This is Death in Venice Beach (out now on Fat Wreck Chords!), the comedown after the high, when clarity pierces the morning-after haze.
It’s right there in the title, an allusion to Thomas Mann’s celebrated novella about the price of an artistic life. The Bombpops co-founder and singer-guitarist Jen Razavi read it as the band debated titles for their second full-length. “It’s a cautionary tale to those that want to become an artist,” she says, “but it’s also really comforting to artists who can’t help or necessarily contain being who they are and what they’re drawn to.”
What draws The Bombpops hasn’t changed: highly melodic punk with big guitars, vocal harmonies, and the SoCal sound that inspired Razavi, co-founder and singer-guitarist Poli van Dam, bassist Neil Wayne, and drummer Josh Lewis. But the more light-hearted skate punk of Fear of Missing Out has a serrated edge on Death in Venice Beach, as Razavi and van Dam explore darker themes—even though the songs are catchier than ever.
“I want people to feel this dark, uneasy feeling,” says van Dam, who had plenty of her own in the three years since FOMO. She suffered a potentially life-threatening diabetic seizure on tour in the fall of 2018 (referenced in “Double Arrows Down,” one of album’s standout tracks), and she sought treatment for alcoholism while the new album was in post-production.
http://thebombpops.com/
Notre Dame
The Bombpops Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the black cat on my path, you've crossed me and I'm cursed
I'm a victim and you're the plague
There's no cure and I'm left conscious but I'm dying in decay
Like the flames to Notre Dame, nothing sacred here is safe
I've exhausted all my prayers here on these pews
And all the past lives that I've lived somehow led me here to this
I believed all of your lies
When you told me what was yours, one day would be mine
Now I'm out here in the cold
And I'll wait right here for you and watch this tragedy unfold
Like the flames to Notre Dame, nothing sacred here is safe
I've exhausted all my prayers here on these pews
And all the past lives that I've lived somehow led me here to this
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
Like the flames to Notre Dame, nothing sacred here is safe
I've exhausted all my prayers here on these pews
And all the past lives that I've lived somehow led me here to this
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
The Bombpops’ song “Notre Dame” features lyrics that contain emotional pain and frustration, with a touch of anger and hopelessness. The song tells a story of a person who has been betrayed by someone who they believed in and trusted. The lyrics’ imagery and word choice are incredibly powerful; the chorus compares the situation to the burning of Notre Dame, something that is considered sacred and untouchable to many people.
In the first verse, the singer describes the feeling of being cursed after crossing paths with someone who has wronged them. The second verse is more accusatory, suggesting that the person who betrayed them had promised them something only to leave them out in the cold. The chorus is an intensely emotional moment, as the singer compares their pain to the destruction of one of France's most significant landmarks. The bridge talks about past lives leading them to this point, hinting at something larger and more spiritual at play.
The song has a sense of despair, anger, and pain. It illustrates how sometimes things that hold value in one's life can be destroyed just as quickly as they were created. The use of Notre Dame as a symbolic reference adds depth and texture to the meaning behind the song, with the fire representing something that wounds everyone. The singer feels exhausted from trying to save something, praying for a cure that does not exist. The song portrays an intense emotional journey, with the singer finally revealing how long it has taken for them to find the person who was supposed to be loyal to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it seems like things are getting worse
The situation is deteriorating
You're the black cat on my path, you've crossed me and I'm cursed
You are the source of my misfortune
I'm a victim and you're the plague
You are causing harm to me
There's no cure and I'm left conscious but I'm dying in decay
I am slowly losing my strength and will to fight back
Like the flames to Notre Dame, nothing sacred here is safe
Everything that was once considered safe and untouchable is now under threat
I've exhausted all my prayers here on these pews
I have tried every possible solution to this problem
And all the past lives that I've lived somehow led me here to this
All of my previous experiences and choices have brought me to this situation
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
The build-up to this moment has been a long time coming
I believed all of your lies
I trusted you when you were not trustworthy
When you told me what was yours, one day would be mine
You made promises that you did not keep
Now I'm out here in the cold
I am left alone and vulnerable
And I'll wait right here for you and watch this tragedy unfold
I will stay and witness the consequences of your actions
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
The build-up to this moment has been a long time coming
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
The build-up to this moment has been a long time coming
It's taken centuries for me to get to you
The build-up to this moment has been a long time coming
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: JENNIFER RAZAVI, JOSHUA ROBERT LEWIS, NEIL WAYNE SCHOFFSTALL, POLINA MARIE AUGUSTA VAN DAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexandre Silva
It’s nice to see bands out there still like this ☺️
Salopian Records
Check out Bon Viveur too if you prefer the pop punk sound of the 90s and 00s 👍
Matthew Grant
Love this band. Bombpops are a band of greatness
Matt Cartmill
They are really coming into their own now that the whole group has been a cohesive unit for a while. They are starting to remind me of a female fronted ataris from back in the day and that is not a bad thing by any means. Keep it up Bombpops!
Matthew Rardin
For sure influenced.
Also Lagwagon influence. Major late 90s/early 2000s Lagwagon influence.
No Use also.
I hear all my middle school n high school faves in them and I love it so much.
lkfjlf adad
Nah, they pretty much a nasally Alkaline Trio, Cept song writing isn't nearly as good.
Jimbo Bruno
"Like the flames to Notre Dame, nothing sacred here is safe," is a simple, effective lyric that lands well. Good shit.
snuegliffer
I love David Lynch and this band. What a combo.
Joseph Melendez
My favorite band is back... with a new record ? Absolutely. Fuck. YES! This song is fantastic & I'm so looking forward to hearing MORE! Kick ass video too. You all are looking GREAT!😃
Matheus Reus
Mil vezes melhor que o atual Blink e Tom Delonge. Crescer não é se tornar pop.