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)
Blind
Silverchair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's something wrong round here
I have no doubt
We're all really down from fear
Everything's dark
And I cannot find
What I've been looking for so I
Have to say I'm blind
Yeah he cannot see he's blind no
Yeah
I'm blind,
Oh I'm blind
If you do
Shed a tear
Don't come near my place because I
I won't be here
There's no love lost between you and me
And that's the way that I like it
I wanna live like a normal man
And I think I can, yeah
But he cannot see
Yeah, he cannot see he's blind, oh yeah
I'm blind
Yeah, ooh, no
Yeah, fuck
"Blind" by Silverchair is a song that portrays a person who is struggling to find their place in the world, using the metaphorical language of being blind. The opening lines demonstrate the restless and uneasy spirit of the singer, who senses that something isn't right and he needs to escape from the current situation. He feels that fear has engulfed everyone around him, leaving them in a dark place, and he is unable to find what he is looking for. This sense of confusion and helplessness is beautifully captured in the line "Everything's dark, and I cannot find what I've been looking for, so I have to say I'm blind."
The singer has realized that despite his best efforts, he is unable to see the truth and the reality around him. He is aware that he is standing amidst the chaos but is unable to comprehend or understand it. The lyrics "But he cannot see, yeah, he cannot see he's blind, no yeah, I'm blind, oh, I'm blind" highlights his frustration at his inability to grasp the situation.
The second half of the song has a more aggressive tone with the use of expletives. The singer is asking someone not to come near him if they shed a tear, indicating that he has no desire for sympathy or concern. He feels that there is no love between them, and that's how he would like it, emphasising his need for independence. The concluding lyrics "I wanna live like a normal man, and I think I can, yeah, but he cannot see, yeah, he cannot see, he's blind, oh yeah, I'm blind" effectively express the singer's yearning to live a simple and wholesome life. But, unfortunately, he is incapable of seeing how to achieve it and is, therefore, blind.
Line by Line Meaning
I need to get out
The singer wants to escape an unspecified bad situation
There's something wrong round here
The singer is in an unsettling and uncomfortable environment
I have no doubt
The singer is certain about what he is feeling
We're all really down from fear
Everyone is affected by the atmosphere of fear around them
Everything's dark
The situation seems bleak and hopeless
And I cannot find
The singer is struggling to locate something important to him
What I've been looking for so I
The singer has been searching for something specific and meaningful
Have to say I'm blind
The singer feels like he cannot see or perceive what he's been seeking
But he cannot see
Someone else is also unable to understand the singer's perspective
Yeah he cannot see he's blind no
The other person is completely unaware of what the singer is going through
I'm blind,
The singer is using the metaphor of being blind to express his inability to find what's important to him
Oh I'm blind
The singer repeats the phrase to cement the idea in the listener's mind
If you do
Addressing someone specific, the singer warns them of how he'll respond if they do something
Shed a tear
The action in question is crying
Don't come near my place because I
The singer doesn't want to deal with emotional or dramatic situations
I won't be here
The singer won't be in a place where he has to deal with those situations
There's no love lost between you and me
The relationship between the singer and another person is strained and without affection
And that's the way that I like it
The singer is expressing that he prefers distance from this person
I wanna live like a normal man
The singer wants a life that's free from unnecessary struggles and drama
And I think I can, yeah
The artist has hope that this kind of life is possible
But he cannot see
Repeating the idea from earlier, someone else is still unable to understand or relate
Yeah, he cannot see he's blind, oh yeah
The other person is completely oblivious to the singer's wants and needs
I'm blind
Re-emphasizing the message that the singer is struggling with something important that he cannot find
Yeah, ooh, no
An expression of frustration or annoyance
Yeah, fuck
A strong and vulgar expression of the singer's frustration and dissatisfaction
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL JOHNS, BEN GILLIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind