The self-proclaimed "demi gods of horror-cor… Read Full Bio ↴2008–2012, 2014–present
The self-proclaimed "demi gods of horror-core" known as Spraynard formed in 2008 with one intention in mind: to plant the ideological seeds of unrestrained patriotism in the minds of their listeners.
Guitarist Pat Graham was seen at rallies supporting the Iraq War as recently as January, 2010. "I'm not just here to support our military offensive in Iraq - I'm here to support every kind of military action imaginable, past, present, and future. I will not be satisfied until every last person in this world is pledging to my American flag. I have no apologies."
To propagate this message of extreme colonialism, Spraynard implements "subtle yet strong patriotic themes" in their songs and records. Graham explains, "if you actually take just two fucking minutes to think about our lyrics, you'll find that they're all about preserving the kind of America that the puritan settlers intended to create. And yes, that means I support the revival of actual witch hunts."
These intensely nationalist perspectives have caught up with the band in the form of physical confrontation. Outside of a show in Boston, MA, the band was assaulted by a small army of 242 anti-fascist skinheads. According to the band, if it weren't for Dos, they might have actually lost the fight.
Bassist Mark asserts that he is indifferent to his bandmates' political beliefs. Showcasing Spraynard's trademark sense of humor, Mark joked "as long as I get paid in smack, I am happy."
The band reunited in March 31, 2014.
Damn You A Box
Spraynard Lyrics
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I can still hear the words that you said
You told me we'd have no secrets
and that you weren't afraid of death
but before we can be honest with each other
We need to stop lying to ourselves
Because if you're not afraid to die
Then you must have never really felt alive
So when the dirt replaces the sky
and our bodies get eaten alive
Will your friends be too brave to cry?
'Cause they're not scared that everything dies
My father rarely shows emotion
It's just not the way he was raised
But as his mothers memory wasted away
Saw the pain in his face, in his face
So when the dirt replaces the sky
and our bodies get eaten alive
Will your friends be too brave to cry?
'Cause they're not scared that everything dies
The lyrics of Spraynard's song Damn You A Box convey a sense of reflection on life and death, and the necessity of honesty and vulnerability in relationships. The singer describes a conversation they had with someone during a late-night conversation, in which the other person claimed to have no fear of death and to want a completely transparent relationship. However, the singer argues that both parties must first stop lying to themselves before they can truly be honest with each other. The lyrics suggest that someone who claims to not fear death may not truly feel alive, and that true honesty requires vulnerability.
The lyrics then shift to a more universal reflection on death, asking whether friends of the deceased will be too "brave" to cry when everything dies. The mention of the singer's father's reaction to his own mother's memory loss adds another layer of complexity to the theme of death, as it suggests the different ways in which people handle grief and emotional vulnerability.
Overall, the lyrics of Damn You A Box suggest a deep contemplation of the connections between life, death, honesty, and vulnerability in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
We stayed up so late that night
We were up late sharing deep thoughts and feelings.
I can still hear the words that you said
The words you shared that night are still so vivid and clear in my mind.
You told me we'd have no secrets
You promised me that we wouldn't keep anything from each other.
and that you weren't afraid of death
You also shared that you didn't fear death.
but before we can be honest with each other
However, we need to be truthful and authentic with ourselves first.
We need to stop lying to ourselves
We must put an end to deceiving ourselves.
Because if you're not afraid to die
Being unafraid of death would mean that you never truly lived.
Then you must have never really felt alive
You couldn't have really experienced life to the fullest extent.
So when the dirt replaces the sky
When we die and the earth is all we see above us.
and our bodies get eaten alive
When our physical bodies decay back into the earth.
Will your friends be too brave to cry?
Will your loved ones be too stoic to grieve?
'Cause they're not scared that everything dies
Perhaps they're unafraid of death and don't see the point in mourning.
My father rarely shows emotion
My dad doesn't typically express his emotions outwardly.
It's just not the way he was raised
He likely grew up in an environment where showing emotions wasn't encouraged.
But as his mothers memory wasted away
As his mom's memory declined with age or illness.
Saw the pain in his face, in his face
I could tell by the expression on his face that he was deeply pained by the situation.
Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.