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.
Regress
The Dear Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In spells of unconsciousness
Slave to the seeds you've sown
Lost in the leaves
So, we'll depart
Goodbye to your stubborn heart
Now you're alone
Find relief that the end comes swiftly for you
The lyrics to The Dear Hunter's song Regress are quite metaphorical and can be interpreted in a range of ways. In my understanding, the song is about the consequences of one's actions and the feeling of being stuck in a situation that they have created for themselves. The opening line "In spells of unconsciousness" suggests that the singer is not fully aware of their actions and the impact they have on others. They are "Slave to the seeds you've sown", implying that their actions have trapped them into a cycle that they cannot break free from. The line "Lost in the leaves" further emphasizes this feeling of being stuck and unable to move forward.
The chorus "So, we'll depart, Goodbye to your stubborn heart, Now you're alone, Find relief that the end comes swiftly for you" can be interpreted in a few ways. It could suggest that other people are leaving the singer because of their actions. "Goodbye to your stubborn heart" could imply that the singer's stubbornness has caused conflict with others. The last line "Find relief that the end comes swiftly for you" may be seen as a commentary on the inevitability of consequences catching up with the singer.
Overall, the song Regress speaks to the theme of consequences and the feeling of being unable to escape one's own actions. It is a poignant reminder to take responsibility for our own choices to avoid being trapped in a cycle of negative consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
In spells of unconsciousness
During moments of not being fully aware, you find yourself in a certain state
Slave to the seeds you've sown
You are bound to the consequences of decisions and actions you took in the past
Lost in the leaves
You are wandering aimlessly and without direction
So, we'll depart
We will leave now, separate ourselves from you
Goodbye to your stubborn heart
We are bidding farewell to your unwillingness to change or compromise
Now you're alone
You are left with no one around you
Find relief that the end comes swiftly for you
Take comfort in knowing that the end of your suffering will come quickly
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CASEY BLUE CRESCENZO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JuanK Gonzalez
Easily one of the best album openers of the last decade, in my opinion
Peazeralus
This might be in the top 10 album-opener combos of all-time.
Wendigo
when youre probrably a good 1k of these
pseudogenesis
Impossible, I'm at least 7000
Plant Powered Fitness
Brilliant
Cpt Oblvious
Does the end of this say that part of him has faith in heaven? Reminds me of the end of Right in Two. Except I think the latter, using doublespeak, kinda makes fun of people who don't question heaven's existence.
Rat Nasty
@Frederick J. Valentine Great take.
Frederick J. Valentine
The Boy character has always struggled with his faith. The song Wait on Act 4 kind of tells you everything about it. "I want to give it up, but I just need it too much." He holds on to his belief out of sheer desperation for security, that life can't just be this nonsensical and cruel. He NEEDS it to cope, it's not that he wants it per se. Or that he holds the idea of God or heaven at such a high value... It also doesn't help that the story features a character that uses religion and belief to his benefit, twisting it and abusing it to control and profit from the people of the city. I'm surprised he didn't completely abandon his belief just from that alone.
Plant Powered Fitness
For me, the finest suite of music from Casey. Such wonderful melodies and the arrangement is stellar ♥