for jazz drumming prepared him for a central role in the inspiring force of the Bon Iver live show.

All We Grow is a convergence of Carey's Waltz For Debbie era Bill Evans inflected jazz tendencies, and traditional rock band experience, taking leads from Mark Hollis' Talk Talk. It also retests the waters of modern classical composition, investigating the moodiness generated by percussive repetition in a manner familiar to fans of Steve Reich. In his downtime on tour with Bon Iver, Sean would spend time pining for his soul-mate's arms, and in that context, dreaming and composing. During infrequent tour breaks at home he would patiently record these pieces, adding layers each time. Two years later, the parts converged to make an album.

For as much room to breathe as Carey allows his compositions, there are incredibly dynamic moments of bombast held right next to moments of subtle depth and texture. Engineered by Jaime Hansen and Brian Joseph, intermittently at home and at April Base (Justin Vernon's studio outside Eau Claire), All We Grow is an all-encompassing headphone experience as intimate as chamber music and as ambitious as a symphony.

While many are familiar with the cabin mythology of Bon Iver, the story behind Sean joining the band is equally kismet. After hearing through mutual friends that Justin was looking to put together a band, he spent two weeks in his bedroom listening to For Emma, Forever Ago on Myspace, dissecting and learning the drum and vocal parts so well that Justin invited him to join the band upon Sean's approach.

All We Grow is a classic album born without expectation and met with adoration - a cathartic result of Carey's extraordinary and vibrant life experiences that resonates loss, dreams and heart in a manner so instantly relatable, you feel as though you can touch it.

Bullet Proof.. I Wish I Was
S. Carey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Limb by limb and tooth by tooth
Tearing up inside of me
Every day every hour
I wish that I was bullet proof

Wax me
Mould me
Heat the pins and stab them in

You have turned me into this
Just wish that it was bullet proof

So pay the money and take a shot
Leadfill the hole in me
I could burst a million bubbles
All surrogate and bullet proof

And bullet proof

And bullet proof
And bullet proof

Overall Meaning

In S. Carey's song Bullet Proof, the lyrics depict a sense of vulnerability and fragility as the singer reveals their inner turmoil and emotional pain. In the first stanza, the use of the metaphor "limb by limb and tooth by tooth" describes the tearing sensation inside of the singer, emphasizing the severity of their emotional distress. Despite the constant suffering, they continue to endure it with the hope of one day becoming "bulletproof." The second stanza portrays an external force that is responsible for the singer's transformation. The use of the metaphor "heat the pins and stab them in" implies a sense of agony and despair that the singer experiences while undergoing the transformation. The final repetition of "bulletproof" emphasizes the urgent desire to escape the emotional turmoil.

The song appears to allude to the ramifications of an emotionally abusive relationship. The lyrics express the singer's sense of frustration and helplessness, as they attempt to make themselves impervious to the actions and words of their abuser. The singer hopes to make themselves "bulletproof" to the emotional turmoil they are experiencing. Although the song never explicitly states the situation, the lyrics convey a feeling of vulnerability and fragility that is relatable on many different levels.

Line by Line Meaning

Limb by limb and tooth by tooth
Slowly and gradually, every part of me is getting destroyed

Tearing up inside of me
Causing emotional pain and distress within me

Every day every hour
Constantly and consistently, without interruption or relief

I wish that I was bullet proof
I wish that I was impervious to pain and emotional damage

Wax me
Mold me like wax, shape me according to your desire

Mould me
Form me, make me into what you want me to be

Heat the pins and stab them in
Apply heat to sharp objects and drive them into me, causing me pain

You have turned me into this
You have transformed me into something I don't recognize or want to be

Just wish that it was bullet proof
I wish that this new version of myself was impervious to pain and emotional damage

So pay the money and take a shot
Spend the money and inflict harm upon me

Leadfill the hole in me
Fill the emptiness in me with something toxic or damaging