From their third album (Neon Ballroom) onward, the band have tried to experiment with slightly more complex song structures, pop influences, and the usage of orchestral backing on a few songs, most notably on their fourth album Diorama with composer Van Dyke Parks contributing to three of the tracks. This change is shown on their performance in their only live album "Live At Faraway Stables" where the band plays two sets - the first comprising newer material where they are backed by two keyboardists to simulate orchestral arrangements, and the second containing their earlier material.
2007 saw the release of the band's latest album Young Modern, featuring the lead single Straight Lines; the song reached number one on the ARIA singles charts. The album was supported by a full tour of North America (their first since 1999), and an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand with fellow Aussie post-grunge rockers Powderfinger, entitled "Across the Great Divide."
To quote Daniel Johns, "I've been thinking a lot since we finished [[album artist=Silverchair]Young Modern] about where this fits into the other stuff we've done. The way I see it, the first album was naivete, the second one was anger, the third one was depression and the last one was escapism. Young Modern is all about acceptance."
The band announced an indefinite hiatus in May 2011:
"We formed Silverchair nearly 20 years ago when we were just 12 years old. Today we stand by the same rules now as we did back then ... if the band stops being fun and if it's no longer fulfilling creatively, then we need to stop. [...] Despite our best efforts over the last year or so, it's become increasingly clear that the spark simply isn't there between the three of us at the moment. Therefore after much soul searching we wanted to let you know that we're putting Silverchair into "indefinite hibernation" and we've decided to each do our own thing for the foreseeable future".
—Daniel, Ben and Chris, chairpage.com (Silverchair Official Website), 25 May 2011.
Members:
* Daniel Johns (vocals, guitar)
* Chris Joannou (bass)
* Ben Gillies (drums)
Albums:
* Tomorrow (EP) (1994)
* Frogstomp (1995)
* Freak Show (1997)
* Neon Ballroom (1999)
* The Best Of - Volume One (2000)
* Diorama (2002)
* Rarities 1994-1999 (2002)
* Live From Faraway Stables (2CD & DVD) (2003)
* Young Modern (2007)
Ana
Silverchair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For as long as you're here we're not
You make the sound of laughter
And sharpened nails seem softer
And I need you now somehow
And I need you now somehow
On my knees for you
Open fire on my knees desires
What I need from you
Imagine pageant
In my head the flesh seems thicker
Sandpaper tears corrode the film
And I need you now somehow
And I need you now somehow
Open fire on the needs designed
On my knees for you
Open fire on my knees desires
What I need from you
And your my obsession
I love you to the bones
And Ana wrecks your life
Like an anorexia life
Open fire on the need designed
On my knees for you
Open fire on my knees desires
What I need from you
Open fire on my needs designed
Oh, and open fire on the needs designed
On my knees for you
The lyrics to Silverchair's song Ana's Song (Open Fire) are quite dark and disturbing, dealing with the singer's struggle with anorexia and his obsession with a girl named Ana. The singer pleads with Ana to die because her presence is a constant reminder of his own struggles with the illness. He finds comfort in her laughter, but at the same time, her thinness and obsession with body image are triggering his own self-destructive behavior. He is torn between his love for her and his own need for self-preservation.
The song paints a vivid picture of the singer's inner world, with images of sandpaper tears corroding the film and flesh seeming thicker in his mind's eye. The line "And Ana wrecks your life like an anorexia life" is particularly haunting, suggesting that Ana is not only a person but also a representation of the disease itself. The repeated refrain of "Open fire on the needs designed" suggests a desire to burn away the obsession and destructive behaviors that are consuming the singer.
Overall, Ana's Song (Open Fire) is a powerful exploration of the complex emotions and experiences that come with anorexia and other eating disorders. It offers a raw and unflinching look at the toll that these illnesses can take on individuals and their relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Please die Ana
The singer is expressing their desire for Ana to disappear, indicating that her presence is hindering their life in some way.
For as long as you're here we're not
The singer suggests that Ana's presence is preventing their ability to truly be themselves and live fully.
You make the sound of laughter
Ana's laughter is an auditory trigger for the singer, and suggests that its impact on them is significant.
And sharpened nails seem softer
The presence of Ana has a numbing effect on the artist, reducing the intensity of normally painful experiences.
And I need you now somehow
Despite their initial request for Ana's absence, the artist admits to needing her in some way, which is somewhat contradictory.
Open fire on the needs designed
The singer is calling for a sort of emotional destruction of their deepest desires, suggesting that their needs are causing them some type of internal conflict.
On my knees for you
Metaphorically speaking, the singer is in a state of submission to Ana's influence on them.
Open fire on my knees desires
The artist is directing their call for destruction towards their own physical desires, again indicating some internal turmoil.
What I need from you
The artist identifies the source of their emotional conflict as coming directly from their desire to have their needs fulfilled by Ana.
Imagine pageant
The artist is indulging in vivid, imaginary fantasies that involve Ana. These thoughts seem to consume the artist's mind and impact their well-being.
In my head the flesh seems thicker
The singer's fantasies are so vivid that they feel tangible, and suggest that the influence of Ana is reaching beyond a mental state and into a physical one.
Sandpaper tears corrode the film
The artist is experiencing intense emotions that are physically impacting them, such as crying to the point of burning sensations in their eyes.
And your my obsession
The singer admits that Ana's impact on them goes beyond a simple influence and is instead an obsession.
I love you to the bones
The singer's love for Ana is intense and appears to be consuming them completely, even reaching into their core being.
And Ana wrecks your life
The singer suggests that Ana's influence can have negative effects on one's life, rather than solely being a positive force.
Like an anorexia life
The artist is using anorexia as a metaphor for the negative impact that Ana can have on someone's existence.
Open fire on the needs designed
The artist repeats their call to destroy their deepest emotional needs, further emphasizing that they are causing significant internal conflict.
Oh, and open fire on the needs designed
The singer's repetition of this phrase suggests that this internal conflict has become a persistent issue in their life.
On my knees for you
Again, the singer emphasizes that they are emotionally subservient to Ana and that this is causing them anguish.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
Please die Ana
For as long
As you're here
We're not
You make the
Sound of laughter
And sharpened nails
Seem softer
And I need you now somehow
And I need you now somehow
Open fire
On the needs designed
On my knees for you
Open fire,
On my knees desires
What I need from you
Imagine pageant
In my head the
Flesh seems thicker
Sandpaper tears
Corrode the film
And I need you now somehow
And I need you now somehow
Open fire
On the needs designed
On my knees for you
Open fire,
On my knees desires
What I need from you
And you're my obsession
I love you to the bones
And Ana wrecks your life
Like an Anorexia love
Open fire
On the needs designed
On my knees for you
Open fire,
On my knees desires
What I need from you
Open fire
On the needs designed
Open fire,
On my needs designed
On my knees for you
@musicsaves97
Easily one of the most underrated and forgotten bands of the 90's.
@gooddeedsgirl2238
musicsaves97 Easily!
@donnieblanko
+musicsaves97 The Frogstomp and Freak Show albums were underrated.
@travellis1
+musicsaves97 Failure and Hum are quite underrated too...
@qbsrd
+Donnie Blanko Frogstomp, not really. It's still the best record for the fans, 6 millions records sold in the world. Not really underrated ;) Freak Show, yes
@donnieblanko
Haranya Skyyat yea sure it sold 6 million albums but for the kind of album Frogstomp is, it should be compared to anything the big 4, Soundgarden Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Nirvana came out with. Frogstomp should stand as more of a benchmark for 90's grunge/rock scene, which it never really was. It's an underrated album for what it is, not in terms of record sales.
@koriaynewebb
Oh my god. I finally found it! I have been searching for this song for 22 years. I was 9 years old and all I could remember was the video where a girl washes her hands in the sink til they bleed.
@jules8159
I’m so happy for you
@thebotfather9508
and to think all you had to do was google the lyrics & you could've found it 20 years sooner lol
@jules8159
@The Botfather music is a quest bitch