History
The band's name is drawn from a phrase in Lovecraft's story The Tomb: "I will tell only of the lone tomb in the darkest of the hillside thickets." The band formed in January 1992 after meeting at Fraser Valley College in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Afterwards they formed a local role-playing group.
After a slow start, several of their songs were picked up by music magazines and others for inclusion on compilation CDs, lending them greater recognition. They often perform live, and have performed concerts with many other bands including GWAR, They Might Be Giants, Dayglo Abortions and Nomeansno. The Thickets continue to enjoy reasonable cult success.
Members
The original three members of the band, at the January 1992 formation, were Toren Atkinson, Warren Banks and Quentin Rogers. Quentin, though, never appeared on any of their releases. The band has gone through several bassists and drummers since its inception. The discography below details band member history.
The current line-up of the band consists of vocalist and lyricist Toren Atkinson, guitarist Warren Banks, bassist Mario Nueva, drummer Jordan Pratt (former drummer for the band Mystery Machine), and backup vocalist Merrick Atkinson.
Outside of the band, Toren Atkinson is also an artist, having illustrated books for role-playing games including Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, as well as the Lovecraft-inspired collectible card game Mythos. Warren Banks and Toren Atkinson also co-wrote (along with contributions by John Tynes and Monte Cook) the roleplaying game Spaceship Zero, published by Green Ronin Publishing.
Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know
The Darkest of The Hillside Thickets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't swim alone.
Don't take the dicey shortcut.
Don't turn the stone.
Don't tell a secret.
Don't fall behind.
Don't let the Great Race of Yith
Supplant your mind.
Don't wrack your memory.
Don't blaze the trail.
Don't pine for primeval jungles.
Don't pierce the veil.
Don't look for answers
Years down the road.
Don't copy down the glyphs that
Your visions showed.
Are these dreams a clutch of stifled memories?
Was there something in my mind?
Don't clean the mirror.
Don't be surprised
When your reflection seems like
A pack of lies.
Don't ask the inmates
What it's about.
Don't cry in the library
When you find out.
Are these dreams a clutch of stifled memories?
Was there something in my mind?
There are things they say man was not meant to know...
Is this shadow out of time?
The song "Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know" by The Darkest of The Hillside Thickets is a cautionary tale that describes a series of things that people should avoid doing in order to avoid disturbing the fragile balance between reality and unknowable horror. The lyrics present a series of prohibitions, warning the listener to steer clear of certain actions, such as talking to strangers, swimming alone, and turning over stones. The song specifically mentions the Great Race of Yith, a fictional species from the H.P. Lovecraft universe that had the ability to transfer their minds to other times and bodies. The song warns against allowing these creatures to "supplant" one's mind, indicating that they pose a particular danger.
The song also cautions against delving too deeply into the past, searching for answers that are better left undiscovered. The lyrics warn against "pining for primeval jungles" and "blazing the trail," reminding the listener that some things are better left buried. The song concludes with a suggestion that the dreams that haunt the singer may be memories that have been suppressed, and that the "shadow out of time" may be a threat that is both ancient and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't talk to strangers.
Do not engage in conversation with those who are unfamiliar to you.
Don't swim alone.
Avoid swimming without a companion or supervision.
Don't take the dicey shortcut.
Refrain from taking the hazardous or unestablished route.
Don't turn the stone.
Do not investigate the unknown or potentially dangerous subject.
Don't tell a secret.
Do not disclose confidential information to others.
Don't fall behind.
Do not let yourself lag behind or lose pace with others in a group or task.
Don't let the Great Race of Yith
Supplant your mind.
Avoid letting the extraterrestrial being replace or control your consciousness.
Don't wrack your memory.
Do not strain your mind or recall past memories too intensely.
Don't blaze the trail.
Refrain from leading or exploring uncharted territories.
Don't pine for primeval jungles.
Do not yearn for ancient or distant areas of nature.
Don't pierce the veil.
Do not break or penetrate the barrier that separates our world from supernatural or unknown entities.
Don't look for answers
Years down the road.
Avoid seeking answers or enlightenment that may take years or a lifetime to comprehend or attain.
Don't copy down the glyphs that
Your visions showed.
Avoid permanently recording or copying the symbols or messages that are perceived during a vision or hallucination.
Are these dreams a clutch of stifled memories?
Could these dreams have repressed or buried memories from the past?
Was there something in my mind?
Could there be an unknown or repressed idea or entity lurking in my consciousness?
Don't clean the mirror.
Do not try to erase, ignore or escape from the truth of yourself or your circumstances.
Don't be surprised
When your reflection seems like
A pack of lies.
Do not be shocked or deceived when the reflection you see of yourself contradicts your perception or expectations.
Don't ask the inmates
What it's about.
Do not inquire with unstable or unreliable sources about the nature or cause of an event or experience.
Don't cry in the library
When you find out.
Do not break down emotionally when you discover the truth or meaning of something in a place that requires silence or composure.
There are things they say man was not meant to know...
There are certain subjects or knowledge that humans may be incapable or unprepared to comprehend or handle.
Is this shadow out of time?
Could this presence or phenomenon be beyond the limits or boundaries of time and space?
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.