The Blank Theory self-released two albums, Blinding Process in 1998 and Catalyst in 2000. Catalyst included the track "Nevermind" which was featured in a segment of MTV Road Rules. While the first two independent releases were hard edged indie rock, they moved more toward metal when writing for the third release. The Blank Theory released Beyond the Calm of the Corridor on September 24, 2002 via independent label, New Line Records.
Their cover of Portishead's Sour Times was one of two singles from Beyond the Calm of the Corridor and can be heard in the movie trailer to Wicker Park. The other single titled "Middle of Nowhere" was featured on the Freddy VS Jason soundtrack and in Final Destination 2. Founding member and guitarist, Michael Foderaro, left the band in May 2003 to pursue other music projects. He was eventually replaced by guitarist Mateo Camargo from the band Reforma. In mid 2004, drummer James Knight and keyboardist Shawn Currie also left the band to pursue other music projects.
Eventually, vocalist Nathan Leone and bassist Matthew Leone, along with two members from Reforma formed Madina Lake.
Vanish
The Blank Theory Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That vanished from that day
Perfectly serene
How dare we lose that day
There's no way
To save his face again
Single out in space
I wonder if she'll stay
Or burn his remains
There's no way
To save his face again
And since that day
It's gone away
There's just no way
To save his face again
His wrists are blue and green
And now we know to slap his face
There's bruises on my knees
But I didn't know that I couldn't pray
There's no way
To save his face again
I guess I'll just say
No
Not again
The lyrics to The Blank Theory's song Vanish tell the story of a dream that somehow disappeared one fateful day, leaving a sense of loss and regret. The opening lines "It must have been a dream / That vanished from that day" suggest that the singer is struggling to hold on to something that has slipped away. The dream is described as "perfectly serene," indicating that it was a source of comfort and peace for the singer.
The second stanza seems to shift the focus to a person, identified only by the pronouns "he" and "she." The lines "How long can he stray / Single out in space" suggest that "he" may be lost or isolated in some way, perhaps physically or emotionally. The singer wonders if "she," possibly a romantic partner or friend, will stay with him or "burn his remains," indicating that the relationship may be in jeopardy.
The third stanza takes a dark turn as the lyrics describe physical abuse: "His wrists are blue and green / And now we know to slap his face / There's bruises on my knees / But I didn't know that I couldn't pray." These lines suggest a painful and violent situation, with the singer and perhaps others struggling to deal with the aftermath.
The chorus repeats the phrase "there's no way / to save his face again," suggesting that the damage has already been done and there may be no reversing it. The final line, "I guess I'll just say / No / Not again," leaves the listener with a sense of finality and resignation.
Line by Line Meaning
It must have been a dream
This memory seems surreal like a dream
That vanished from that day
The memory disappeared suddenly after that day
Perfectly serene
The memory was peaceful and calm
How dare we lose that day
Regret for losing a perfect day
There's no way
To save his face again
No way to redeem or recover from his mistake
How long can he stray
Single out in space
Can he continue living alone for a long time in isolation?
I wonder if she'll stay
Or burn his remains
Curiosity if she will stick around or destroy him
And since that day
It's gone away
Whatever happened that day is now gone from memory
His wrists are blue and green
And now we know to slap his face
He has physical bruises, and they react with aggression instead of compassion
There's bruises on my knees
But I didn't know that I couldn't pray
Unaware that she was hurting herself while trying to fix the situation
I guess I'll just say
No
Not again
Resolved not to let the same mistakes happen again
Contributed by Jacob E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.