November 1995, Drummer Eric Fisher, frustrated with previous projects began… Read Full Bio ↴November 1995, Drummer Eric Fisher, frustrated with previous projects began writing on his own. He discovered blending dark alt-rock songwriting with innovative programming would help him become a more creative songwriter, rather than being a conventional rock band. He then dubbed the project Tapping The Vein. Eric brought his ideas to guitarist/songwriter Steve Stegg and bassist Lou Louvenir. He began a search for a vocalist and found the perfect match, Heather Thompson. In May 1996, They recorded their first ep and released it independently.
In late 1997, Steve and Lou decided to leave the band, and they were replaced with Joe Rolland and Mark Burkert. They independently recorded and released a second EP entitled "Undone".
They were signed to Nuclear Blast Record's new label Revolution Entertainment in the fall of 2000, and released a full length recording “The Damage” in 2002.
On June 2, 2009 the band released a new CD titled "Another Day Down" on the label Dancing Ferret Discs.

Inclined
Tapping the Vein Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I manage to lift my head
I will toast this prison bed
If I allow myself to breathe
That is a very good thing for me

When I'm so inclined,
When I feel it's time to,
I will throw myself into the sea

If I manage to leave this room
It's not a sign I'm pulling through this
I force every breath
I have nothing, I'm not recovering
I'm biding time left

Because when I'm so inclined,
When I have the strength to,

I will throw myself into the sea
I will throw myself into the sea

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tapping the Vein's song "Inclined" appear to be about a person in a state of despair or depression, who is struggling to deal with their circumstances. The opening lines suggest that the singer is trapped or confined, possibly in a hospital bed, and they are mentally toasting or acknowledging their situation.

The lyrics then shift to the idea of breathing, which is presented as a positive thing. This seems to imply that the singer is struggling to even do something as basic as taking a breath, and when they are able to do so, it's a significant accomplishment.

The chorus of the song is a declaration of the singer's desire to escape their situation by throwing themselves into the sea. This could be interpreted in myriad ways – as a literal call for suicide, or as a metaphor for letting go of their troubles and starting anew. The overall impression is one of a person in a state of deep distress, who is searching for a way out of their suffering.

Overall, the lyrics to "Inclined" are somewhat cryptic, and there are many possible interpretations. The theme of being trapped or confined is prominent, as is the idea of wanting to escape. The references to breathing and the ocean suggest a connection to the primal forces of nature, which can both sustain and destroy life.

Line by Line Meaning

If I manage to lift my head
I am in a state of deep despair but if my condition improves even slightly, I will express gratitude by raising my head

I will toast this prison bed
I will celebrate whatever little comfort I can find in this miserable prison bed

If I allow myself to breathe
I am struggling to survive, but taking a breath is a good sign of my resilience

That is a very good thing for me
Every small victory is a significant step towards recovery for me

When I'm so inclined,
When I feel compelled to do so,

When I feel it's time to,
When I feel like there's no other option but to,

I will throw myself into the sea
I will do whatever it takes to end my suffering, even if it means killing myself by drowning in the sea

If I manage to leave this room
My situation is so dire that even leaving this room, which is essentially a prison, won't necessarily signify an improvement in my condition

It's not a sign I'm pulling through this
I am not optimistic about my chances of recovering from this condition

I force every breath
I am putting all my energy into surviving and every breath is a struggle for me

I have nothing, I'm not recovering
I have nothing to hope for, my condition is not improving and I'm losing the will to fight

I'm biding time left
I'm barely holding on and waiting for things to change, but I'm not sure for how long I can continue to do so

Contributed by Declan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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