Most of the band's albums, starting with their 2006 debut album Act I: The Lake South, the River North, are concept albums and a part of a common storyline, planned to conclude with a sixth album. The most recent addition is 2016's Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional. Additionally, they have released albums unrelated to the Acts; The Color Spectrum in 2011, Migrant in 2013, and the EP All Is As All Should Be in 2017.
The band began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a full-time member of The Receiving End of Sirens. The Dear Hunter was originally intended as a vehicle for music Crescenzo had written that didn't fit with the sound of The Receiving End of Sirens. In the winter of 2005 Casey recorded the Dear Ms. Leading demos. He created 10 copies on burned CDs that were circulated amongst his friends and posted online for download. While elements and characters featured on the demos would reappear on the subsequent Acts, Crescenzo has confirmed that there was a transformation in how he represented these themes and persons; while the story had its origins in his personal life, the Acts removed most autobiographical elements in favor of fiction.
Mustard Gas
The Dear Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wicked
A panic floods the field
Deliver it
Unthinkable
They play the part performing oh so well
With empty cause, they carry on
A twisted soul
An apparition
Born of a beastly (brand?)
They butcher purposely
(...?)
Beg for a reason he would allow this
Look to the sky and say
We would be better off without this
Who would allow this?
We've never felt alive
But none of us can die just when we want to
We're stuck in this disguise
With leather skin these eyes decide to haunt you
[Haunt you]
But do we haunt you?
(...?)
Beg for a reason he would allow this
Look to the sky and say
We would be better off without this
Who would allow this?
[Repeat: x8]
From the other (side?)
The Dear Hunter's song "Mustard Gas" depicts the horrors of war and the way it forcefully changes those who participate in it. The lyrics start with a vivid image of a field full of panic and chaos, likely caused by the use of mustard gas - a chemical weapon used in World War I. The soldiers, who are forced to "play the part" of being obedient soldiers, carry on with no "empty cause" to fight for.
The song then shifts to focus on the psychological impact of war. The "twisted soul" mentioned in the lyrics is likely a reference to the psychological trauma that soldiers experience in the field. They are born of a "beastly brand" - their humanity is stripped away as they become pawns in a war they don't fully understand. The soldiers are forced to butcher others "purposely" despite begging for a reason to understand why they are doing it.
The final verse of the song explores the idea that the soldiers are stuck in a never-ending cycle of violence and brutality. They can never truly die when they want to, but instead are trapped in a "disguise" of leather skin and haunted eyes. Even in death, they continue to "haunt" those around them with the memories of the atrocities they committed. The final line of the song repeats the question of who is responsible for allowing this violence to occur.
Line by Line Meaning
Here they are
Introducing the topic of the song
The wicked
Referring to a group characterized by immorality and malevolence
A panic floods the field
A description of the psychological effect on the area
Deliver it
An order to proceed with an action
Unthinkable
Suggesting that the action to be performed is beyond the imagination of the listener
They play the part performing oh so well
The group's performance is quite skilled
With empty cause, they carry on
Despite having no real reason, they continue their actions
A twisted soul
Describing an individual with a corrupted and perverted nature
An apparition
Referring to a ghost-like or otherworldly figure
Born of a beastly (brand?)
Implying a lineage of iniquity
They butcher purposely
Slain without regard for the value of life
(...?)
Unclear or missing a word or phrase (interpretation unknown)
Beg for a reason he would allow this
Asking for justification from an implied higher power
Look to the sky and say
Suggesting a sense of helplessness and reliance on external intervention
We would be better off without this
The situation is so dire that non-existence is a preferable scenario
Who would allow this?
Echoing the question of responsibility for the situation
We've never felt alive
Describing a lack of vitality and passion
But none of us can die just when we want to
Being trapped in a state or situation that prevents a desirable outcome
We're stuck in this disguise
Being trapped in a physical or emotional role that is not authentic or true
With leather skin these eyes decide to haunt you
The physical appearance causes fear or anxiety
[Haunt you]
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
But do we haunt you?
Questioning whether the artist or the situation is the source of the haunting
(...?)
Unclear or missing a word or phrase (interpretation unknown)
From the other (side?)
Implying an alternative or opposing perspective
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CASEY BLUE CRESCENZO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
matan rockon
It hurts me in so many ways to see the low views here .
They deserve so much more reconazation , it's better then most of the artists out there today.
James Markham
One of the heaviest riff's in modern rock!
Flapper 33
Hnnngg
This entire album is the absolute shit
Angus Higgie
It is indeed "The Shit"
Cruisername
you don't have to listen
Jindřich Vodák
@Cruisername I believe there is a difference between "the shit", meaning something actually really good, and simply "shit", which is self-explanatory.