1) A Johannesburg (So… Read Full Bio ↴The Awakening is a name of at least six bands:
1) A Johannesburg (South Africa), alternative rock band
2) A 1970s U.S. funk/jazz group
3) A Long Island (NY, USA) post hardcore band
4) A Hungarian dark ambient act, better known as Awakening
5) A Göttingen (Germany) brutal death metal band
6) A Canadian Christian rock band active in the mid-late 80s influenced by Yes and The Beatles
1) A Johannesburg alternative rock band, formed in 1995 by vocalist, guitarist and producer Ashton Nyte. The band is credited in the press as "South Africa's most successful Gothic Rock act and one of the top bands in the far broader Alternative scene." The band has released 7 full-length studio albums, 1 greatest hits album, 2 music videos and 2 EPs, and have received significant radio play and club rotation throughout South Africa, Europe and the USA. They became the first gothic rock band to ever headline major national festivals throughout South Africa, including Oppikoppi, RAMfest, and many others. The band has had major chart success with several #1 hits on South Africa Rock charts (see sources) and charted on Germany's Alternative Charts.
As of 2009 the band is based in the United States with record label base in Germany (Massacre Records), South Africa and the USA (Intervention Arts). The band is touring the USA in 2009 for the fourth time, in support of their latest (8th) full-length studio album.
Sites: Wikipedia, Discogs, YouTube and Twitter
2) A U.S. instrumental funk/jazz group which produced only two studio albums, Hear, Sense and Feel (1972) and Mirage (1973), both on jazz pianist Gene Russell's Black Jazz label.
The label was founded in the early 70's, as an alternative to traditional jazz invoking a more political and spiritual tone, often with funk overtones. It made twenty-two releases in multiple genre, including: funk, free jazz and soul jazz.
Sites: Discogs
3) A six piece Long Island post hardcore band which was formed in February of 2008 releasing a self released E.P., Understanding Goodbyes. The band with its original members left for tour only a few months later in July with, “Thieves And Villains (Victory Records).” After tour, conflicts caused The Awakening to disband with no intentions of moving forward.
In April of 2009, The Awakening was brought back together with original members, Jerry Nedrow, Joe Votta, and Nick Tortora. New vocalist Mike D’amico, new guitarist John Arlet, and new synth player
Jason Bach all added. The new lineup put out the two song EP Mending the Broken and, shortly after its release, they toured. After their second east coast run with Beneath The Sky (victory records) drummer Nick Tatora and Guitarist John Ahrlet have left the band and has sense been replaced by Rich Urraro (guitar), Zack Austin (drums).
They planned to release an eight track EP in mid-November 2009 and to tour it the following month.
6) Canada's The Awakening released three albums in the latter part of the 1980s. The band's core duo of Andrew Horrocks on guitar and keyboardist Ian Tanner was joined by bassist Allan Powell and his brother Mike Powell on drums. A regional release produced by Richard J. Hutt, Two Worlds, came out in 1986. Tanner contributed five writing credits on the album's nine cuts to Horrocks' three (the Powells each had two). Wider distribution came with a contract signing with U.S. based Reunion Records. All but two tracks from Two Worlds would find their way onto 1987's Sanctified. Hutt returned as producer, helping write the new group effort "Distant Light", while Horrocks and Mike Powell contributed the new single "My Only Hope". In 1988, the band recorded final outing Into Thy Hands. Hutt once again produced and each member along with Hutt helped write the single and album opener "Don't Wait for Me". The band's Yes influence was made more explicit via a cover of that band's "Onward". CCM Magazine singled out the track "Knife of Life" as evidence of experimentation on the band's part.
Amethyst
The Awakening Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My precious one
The weight of hurt was fed
to those you feared
Turn away
My only one
Trapped inside my head
Is life worth living
without your body against mine
Is the air worth breathing
without your tiny hand in mine
Is my life worth fighting for
without your arms within mine
Oh is the Amethyst
or is the weight of bliss
And the taste
of your tender skin
leaves my senses scattered
on the titles
And your touch
like compassion's interim
hold me when the dark
claws at my side
like your kiss
your kiss
The lyrics to "Amethyst" by The Awakening paint the picture of a loved one who is hurting, and the singer's desire to protect and comfort them. The first verse, "Look away/My precious one/The weight of hurt was fed/to those you feared," reveals that someone close to the singer has suffered emotional pain caused by others. The singer recognizes their vulnerability and tells them to turn away, implying that they should not expose themselves to further harm. The second verse continues this theme, with the singer referencing their loved one being "trapped inside my head" and needing to be rescued from their own negative thoughts. The chorus then poses a series of questions about the value of life without the presence of this loved one, ultimately concluding that the essence of their relationship is the "Amethyst" (a purple stone symbolizing protection and stability) that makes life worth living.
In the third verse, the lyrics become more sensual and romantic, with the singer describing the taste and touch of their loved one's skin. But this imagery is not purely physical; the touch is described as "compassion's interim," suggesting that the physical sensations are a means of emotional connection and comfort. The final line emphasizes this connection further, underscoring the importance of the loved one's kiss.
Overall, "Amethyst" presents a complex and layered view of love and relationships, highlighting the importance of protection, comfort, and emotional connection. The lyrics straddle the line between physical and emotional intimacy, using sensual language to convey the depth of feeling between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
Look away
Please direct your attention away from me
My precious one
Addressing someone dear to the singer
The weight of hurt was fed
The singer has been burdened with emotional pain
to those you feared
This pain has been inflicted by people whom the artist's loved one was scared of
Turn away
Please avert your gaze
My only one
Addressing someone who is singularly important to the singer
Trapped inside my head
The singer feels imprisoned by their own thoughts and emotions
you seem to be
The artist perceives their loved one to be experiencing a similar feeling
Is life worth living
A rhetorical question about the value of existence
without your body against mine
The artist's loved one's physical presence is crucial
Is the air worth breathing
A rhetorical question about the importance of breathing
without your tiny hand in mine
Physical touch is necessary for the artist's wellbeing
Is my life worth fighting for
A rhetorical question about the value of struggle
without your arms within mine
Physical closeness is essential for the singer's motivation to live
Oh is the Amethyst
A reference to the stone's mystical properties as a means to provide an escape from one's own thoughts
or is the weight of bliss
Is the burden of happiness heavier to bear than the heaviness of one's own emotions?
And the taste
The sensory experience of partaking in something
of your tender skin
The singer has an emotional and physical longing for their loved one
leaves my senses scattered
The singer feels disoriented, possibly due to overwhelming emotions
on the titles
Reference to the aspect of the physical book the lyrics were written on/printed on
And your touch
The sensory experience of physical contact
like compassion's interim
The act of physical touch is likened to a temporary refuge from one's own thoughts and emotions
hold me when the dark
A request for comfort during moments of emotional difficulty
claws at my side
A metaphor for the painful and overwhelming nature of negative emotions
like your kiss
The sensory experience of a kiss
Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.