SBTRKT debuted in 2009 with remixes of artists like Radiohead, M.I.A, Basement Jaxx (‘Scars’) and Franz Ferdinand (‘Send Him Away’). These remixes gained the attention of radio DJs and tastemaker blogs, leading to more releases on Brainmath label, Ramp and Young.
His 2011 eponymous debut SBTRKT was critically acclaimed, featuring starmaking turns from artists like Jessie Ware and Sampha. Jerome's collaboration with Sampha had begun in 2010, with the two working to hone their music production skills together in Jerome's London apartment. The creative bond would extend across all of the subsequent SBTRKT albums. Jerome followed up his debut album with 2014's Wonder Where We Land, featuring contributions from Caroline Polachek, A$AP Ferg, alongside Ware, Sampha, and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig.
SBTRKT's third project -- 2016's Save Yourself -- saw Jerome tackling xenophobia, political corruption, and the toils of being an artist under capitalism. Featuring contributions from Shelley FKA DRAM, The-Dream, and Sampha, the project was initially positioned as a rejection of the traditional album format, with Jerome writing upon release that "this is not an album" and that "culturally, albums now feel like a means to prove you are a "real" artist. To release an album, you turn yourself over to traditional label cycles and the end of increasing sales, leaving behind the creative spirit that brought the music to life in the first place."
After releasing Save Yourself, Jerome took an extended hiatus, returning in 2023 with his fourth project The Rat Road. Again inspired by the dire sociopolitical context, Jerome sought to send up the idea of the "rat race," while also stepping more fully into the spotlight and reclaiming his artistry and the narrative surrounding the SBTRKT project. In the lead-up to the album's release, Jerome discussed his South Asian heritage, how the initial anonymity of the SBTRKT project alienated him from his art, and how during his hiatus from the project he sought to hone his skills. The album was released on May 5, 2023.
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Trials of the Past
SBTRKT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a carrier a carrier of the light inside of you
Glows green in the pitch black night night night
Can't tell anyone anyone it's hurting you
So hold it in cover up, pull up your sheets your sheets
What to be, down cruising in the ocean, and sin it's due
So I got to sit up, sit up up up
For my heart to come down down down down down
For my heart to come down down down down down
The ghoulish entities they come floating through the walls
Ghostly enemies they come floating through you door
And the ghoulish entities they come floating through the wall
From the past from the past and they're somewhere right before you like The
Ghost of Christmas Past
I was always floating around the city
Go with the flow without ever knowing where I wanna be
So I got into crazy situations
A loyal soldier who acts who acts who acts. But never asks
Why am I flying on my back, my back?
With the moon looking down down down down down
Where's my band? Where's anything at all all?
And why's the ceiling going black black black black black?
The ghoulish entities they come floating through the walls
Ghostly enemies they come floating through you door
And the ghoulish entities they come floating through the wall
From the past from the past and they're somewhere right before you like The
Ghost of Christmas Past
Now, there's not anything's coming unless you go
And you can't break the chasing ghosts ghosts ghosts
So much so when they come back but never ask
At your side, at your soul
When they come back but never ask
The ghoulish entities they come floating through the walls
Ghostly enemies they come floating through you door
And the ghoulish entities they come floating through the wall
From the past from the past and they're somewhere right before you like The
Ghost of Christmas Past
The song "Trials of the Past" by SBTRKT is a reflection on the past and how it can haunt and affect our present. The lyrics convey a message of hidden pain and self-suppression. The singer is someone who has been carrying the burden of their experiences with them, but they feel unable to express their emotions and pain to anyone. They feel trapped in their own thoughts and fears. The line "Can't tell anyone anyone it's hurting you, So hold it in cover up, pull up your sheets your sheets" highlights the struggle to hide pain and pretend everything is fine.
The chorus, "So I got to sit up, sit up up up, For my heart to come down down down down down, So I got to sit up, up up up up, For my heart to come down down down down down," suggests the singer's attempt to confront their emotions and face their past. They know that they need to sit up and confront what haunts them in order to move on.
The second verse references the singer's past experiences and how they have impacted their life. They have gone through "crazy situations" and have adapted to survive, but they never question why. They find themselves drifting without a clear purpose and feeling disconnected from their surroundings. The line "And why's the ceiling going black black black black black?" suggests a feeling of darkness and a lack of control.
Overall, the song portrays the struggle of dealing with the past and the importance of taking steps to confront and heal from it.
Line by Line Meaning
So young so how were you to know know know
When you were young, how could you have possibly known what was to come?
You're a carrier a carrier of the light inside of you
You possess a special inner light within yourself.
Glows green in the pitch black night night night
This light shines bright even in the darkest of nights.
Can't tell anyone anyone it's hurting you
You can't share the pain that comes along with this light with anyone.
So hold it in cover up, pull up your sheets your sheets
You chose to suppress it and hide it from the world.
What to be, down cruising in the ocean, and sin it's due
The ideal future involves sailing the ocean and accepting whatever fate you've wrought.
So I got to sit up, sit up up up
You need to take action and rise to the challenge.
For my heart to come down down down down down
You'll feel peace when you find balance within yourself.
The ghoulish entities they come floating through the walls
Memories of the past come back to haunt you, invading your present.
Ghostly enemies they come floating through you door
These painful memories and enemies sneak their way into your life.
From the past from the past and they're somewhere right before you like The Ghost of Christmas Past
The ghosts of your past mistakes and experiences linger and affect you in the present, like the classic character from A Christmas Carol.
I was always floating around the city
You drifted through life aimlessly.
Go with the flow without ever knowing where I wanna be
You followed the crowd without having a clear direction of where you wanted to go.
So I got into crazy situations
Your lack of direction led you to wild and unpredictable situations.
A loyal soldier who acts who acts who acts. But never asks
You were obedient and always went along with what was expected, never questioning it.
Why am I flying on my back, my back?
You find yourself in difficult situations and feel like you've been knocked down.
With the moon looking down down down down down
From a higher perspective, it feels like you're stuck in a never-ending cycle.
Where's my band? Where's anything at all all?
You feel lost and without support.
And why's the ceiling going black black black black black?
You feel trapped and hopeless.
Now, there's not anything's coming unless you go
You need to take initiative and make things happen for yourself.
And you can't break the chasing ghosts ghosts ghosts
You can't escape from the ghosts of your past that continue to haunt you.
So much so when they come back but never ask
They keep returning but you never confront them.
At your side, at your soul
These ghosts are always with you, affecting your very being.
Lyrics © BEGGARS MUSIC, LTD.
Written by: SAMPHA SISAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind