The Damnwells are the subject of a documentary feature film called 'Golden Days,' which is also the name of a track on their 2006 record 'Air Stereo.' Taking a hiatus after touring and being dropped from their label, front man Alex Dezen completed and released an album in April 2009, 'One Last Century.'
This album included Damnwells tunes exclusive to unreleased demos such as "Soundtrack" and "Bastard of Midnight." and many new songs Most importantly about that the album was that it is a free online download. The explanation given to fans and listeners:
"I have never worked so hard or put so much of myself into a collection of recorded songs. It is for just this reason that I want to give it away. To me it makes perfect sense. I just want people to hear this music, and I don’t want them to have to enter into some kind of contractual agreement with a third party to do so." - Alex Dezen, Damnwells
Kiss Catastrophe
The Damnwells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Giving me every reason to lie
Can I be in your way for a while?
Can I get in the back seat and hide?
Take it down to the street anytime
Lock me out of the sheets for a while
Give us a kiss with sharp little knives
I'll be the first you leave behind, everyone knows why
So give it up, give it back to me
Will you be mine while the winners sleep?
Give it up, give it back to me
Open wide kiss catastrophe
Circling over you and in between
Your shiver and my blue restless teen
More lovely than a reason to leave
'Cause you are the last thing on my mind
And I'll be the first you leave behind, everyone knows why
So give it up, give it back to me
Will you be mine while the winners sleep?
So give it up, give it back to me
Open wide kiss catastrophe
Give it up, give it back to me
Give it up, give it back to me
The lyrics to The Damnwells's song Kiss Catastrophe seem to describe a tumultuous love affair that is marked by equal parts passion and pain. The singer seems to be caught in a cycle of desire and rejection as the object of his affection consistently gives him reason to doubt her feelings for him. He asks for permission to be in her life even if he has to take a backseat and hide. He is willing to be locked out of the relationship for a while and endure any kind of pain, as long as he can keep the intense and dangerous love they share alive.
The lyrics also suggest that the relationship is unbalanced with the singer being more invested than his partner. This is exemplified in lines like "You are the last thing on my mind, I'll be the first you leave behind, everyone knows why". The singer seems to be aware of the inevitability of their breakup and is grappling with the idea that he may be left alone.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a love that is chaotic, intense and ultimately doomed. The singer is willing to endure pain and heartbreak for the chance to hold onto the love that is slowly slipping away from him.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do you kiss goodbye every night?
Asking why the person he is with kisses him goodbye every night, implying that it might be the end of their relationship.
Giving me every reason to lie
Her action of kissing goodbye is making him doubt their relationship and thus making him lie to himself.
Can I be in your way for a while?
Requesting permission to stay in their relationship for some time and not wanting to let go.
Can I get in the back seat and hide?
He wants to be with her, but wants to hide and stay unseen.
Take it down to the street anytime
He is ready to go public with the relationship anytime she wants.
Lock me out of the sheets for a while
He is willing to step back and not push things too quickly, even if it means they have to sleep in separate beds for a while.
Give us a kiss with sharp little knives
Asking for intimacy despite the possible risks or consequences that may come with it.
You are the last thing on my mind
Despite everything, she is still the only thing he thinks about.
I'll be the first you leave behind, everyone knows why
He knows that he is not the one she will choose, and everyone around them can see it too.
So give it up, give it back to me
Asking her to reconsider and return to him and their relationship.
Will you be mine while the winners sleep?
Asking if she can be with him while others around them are distracted or preoccupied.
Open wide kiss catastrophe
Asking her to kiss him passionately and recklessly, even if it ends in destruction or pain.
Circling over you and in between
Describing the dance of their relationship, with him constantly circling around her and feeling unsure where he falls in her life.
Your shiver and my blue restless teen
Acknowledging the excitement and anxiety of young love and the shivers they get when they are together.
More lovely than a reason to leave
Despite all the reasons to walk away, he still finds her more lovely and captivating than any of them.
Give it up, give it back to me
Asking once again for her to reconsider and return to him and their relationship.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALEXANDER JAMES DEZEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind