"We've spent our whole lives in Las Vegas and we're the only people from Las Vegas who didn't turn into smack dealers," says vocalist/guitarist Chris Babbitt, showcasing his signature humor. Babbitt and guitarist Mikey Cross were born at the same hospital and brought into this world by the same doctor. It's as though the stars were aligned and the duo were destined to be in a band. Babbitt recalls the band's coming together, saying, "Alan and I met sophomore year in high school when I started playing guitar. I met Mike senior year, after I had been trying to put a band together for many years and it finally happened when we were 21." Babbitt fell into the frontman role, in what turns out to have been a happy accident. "No one could sing so I was going to have to step it up. Everyone sucked and I happened to suck less," he says, tongue planted firmly in cheek. Babbitt admits the band started "screwing around" at a local haunt – Roberto's Taco Shop— and everything spiraled from there.
Babbitt and Cross also worked security at the Hard Rock Hotel, which helped them remain surrounded by and immersed in rock 'n roll. This rough 'n tumble day job led the duo to appear as the star security guards on True TV's Rehab show. Babbitt laughs about his role on the reality show, saying, "I save a lot of lives, kick a lot of ass!"
One other way Taking Dawn kicks a lot of ass is in their band. "All the glitz and being immersed by constant vice has steered us in the other direction," Babbitt admits. "We don't drink a lot, smoke or do drugs. We're just about the music and the girls that come with it!" While most of the members were just born when Guns N' Roses was tearing up the Sunset Strip in L.A., Taking Dawn got up to speed and on the quick, with their steadfast rock 'n roll dedication and education. Chris' dad was a rocker and a hippie, and his son was predisposed to a life of loving Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. "He played Sabbath while he vacuumed around my crib. When I got picked up from kindergarten, he'd ask me what track was playing," he remembers. Babbitt also learned to love the rock early and that's something he's taken with him into his '20s and within his local scene. He says, "Las Vegas is represented by The Killers and Panic At The Disco. There is no real rock 'face' here anymore. Slaughter was the last rock band, so I feel like we have a lot to carry on that end, as a rock band, to bring attention to the scene."
While Taking Dawn are by no means a throwback to 80s glam metal, the band is certainly inspired by the era gone by and have chosen to take the foundation of that sound and scene and update it in a thoroughly modern way: by shredding, soloing and creating melody in their music. "I don’t get people who don't like Bon Jovi and Skid Row and other classic bands," he says. "We want to bring it to the kids, for them to understand it in a modern context. We don't want to imitate. We want to do our own thing. We want the balls and the attitude."
Time To Burn has the desired cojones and a whole lotta attitude. The title track was the one that attracted the attention of Roadrunner, due to the fact that it's fast, oozes energy and makes a big statement. "It goes, 'Homicidal, kill your idols / Your heroes are whores and your only God is you.' It's a big statement about what we want to say. We don't want to look like "some" part or image and we're saying you don't have to do drugs and be complete fuck up to still rock harder than the rest of them." Amen to that! The band is particularly proud of the song, saying, "We can write an aggressive, catchy song that shreds." The song even has a part where the band sings, 'Halle-Fucking-lujah.' Of that moment, Babbitt offers further explanation, saying, "It builds differently, instead of being the same formulaic, pseudo-anti-establishment and anti-organized religion song. It has religious innuendo. You know, it's the one word Ozzy never said! I needed one word he didn't already use. It's liberating and fun as fuck to sing. We almost didn't keep that part but it's the hook of the song."
"Take Me Away" is a playful romp about a lady of the night, so to speak, and sonically, it lives at the other end of the spectrum of the band's style: it has a metallic edge dosed with the catchy pop the band cops to liking. "We like songs that are classics and that have hooks. We want to connect with people," Babbitt says. "Everyone agrees on the same top 50 songs that make up the musical canon. We want to slide into that 50. This song is rock 'n roll with the baddest guitars around and it's catchier than herpes." While it's a bold statement for the band to make, it's hard to argue with confidence and bravado when there is talent and skill to back it up.
The band also shows off its non-standard side by covering Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain." They originally planned to do their own rendition of WASP's "Fuck Like a Beast," but decided to switch gears. Babbitt says, "We wanted to do something more ambitious, even though that song summed up the band and we want to give that song limelight. Then we started thinking of alternatives and we didn't want to be pigeonholed by the 80s scene even though we love bands from that era. Mike was rolling through songs and that is our favorite Fleetwood Mac song. We have the opportunity to do what Metallica did for 'Turn the Page' and make it our own while retaining the original audience."
The band demoed with Jason Suecof (Trivium, All That Remains) and eventually recorded with Elvis Baskette (Chevelle, Incubus). In the end, Babbitt wants to write songs that sound like Randy Rhoads meets Marty Friedman, merging the classic rock and modern metal sounds into their own unique blend. He admits, "We're not trying to write other people's songs. We're trying to write songs that kick your fucking ass but have a vintage feel." He also eschews genre classification, saying, "Our music is about attitude and being open to rocking out to a song. That goes far for us. The genre barrier bullshit is not for us. You can do both. You don't have to be a savior or a martyr. That kills music."
Genres, compartmentalization and safe rock 'n roll be damned.
Take Me Away
Taking Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are open veins that stain her sleeves
And now the lonely street’s her only friend tonight
But the lights are cold, the lies are old
And all she wants is to go home
She bites her lip and shuts her eyes
And sings herself a lullaby
Take me away
Hold on tight and kiss the night, there’s nothing left to say
Take me away
Open wide and whisper, I can almost hear her say
She loves the rush, she loves the thrill
She loves the hunt, she loves the kill
Deep inside she knows it’s her who dies each time
But the lights are cold, the lies are old
And all she wants is to go home
She bites her lip and shuts her eyes
And sings herself a lullaby
Take me away
Hold on tight and kiss the night, there’s nothing left to say
Take me away
Open wide and whisper, I can almost hear her say
Just take me home
Take me home
Wipe back the black to free the blue
Now honey it’s just me and you
And I’ll kill ‘em all if you ask me to
But all she says is…
Take me away
Hold on tight and kiss the night, there’s nothing left to say
Take me away
Open wide and whisper, I can almost hear her say
Just take me home
Take me home
In Taking Dawn’s song “Take Me Away,” the lyrics explore the inner turmoil of a protagonist who feels trapped and lonely. The black that bleeds the dreams she leaves represents a deep sadness that has stained her soul. Her only friend is the lonely street, but she longs to be taken away from this desolation. The cold lights represent the harsh reality that she faces every day, while the lies being old symbolize that she has lost faith in people. The singer bites her lip and shuts her eyes as she sings herself a lullaby, trying to find solace in her own voice.
The repetition of the phrase “Take me away,” is a plea for someone to rescue her from her despair. At one point, she admits to loving the rush, the thrill, the hunt, and the kill - traits that allude to a more ominous side of her character. She knows that it is her who dies each time, but she cannot help herself. In the end, even though she has the power to kill them all alongside the one who holds her, all she says is; “just take me home.”
Line by Line Meaning
The black that bleeds the dreams she leaves
The dark emotions that she expresses through her art are the source of her pain.
Are open veins that stain her sleeves
These emotions are raw and intense and the only way for her to release them is by expressing them, causing her pain.
And now the lonely street’s her only friend tonight
She feels completely alone and finds comfort in the unfeeling streets outside.
But the lights are cold, the lies are old
The things that she once found comfort in no longer bring her solace.
And all she wants is to go home
She longs for a place where she truly feels accepted and loved.
She bites her lip and shuts her eyes
She tries to suppress her emotions and escape reality in her own way.
And sings herself a lullaby
She tries to calm her emotions by singing.
Take me away
She wants to escape her current situation and find somewhere safe.
Hold on tight and kiss the night, there’s nothing left to say
She wants someone to understand her without words and hold on tight to her as she escapes.
Open wide and whisper, I can almost hear her say
She wants to be whispered to, to be reminded that she isn't alone.
She loves the rush, she loves the thrill
She craves excitement and danger, which ultimately leads to her pain.
She loves the hunt, she loves the kill
She enjoys chasing after something, even if it means causing her own pain in the end.
Deep inside she knows it’s her who dies each time
Her actions come at a cost to her, emotionally and mentally. She is aware of this, but still cannot help herself.
Just take me home
She wants to be taken back to a place where she feels safe and loved.
Wipe back the black to free the blue
By letting go of the darkness, she may be able to rediscover happiness and hope.
Now honey it’s just me and you
She's found someone who understands her and to whom she can reveal her true self.
And I’ll kill ‘em all if you ask me to
She's willing to do whatever it takes to protect this person who has given her hope.
But all she says is…
Despite her strength and resolve, the only thing she asks for is to be taken home and to be loved.
Take me away
Repeated line; emphasis on the longing to escape and be safe.
Hold on tight and kiss the night, there’s nothing left to say
Repeated line; still emphasizes interpreting without words and the need to escape.
Take me home
Repeated line; the constant call for love and acceptance.
Contributed by Camden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.