SINEW out of Marburg, Germany, have managed to find their own niche in only… Read Full Bio ↴SINEW out of Marburg, Germany, have managed to find their own niche in only 3 years of existence by creating a sound that combines elements of DREDG, TOOL and MUSE. The band coined the term "Cinemascopic Alternative Rock" for this epic mixture. Sinew came together in 2004, when guitarist Andreas Mette and bassist Sotirios Kelekidis left the melodic-punk-band Psycho Gambola to seek for new musical challenges after the release of four records with this outfit. After some line-up changes and a self-released MCD in 2004 the band found a steady line-up completed by Sascha Junker (vocals, keyboards, percussion) and Sascha Christ (drums, samples) and managed to find and develop their sound as it is today. VISIONS magazine featured the band in their Unexplored Area in November 2006, acknowledging the closeness to the hymnic moments of Dredg but at the same time attesting Sinew the ability to create a very unique atmosphere of their own. Their official debut record "The Beauty Of Contrast" presents 12 songs of progressive-power-rock meets indie-guitar-pop in a way you will definitely not hear from any band out of Germany and hardly from any band in the world: catchy, melodic, dramatic, urgent and vulnerable with lyrics that deal with more important things than relationship drama and broken hearts. Sascha Junker (lyrics) is more concerned with the plight of humans in an over-rationalized world and the search for a way out of it, matching the depth of the music with a depth in meaning. “The Beauty of Contrast” was released in February 2008 through ALVERAN RECORDS.

contrast
Sinew Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So damned cold is this night
But so am I
As a human being I am denied

You are what you can buy
I'd rather be dead than live up to this lie
Something has to be done

You say things have to change?
But please, not too much now
I want to uphold what we call 'secure'

It cannot be so wrong
To live on the safe side
Better to use than become used

There is nothing for free
I rise with the challenge 'til I'm on my feet

The view is so good when you're not on your knees
The solutions start with questioning

Solutions that we need?
For problems I can't see
Hey, I'm not the one who caused the alarm

Swimming with the stream?
This nature of the things I say
For the river runs only in one way

But the river's running dry
Maybe yours but not mine
See, we're in this together
No, you're not like my kind
I'm not to blame for your weakness
Without a less there's not a more
Your richness causes poverty
What should I care for?
We run down a descending spiral, running out of time
And growth rates aren't endless
But still it's working out for me
Inside you're empty
I've got everything I need
But your money can't buy happiness

You're just a huge amount of zeroes
You're a huge zero
Call me weak you think you're strong, right?
But you don't know shit what it's like
To stand for something that you never have understood – 'cause you never asked why
Every day I have to justify the things I say
Every day I keep on strugglin' for a better way
With your back against the wall, you would feel lonely, too
But I stay human in contrast to you
You stand for nothing
And nothing stands for you
You stand for nothing
No one will stand by you

All I try is to stay human in contrast to you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Contrast" by Sinew address themes of societal pressure, conformity, and personal integrity. The first lines set the scene for a cold night, which serves as a metaphor for the emotional distance and lack of compassion within contemporary culture. The singer compares themselves to the cold, highlighting their own feelings of isolation and disconnection from humanity. They suggest that, as a human being, they are denied the ability to authentically express themselves and connect with others.

The lyrics go on to critique consumerism and capitalist values, expressing a desire to live differently and reject the status quo. The singer sees their peers as being trapped in a cycle of consumption and materialism, and believes that something needs to change. However, they acknowledge that this change cannot come too quickly or too extreme, as people still value their sense of security and familiarity. This tension between progress and stability is a common theme throughout the song.

The second half of the song becomes more confrontational, with the singer challenging those who disagree with them. They see themselves as standing for something, even if it means going against the mainstream, and express the idea that true happiness and fulfillment cannot be bought or attained through wealth or success. The repeated refrain of "You stand for nothing / And nothing stands for you" is a powerful condemnation of those who prioritize their own self-interest over any sense of community or collective responsibility.

Line by Line Meaning

So damned cold is this night
It is very cold outside tonight

But so am I
I am also cold

As a human being I am denied
As a human being, I feel like I am deprived of something

You are what you can buy
Your worth is determined by how much money you have

I'd rather be dead than live up to this lie
I would rather die than conform to this false idea

Something has to be done
We need to take action to change something

You say things have to change?
You acknowledge that change is needed

But please, not too much now
But you don't want change to go too far

I want to uphold what we call 'secure'
You want to maintain a sense of security

It cannot be so wrong
It cannot be completely bad

To live on the safe side
To take precautions to avoid danger

Better to use than become used
It is better to be a user than to be used

There is nothing for free
Nothing is given away without some cost

I rise with the challenge 'til I'm on my feet
I will continue to fight until I am successful

The view is so good when you're not on your knees
Life seems better when you are not in a position of weakness

The solutions start with questioning
To find solutions, we must first ask questions

Solutions that we need?
Are we in need of solutions?

For problems I can't see
I am not aware of all the problems that exist

Hey, I'm not the one who caused the alarm
I am not responsible for the problems that exist

Swimming with the stream?
Are we following the norm?

This nature of the things I say
The things I say are a part of my nature

For the river runs only in one way
Things tend to follow a certain course

But the river's running dry
But things are changing and resources are running out

Maybe yours but not mine
This may be true for you, but not for me

See, we're in this together
We are both responsible for this situation

No, you're not like my kind
You and I are different

I'm not to blame for your weakness
I am not responsible for your shortcomings

Without a less there's not a more
You cannot have more without taking away from something else

Your richness causes poverty
Your wealth contributes to the poverty of others

What should I care for?
Why should I be concerned?

We run down a descending spiral, running out of time
We are headed towards disaster, and we are running out of time

And growth rates aren't endless
Economic growth cannot continue indefinitely

But still it's working out for me
Despite these problems, I am still successful

Inside you're empty
You feel empty on the inside

I've got everything I need
I am content with what I have

But your money can't buy happiness
Money cannot bring true happiness

You're just a huge amount of zeroes
You have no value beyond your wealth

You're a huge zero
You are nothing without your money

Call me weak you think you're strong, right?
You believe yourself to be strong by calling me weak

But you don't know shit what it's like
You have no idea what it is like

To stand for something that you never have understood – 'cause you never asked why
To stand up for something that you never took the time to understand

Every day I have to justify the things I say
I have to explain myself every day

Every day I keep on strugglin' for a better way
I continue to fight for a better future every day

With your back against the wall, you would feel lonely, too
If you were in a difficult position, you would feel the same way

But I stay human in contrast to you
But I remain true to myself unlike you

You stand for nothing
You have no beliefs or principles

And nothing stands for you
You have no value or importance

No one will stand by you
No one will support or stand with you

All I try is to stay human in contrast to you
I only strive to remain a decent person compared to you

Contributed by Levi C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS