A number of their albums are concept albums - Catatonia is a concept album "depicting the internal journey of a man born without the ability to dream". The Robbery of Murder is about a man who hunts down the drunk driver responsible for running down his father when he was a boy.
Their CD, Mimi's Magic Moment features guest appearances from Neal Morse, David Ragsdale of Kansas and Fred Schendel from Glass Hammer and is highly recommended. They recently released their eighth studio album, Pennies in the Karma Jar, on the surface it appears to be a "praise and worship" album, but like everything with Salem Hill it is much deeper than that. Carl Groves' exceptional guitar playing, introspective lyrics, and love affair with the Hammond dominates their latest work.
Real
Salem Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you gorge on unimportant and starve on what you need
i've had enough of christmas sales and tributes to the dead
enough of scandalous details on which you all are fed
so soaps and talk shows get you off the spectacle of pain
and while your children kill their friends you tell me who's to blame
give me something real to see
give me something real to hear laughter drunk in fun
give me something real to hold
hands which shed no blood
give me something real to know
my children will grow up
please shield me from the misery thrust
at me from the tube
the rusty sword of suffering
packaged poison doom so knives and courtrooms
get you off celebrity and fame
and wide-eyed you sit hypnotized
to feed on other's shame
give me something real to see
children without guns
give me something real to hear laughter drunk in fun
give me something real to hold
hands which shed no blood
give me something real to know
my children will grow up
The lyrics of Salem Hill's "Real" express the theme of hypocrisy and the desire for authenticity. The singer addresses the listener, accusing them of feeding on scandalous details and tributes to the dead while ignoring the real issues in the world. The lyrics use strong imagery to describe the situation, with the metaphor of a "squalid swollen seed" representing the ugliness and pervasiveness of hypocrisy.
The singer's frustration with the media's focus on sensationalism is evident in lines like "so soaps and talk shows get you off the spectacle of pain." The mention of children killing their friends points to the deeper issues that are being ignored in favor of entertainment. The singer pleads for something real – children without guns, laughter, fun, and hands that shed no blood. The desire for authentic experiences is expressed in the repeated refrain, "give me something real."
The lyrics also address the idea of shielding oneself from the negativity of the world. The singer implores the listener to "please shield me from the misery thrust at me from the tube," referring to the TV. The metaphor of a "rusty sword of suffering" and "packaged poison doom" demonstrate the destructive power of the media. The desire for authenticity is further emphasized by the line "give me something real to know my children will grow up."
Overall, the lyrics of "Real" by Salem Hill express the singer's frustration with hypocrisy and the media's focus on sensationalism. The desire for authenticity is expressed through imagery and the repeated refrain "give me something real."
Line by Line Meaning
i'm choking on hypocrisy a squalid swollen seed
I am suffering from the burden of fake behavior which is like a diseased, enlarged and ugly entity.
you gorge on unimportant and starve on what you need
You indulge in trivial things excessively, whereas you are left unsatisfied in attaining what you truly require.
i've had enough of christmas sales and tributes to the dead
I am tired of commercializing and exploiting emotions related to both joyous as well as mourning occasions.
enough of scandalous details on which you all are fed
I cannot bear any more gossip or revealing of private, shameful information which people are excessively interested in or obsessed with.
so soaps and talk shows get you off the spectacle of pain
Television dramas and interviews offer you an escape from the reality of suffering and sorrow.
and while your children kill their friends you tell me who's to blame
Instead of taking responsibility for their actions, you blame external factors despite the fact that your own children are committing heinous crimes.
give me something real to see children without guns
I desire to witness the existence of innocent children who do not possess weapons or participate in weapon-related violence.
give me something real to hear laughter drunk in fun
I want to hear genuine and joyfully contagious laughter expressed in a state of happiness and leisure.
give me something real to hold hands which shed no blood
I yearn for a touch that is pure and innocent, free from the corruption or harm of violence.
give me something real to know my children will grow up
I require certainty that my children will be able to mature and develop positively into responsible and decent adults.
please shield me from the misery thrust at me from the tube
I request protection from the distressful and negative information being imposed on me via electronic media.
the rusty sword of suffering packaged poison doom so knives and courtrooms
The unpleasant objectivity of pain is distorted by society to such an extent that it is presented as an appealing yet destructive force while the reality of violence is trivially discussed and normalized.
get you off celebrity and fame and wide-eyed you sit hypnotized to feed on other's shame
The unhealthy culture of seeking stardom and adoration through exposure to others' embarrassing affairs is an addiction which captures people's minds and turns them into passive spectators instead of assuming their own responsibilities.
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.