In August of 2002 The Defaced was once again ready to hit the studio, this time for the recording of the second album. Many things had changed for the band, in the musical expression as well as in the sound. It was evident, even at pre-production, that the new material was going bring the band’s sound and material up not just a notch, but miles above the first album. The recording sessions this time around were to take place in Queenstreet Recording and in Darkane Studio. In October of 2002 the album was finished. With fat production, strong melodies, creativity, originality and skill: The result totally speaks for itself! The album was given the title ”Karma in Black” and a video was shot for the track ”Once in Between”.
Grow
The Defaced Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never thought that this was not meant to be
I try to prevent myself
To say the words that make it even worse than it is
What we've got here
I thought would last and that I would die with this feeling
Enslaved by my needs
I can't give up and give away
Grow
To survive we've got to committ
Is there anything to say that can change your mind?
The words that you say tear my guts
Anxiety is creeping up and I have to face the pain
The future was ours we said
What remains now belongs to the past
Open mind open soul
Have we failed?
Grow
Tell me what remains
Tell me what is left
Tell me what remains
Tell me what we've got
The Defaced's song Grow appears to be a reflection on a dying relationship or love that has reached the end of its life cycle. The song begins with the realization that despite being safe for some time now, the relationship was not meant to be. The singer tries to prevent himself from saying the words that would make the situation worse. He thought the relationship would last and that he would die with that feeling but he is now enslaved by his needs.
The pre-chorus calls for commitment to survive and wonders if there's anything that can be said to change the other person's mind. The words spoken by the partner tear his guts and cause anxiety to creep up. The chorus "grow" serves as a reminder that growth is required to move forward, whether it means growing as individuals or growing apart from each other.
The second verse questions what remains after the end of the relationship. The future that was promised is now in the past, leaving open wounds that need to heal. The line "open mind, open soul" indicates that despite the pain, the singer is willing to learn from the experience to become a better person. The song ends with a plea to know what remains, what is left, and what they have got.
Line by Line Meaning
Been safe for some time now
I've been comfortable and secure in my situation for a while
Never thought that this was not meant to be
I never considered that this might not be the right path for me
I try to prevent myself
I attempt to stop myself
To say the words that make it even worse than it is
I'm trying not to make a bad situation even worse with my words
What we've got here
The current state of our relationship/situation
I thought would last and that I would die with this feeling
I believed that what we had would be forever and that I'd never have to give it up
Enslaved by my needs
My desires are controlling me and holding me back from moving on
I can't give up and give away
I can't let go of what we had and move on
Grow
I need to grow and evolve from this situation
To survive we've got to committ
We need to make a commitment in order to make it through this
Is there anything to say that can change your mind?
Is there anything I can say that will make you reconsider your position?
The words that you say tear my guts
Your words are hurting me deeply
Anxiety is creeping up and I have to face the pain
I'm feeling anxious and have to confront my emotional pain
The future was ours we said
We talked about having a future together at one time
What remains now belongs to the past
What's left of our relationship/situation is in the past
Open mind open soul
Having an open mind and being receptive to change
Have we failed?
Did we not succeed in making this work?
Tell me what remains
What is left of what we had?
Tell me what is left
What do we have left to salvage?
Tell me what remains
What's left of our relationship/situations?
Tell me what we've got
What are we left with?
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shawn Fairbanks
Brutal! Metal! Amazing!