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.
The Fire
The Dear Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the poison has passed from my lips to my hands
An incendiary ploy
(Hell will open up it's flue)
I bare my soul through the flames before me
(And you will witness what the fire can undo)
Far from the ash I will be born again
Nothing left to keep me out of paradise
As portraits of the past fade away
The id dots the eyes of antiquity
While the ego, of late, has held sway
Too foolish to stray past the line too weary to stay, too weary to stay
Far too long have I waited to witness the balances bend
In the favor of wrongs being remedied
Wickedness coming to an end
Far from the ash I will be born again
Where every debt is repaid
Nothing left to keep me out of paradise
As portraits of the past fade away
Far beyond the act I will be whole again
A phoenix out of the flame
I'm burying that menace in my memory
A funeral held in my name
The ritual pyre's sending smoke to the sky
As the building continues to burn
The wrath in the ruin, the pain in the grave
As the lies are retired to the urn
But we can't keep the embers from catching
The truth from destroying us all
Do I die as the martyr or miscreant?
I'll make the call, I'll make the call
Far from the ash I will be born again
We here every debt is repaid
Nothing left to keep me out of paradise
As portraits of the past fade away
Far beyond the act I will be whole again
A phoenix out of the flame
I'm burying that menace in my memory
A funeral held in my name
The Fire is a powerful and metaphorical song that explores themes of redemption and rebirth. The lyrics speak of a person who has been holding their tongue for a long time but has finally decided to speak out, unleashing their inner fire. The fire represents the passion, anger, and pain that the singer has been holding inside for so long. The chorus speaks of being born again far from the ash and the past, where every debt is repaid, and nothing is left to keep them out of paradise. The singer sees themselves as a phoenix rising from the flames, leaving behind their past and becoming whole again.
The verses of the song are filled with rich and vivid imagery, such as "the id dots the eyes of antiquity, while the ego, of late, has held sway." The lines speak of the duality of human nature and how the ego can overshadow our essential selves. The song explores how we can let the pain and anger inside us control our lives and our actions, causing us to become miscreants. On the other hand, we can use that same fire to bring about redemption and become a martyr by speaking the truth.
In conclusion, the Fire is a song that speaks to the human experience and how we deal with our pain, anger, and hurt. It explores the concept of rebirth and redemption, showing us that we can rise from the ashes and become whole again.
Line by Line Meaning
For so long have my teeth held my tongue from a venomous voice
I have refrained from saying harmful words for a long time
But the poison has passed from my lips to my hands
Now, my actions are a harmful expression of my thoughts
An incendiary ploy
My actions are meant to cause chaos or destruction
(Hell will open up it's flue)
There will be drastic consequences for my actions
I bare my soul through the flames before me
I am being honest and vulnerable, even in the face of danger
(And you will witness what the fire can undo)
Others will see the destruction that I am causing
Far from the ash I will be born again
I will have a chance to start anew
Where every debt is repaid
I will face the consequences of my actions and make things right
Nothing left to keep me out of paradise
Once I have made amends, I can have a better future
As portraits of the past fade away
I will move on from my past mistakes
The id dots the eyes of antiquity
Our primal desires have always influenced us
While the ego, of late, has held sway
Recently, our self-importance has been the dominant force
Too foolish to stray past the line too weary to stay, too weary to stay
We are stuck in our current ways, not brave enough to change
Far too long have I waited to witness the balances bend
I have been waiting for justice to be served for a long time
In the favor of wrongs being remedied
I want to see justice served and wrongs made right
Wickedness coming to an end
I want to see an end to bad behavior and evil deeds
Far beyond the act I will be whole again
I will feel like a complete person again after making things right
A phoenix out of the flame
I will rise from the ashes like a mythical bird
I'm burying that menace in my memory
I am leaving my past mistakes behind and moving on
A funeral held in my name
I am letting go of my old self and becoming someone new
The ritual pyre's sending smoke to the sky
The destruction caused by my actions is visible
As the building continues to burn
The consequences of my actions keep unfolding
The wrath in the ruin, the pain in the grave
There is a lot of destruction and pain caused by my actions
As the lies are retired to the urn
The truth is revealed and falsehoods are exposed
But we can't keep the embers from catching
Our actions have consequences that can spread beyond our control
The truth from destroying us all
We need to be truthful and honest to avoid harm
Do I die as the martyr or miscreant?
I must choose whether to be remembered as a hero or a villain
I'll make the call, I'll make the call
Ultimately, I am responsible for my own fate
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CASEY BLUE CRESCENZO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Markham
This album is truly a masterpiece. Years later it's still marvelous.
Shaktidej
Act 3, 4 & 5 are all absolute masterpieces !
Joseph Bastidas
@Shaktidej Act 1 and 2 were already amazing, but TDH really did take it to the next level starting with Act 3 onward
Howard Sabblah
I don’t know how many times I’ve just had all their albums played on repeat. It’s unbelievable really.