If indie rock ever makes it in Romania, it’ll be because of The Amsterdams and their relentless pursuit. And because bands like The Dandy Warhols dig them and regard them as the best band in the land. As they make it pretty clear on the MySpace page, they’re here to do more than just rock out; they’re here to “take the cars out of every garage band”. Whatever that means, it sounds good enough to get behind.
Their second studio album, "Electromagnetica", was released on 31 March 2011 and on 1 April as a digital download. The album was partly recorded in Next Dog Studio, and was mastered by Harris Newman, who is also known for his work with Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire. Electromagnetica is produced and mixed by Electric Brother and features Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs), who plays guitar on "This Burial Ground's For Two".
“Sneakers and striped T-Shirts: there¹s some hard strumming going on in the garages of Bucharest. These kids from Romania are highly strung. Thick guitar riffs, each song bringing a darker atmosphere. The Amsterdams are worthy symbols of a spirited, tortured rock scene.”
EuropaVox 2008
DISCOGRAPHY
"Automatic" (EP; 2008)
"Adolessons" (2009)
"Electromagnetica" (2011)
"Winds Apart" (2014)
"Eternity for Dummies" (2016)
On the Run
The Amsterdams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like we've waltzed around the words so many times
We remind in time the motions will repeat
But the distance doesn't finalize defeat
So it goes
There's a weight that never seems to let it go
And I'm passing through the atmosphere like smoke
On the way today, you're free from town to town
Every anecdote I lift gets written down
Every letter ever sent her does remind
That our memories are always on my mind
So it stays
Wait for the world to stop and I won't run away
Wait for the world to stop and I won't run away
Wait for the world to stop and I won't run away
At least not today
The lyrics of The Amsterdams's song On the Run talks about the theme of leaving behind a relationship and moving forward. The singer has decided to "walk away today" and "leave you behind," indicating that he wants to end the relationship. The line "Like we've waltzed around the words so many times" refers to the repetitive discussions they have had about their relationship issues, but they have never been able to resolve them. The singer believes that in time, their relationship may repeat the same motions, but the distance between them will not finalize the defeat. The distance they have created between themselves has not resolved the issues; it has only prolonged the inevitable.
The lyrics continue with the idea that the singer is on the move while their partner is free to remain in one place, writing down every anecdote the singer shares. This shows that the singer is traveling and living their life, while their partner remains in the same town. The line "That our memories are always on my mind" indicates the singer knows that the relationship will never entirely fade away, but they have to move forward. The chorus of the song repeats, "Wait for the world to stop, and I won't run away, at least not today," which suggests that the singer is aware that they may try to run away from their problems, but they need to wait for everything to settle before deciding what to do.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk away today, I must leave you behind
I must walk away from you and leave you behind today
Like we've waltzed around the words so many times
We have circled around the words many times without really saying what we mean
We remind in time the motions will repeat
We remember that in time things will repeat themselves
But the distance doesn't finalize defeat
However, distance does not mean that we are defeated
So it goes
This is just the way things are
There's a weight that never seems to let it go
I feel burdened by something that never seems to go away
And I'm passing through the atmosphere like smoke
And I am drifting through life, like smoke through the air
On the way today, you're free from town to town
Today you are traveling freely from town to town
Every anecdote I lift gets written down
Every story I tell is written down
Every letter ever sent her does remind
Every letter I ever sent to her reminds me
That our memories are always on my mind
That our memories are always on my mind
So it stays
This is the way things will remain
Wait for the world to stop and I won't run away
If the world stops, I won't try to escape my feelings
Wait for the world to stop and I won't run away
If the world stops, I won't try to escape my feelings
Wait for the world to stop and I won't run away
If the world stops, I won't try to escape my feelings
At least not today
But today, I might still try to escape my feelings
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: MATTHEW PRYOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind