So far, TBM have released eight studio albums: Nothing and Nowhere (2002), Violet (2005), Walking With Strangers (2007), Pins and Needles (2010), Hide and Seek (2012), Superstition (2014), Under Your Spell (2017), and Diamonds (2020). They have also issued the DVD Blue (2005), the live album/DVD Show and Tell (2009), and the EPs Violet (2004), Looking Glass (2008), Imaginary Monsters (2011), and Imagica (2016).
The group originated in London, Ontario under the name Imagica, inspired from the novel "Imajica" by Clive Barker. The band's original lineup consisted of: Chibi, Rainbow, Michael Falcore, and Aslan (bass). Dank played live keyboards and O.E. joined the group on live drums. A seven-song limited edition demo was released.
In 2001, Dank left the group, and the others relocated from London to Toronto, Ontario, to begin recording. There, they recorded another limited edition demo, this time with five songs. In 2002, the band adopted the name The Birthday Massacre in order to avoid confusion with a metal band. They chose the name "The Birthday Massacre" since people were already familiar with the song of the same title. The song was later retitled as "Happy Birthday".
In July of 2002, The Birthday Massacre independently released their debut album entitled Nothing and Nowhere. In 2003, Adm joined the band on live keyboards and Rhim on drums.
On 20 July 2004, The Birthday Massacre released a nine song EP entitled Violet and at the end of the year, re-released Nothing and Nowhere with new sleeve artwork. Adm soon left thereafter to explore his own projects.
In the fall of 2004, the band was signed to Repo Records in Germany, and released a remastered and expanded version of Violet in Europe. The expanded version of Violet included four re-recorded and slightly reworked tracks from Nothing and Nowhere.
In 2005 the band signed to Metropolis Records and released Violet in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and most of South America. Owen joined on live keyboards and in August, the band began a series of international tours taking them to Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Belgium.
Also in August 2005, a DVD consisting of a video for the song "Blue" was released. It also included behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, a studio performance of "Nevermind" as well as live performances of "Violet" and "Video Kid". The centerpiece of the DVD was the Dan Ouellette-directed video for "Blue".
In early 2006, the Birthday Massacre toured North America, playing across Canada, the United States, and Mexico on their "Broken Minds" tour. They also played Europe in the summer of 2006.
In June 2007, it was announced that the band was working on a new record with Canadian producer/engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (producer of many industrial acts such as Skinny Puppy), and that bass player Aslan had left the band for his own project named Aslan Osiris. Aslan was replaced on bass by former drummer O.E. .
On 11 September 2007 the band released their third album Walking With Strangers in North America, entering at #10 on the Billboard "Top Heatseekers" chart for 29 September. The album was released in Europe on 21 September and in the UK on 22 October. Walking With Strangers included the singles "Kill the Lights" and "Looking Glass". An EP, Looking Glass followed in 2008.
In spring 2009, The Birthday Massacre issued their first live album, Show and Tell. It was recorded in Hamburg, Germany in Autumn 2007. A DVD with the Hamburg show and extra video content was released later in Europe (2009) and North America (2010).
The band's fourth studio album, Pins and Needles was issued on 14 September 2010 in North America, debuting at #152 on the Billboard 200, #6 on the heatseekers, and #34 on independent. O.E. left the group and was replaced by Nate Manor.
On 9 August 2011 the band released the EP Imaginary Monsters. In 9 October 2012, TBM released the fifth studio album, Hide and Seek.
Superstition is the sixth studio album by Canadian electronic rock band The Birthday Massacre, released on November 11, 2014 through Metropolis Records. The album was funded through PledgeMusic. To promote the album, a subsequent North America tour and music video for "Beyond" followed the album's release.
Under Your Spell is the seventh studio album by Canadian electronic rock band The Birthday Massacre, released on June 9, 2017 through Metropolis Records. The album was funded, once again, through PledgeMusic.
Official site: www.thebirthdaymassacre.com
Falling Down
The Birthday Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You learned your lessons falling down
Far behind and tracing footsteps home
Despite your lack of pride
You wore your imperfections well
Dignified, spend your time alone
Trace your footsteps home
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling out of line
Farewell, this bitter tongue
You spoke your lessons falling down
Talking out and breaking silence
Despite the harm you've done
You swallowed your rejection well
Amplified, sing your song alone
Trace your footsteps home
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling
Swallow time, falling down
Speaking out, falling far behind
Your time running out and talking down
Falling out of line
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling out of line
The Birthday Massacre's Falling Down is an introspective and melancholic piece that reflects on personal growth and the importance of embracing one's imperfections. The lyrics convey a sense of farewell, as the singer seems to be bidding adieu to their former self, the self that fell down, made mistakes, and struggled to find their place in the world. The lines "you learned your lessons falling down" and "you spoke your lessons falling down" can be interpreted as a recognition of the fact that, sometimes, one needs to fail in order to learn and grow. The singer acknowledges their shortcomings and tribulations, but instead of dismissing them as failures, they choose to wear their imperfections well and dignify them. The chorus emphasizes the idea that, no matter how much one may falter or struggle, they should always stay true to themselves, walking their own path and tracing their own footsteps home.
The song's theme of self-acceptance and personal growth is reinforced by the haunting, ethereal sound of the band, which blends elements of goth, synthpop, and darkwave music. The music starts off quietly, with slow, melancholic guitar riffs and atmospheric synth sounds that give the impression of being lost in thought. As the song progresses, the drums and bass kick in, providing a steady, driving rhythm that creates a sense of momentum and urgency, as if the singer is determined to move forward despite the obstacles they face. The chorus features a catchy hook that is both poignant and empowering, with the repeated lines "your hands are always reaching out of favor, your kind are only good for bad behavior" serving as a reminder that one's struggles and shortcomings do not define them.
Line by Line Meaning
Farewell, this blackened eye
Goodbye to the mark that represents a mistake you made
You learned your lessons falling down
You gained perspective through your failures
Far behind and tracing footsteps home
Feeling left behind and retracing familiar steps
Despite your lack of pride
Even though you don't feel great about yourself
You wore your imperfections well
You owned your flaws and made them part of who you are
Dignified, spend your time alone
Maintaining your dignity by yourself
Trace your footsteps home
Following your own path and returning to your starting point
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
You seek help or attention in ways that others often reject or disapprove of
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your group is often seen as troublesome or undesirable
Your mouth was never one to trust
You tend to say things that are not entirely true or reliable
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
You express your opinions loudly but struggle to keep up with others
Farewell, this bitter tongue
Goodbye to the way you used to speak unkindly
You spoke your lessons falling down
You shared what you learned from your failures
Talking out and breaking silence
Speaking up and making noise when it's necessary
Despite the harm you've done
Even though you've hurt others in the past
You swallowed your rejection well
You handled rejection or criticism maturely
Amplified, sing your song alone
Making your voice heard, even if it's just you standing up for yourself
Swallow time, falling down
Accepting the passage of time, even when it feels like everything is going wrong
Your time running out and talking down
Feeling limited in time and belittled by others
Falling out of line
Becoming disconnected from the expectations or norms of others
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MATTHEW O'HALLORAN, MICHAEL HANMER, MICHAEL RAINBOW, SARA TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind