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)
Cicada
Silverchair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He only had one favorite toy
And he had nothing on his mind
He never left anything behind no
As he got older things got worse
Like he had been born under a curse
Things started to fall apart
They went like they were at the start
No oh
It's like a civil war growing up
It's like a civil war
Don't turn away
It's something you can't ignore
Growing up
It's like a civil war
And now that he was in his teens,
He started to learn live of his means,
Probably to stay in here and
They didn't look like disappearin',
No, oh
It's like a civil war, growing up,
It's like a civil war,
Don't turn away,
It's something you can't ignore,
Growing up
Growing up, it's like a civil war,
Don't turn away,
It's something you can't ignore,
Growing up, it's like a civil war,
Don't turn away,
It's something you can't ignore,
Growing up, it's like a civil war.
The lyrics of "Cicada" by Silverchair speak about the struggles of growing up and how it can feel like a battle within oneself. It begins with the story of a boy who only had one toy when he was younger and never wanted to leave anything behind. However, as he grew older, things got worse for him, and it felt like he was born under a curse. The lines "It's like a civil war, growing up" and "It's like a civil war, don't turn away, it's something you can't ignore" emphasize the turmoil that often accompanies coming of age.
The repetition of the phrase "Growing up, it's like a civil war, don't turn away, it's something you can't ignore" adds to the intensity of the message. It speaks about the struggle of accepting and embracing the changes that come with growing up. The lines "And now that he was in his teens, he started to learn live of his means" imply that the boy began to understand the value of living within his means and not trying to escape his reality. Despite everything, he realizes that he can't turn away from the battle of growing up, and it's something he has to confront.
Overall, "Cicada" is a powerful song that speaks about the inner conflicts that people face as they grow older. It highlights the importance of facing the struggles of life head-on and accepting them.
Line by Line Meaning
When he was just a little boy
The song talks about a person's childhood.
He only had one favorite toy
The person's childhood was simple.
And he had nothing on his mind
The person was carefree during his childhood.
He never left anything behind no
The person did not have anything to lose as a child.
As he got older things got worse
The person's life took a negative turn as he grew up.
Like he had been born under a curse
Life seemed to be against the person.
Things started to fall apart
The person began facing problems in life.
They went like they were at the start
The person was not able to make progress.
It's like a civil war growing up
The struggles of growing up are compared to a civil war.
Don't turn away
It is important to face one's problems.
It's something you can't ignore
The struggles of growing up cannot be avoided.
And now that he was in his teens,
The person is now a teenager.
He started to learn live of his means,
The person began to understand the importance of living within his limits.
Probably to stay in here and
The person may have to stay in his current situation.
They didn't look like disappearin',
The problems did not seem to be going away.
Growing up, it's like a civil war
The struggles of growing up continue to be compared to a civil war.
Don't turn away
It is important to be courageous and face one's problems.
Growing up, it's like a civil war,
The struggles of growing up can be difficult.
Don't turn away,
It is important to face the challenges that come with growing up.
It's something you can't ignore,
The struggles and challenges of growing up cannot be avoided.
Growing up, it's like a civil war,
The struggle to grow up is a battle.
Don't turn away,
It is important to face challenges head-on.
It's something you can't ignore,
Ignoring the struggles of growing up can lead to bigger problems.
Growing up, it's like a civil war.
The struggles of growing up can be difficult and challenging.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL JOHNS, BEN GILLIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind