Stavesacre debuted in 1996 with the album Friction. The band's tough, hard rock sound and the very strong, distinctive voice and lyrical work of vocalist Mark Salomon immediately gained Stavesacre a very strong and devoted following. The band continued on with two more exceptionally well-received studio albums, Absolutes and Speakeasy, on Seattle-based Tooth & Nail Records. During this period of time the group was associated with the edgier side of the contemporary Christian music scene. But dissatisfaction with what the band saw as hypocrisy in that industry led to a well-publicized break from the scene in 2000. Stavesacre released a split EP with Denison Marrs in 2001 on Velvet Blue Music which featured three new songs and then released Collective, a retrospective best-of/outtakes collection, to complete their contract with Tooth & Nail.
In 2002 Stavesacre signed with the independent Nitro Records and released (stāvz'ā'kər), with producer David Bianco at the helm. The band's first three albums were produced by Bryan Carlstrom. Many fans were averse to the change in production values, and opinion was split regarding the band's shift to a more melodic, less aggressive sound, marking (stāvz'ā'kər) as a somewhat polarized release. Regardless, the change did little to bring Stavesacre into the mainstream limelight. The band then sought release from their contract, and went fully independent. 2002 saw the release of a live DVD of a show recorded in Dallas, Texas as well as the limited-edition four-song Bull Takes Fighter EP, which many dedicated fans hailed as a slight return to form but which was not widely known about.
In 2005 the band signed with Abacus Recordings, an imprint of Century Media Records, and recorded its fifth full-length studio album in Los Angeles with producer Matt Hyde. Titled How To Live With A Curse, it was released on April 18th, 2006. While, again, the album was seen by many of the remaining fans as a strong and triumphant return to the scene, it seemed that Stavesacre's luck had run out; the album failed to gain back much of the limelight in which the band had played during the 90s, and in early 2007 they announced on their Myspace blog that the band was finished.
However, Stavesacre would return to the studio with original guitarist Jeff Bellew (praised for the harder sound of Stavesacre's first two albums) to record the EP Against the Silence (released in 2013) and the independent album MCMXCV (released in 2017).
The name "Stavesacre" is derived from the stavesacre plant, which is poisonous and used as a parasiticide. Its seeds are known to induce vomiting.
Official Site: http://www.stavesacre.com
Island
Stavesacre Lyrics
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You know my way...
It's just my way
Restless, tense, and shifting in my seat
Changing times fight bottom lines fight dreams
And darlin' you won't hear my voice tonight
Even that is held just out of reach
(chorus)
But if you should wake one day to find
You don't see yourself as mine
If you should need to leave my side
You'd leave a better man behind
All I've seen and known I would make ours
But for each thing that blesses, more leave scars
And baby, we could just stay home tonight
I found some softness in world so hard
No one sees us making this
I feel it, and see it in their eyes
But I won't lose sleep if when they see you
They don't see me
I won't mind
I found an island in a sea of failing coals
A fire that never dies before it's grown
And I'm just another soul that's come in from the cold
Seeking shelter from the coming storms
The lyrics to Stavesacre's song "Island" reflect the struggles and complexities of relationships. The first line of the song speaks to the difficulty of expressing one's feelings directly, and the following lines describe the restlessness and tension that can arise in relationships. The singer acknowledges that sometimes it's hard to communicate, even if they want to, and that their voice may be "held just out of reach."
The chorus of the song speaks to the fear of losing someone important, but also the acknowledgment that sometimes people need to move on. The singer wants their partner to know that if they decide to leave, they will leave behind a better man than the one they found. The lyrics suggest a desire for a healthy relationship, one in which both partners grow and become better people.
The final verse of the song describes the singer finding an "island in a sea of failing coals," a metaphor for finding hope in difficult circumstances. The singer has found something special in their relationship, something that provides shelter from the storms of life. The line, "I'm just another soul that's come in from the cold" suggests that the singer has been through a lot and that their relationship is a source of comfort and healing.
Overall, the lyrics to "Island" are poetic and introspective, exploring the challenges of relationships and the hope that can be found in them.
Line by Line Meaning
This for all the things too hard to say
This song is for all the things I can't bring myself to say out loud
You know my way...
You know how I communicate, this is just my style
It's just my way
This is simply how I am, a part of my nature
Restless, tense, and shifting in my seat
I'm feeling restless and anxious, constantly moving around
Changing times fight bottom lines fight dreams
The world is changing, and it's becoming harder to pursue our dreams while making ends meet
And darlin' you won't hear my voice tonight
I can't communicate with you tonight, even though I want to
Even that is held just out of reach
Even the act of communicating is difficult for me at the moment
But if you should wake one day to find
If the day ever comes when you realize we shouldn't be together
You don't see yourself as mine
You don't see yourself as belonging to me anymore
If you should need to leave my side
If you need to leave me behind
You'd leave a better man behind
You leaving me would only make me stronger, a better version of myself
All I've seen and known I would make ours
I want to share my experiences and knowledge with you
But for each thing that blesses, more leave scars
For every good thing that happens, there are more bad things that cause pain
And baby, we could just stay home tonight
We don't have to go out, we can stay in and enjoy each other's company
I found some softness in world so hard
I found comfort and solace in a harsh world
No one sees us making this
Our relationship isn't obvious to others
I feel it, and see it in their eyes
I can tell that they can sense something going on between us
But I won't lose sleep if when they see you
I won't be bothered if people realize that you're not with me
They don't see me
I won't take it personally if people don't realize that you and I are together
I found an island in a sea of failing coals
I found a place of safety and comfort in a harsh world full of struggle
A fire that never dies before it's grown
A passion that never fades away before it has a chance to prosper
And I'm just another soul that's come in from the cold
I'm just someone looking for warmth and comfort
Seeking shelter from the coming storms
Looking for protection from the difficulties and challenges ahead
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES STANLEY MC CARTY, KEITH RELF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind