The Honorary Title was a rock band from Brooklyn, New Yo… Read Full Bio ↴(2003-2009)
The Honorary Title was a rock band from Brooklyn, New York composed of Jarrod Gorbel, Aaron Kamstra, Jon Wiley, and Adam Boyd. Gorbel became known for his dark sense of humor, which often worked its way into the band's songs.
Their first release was a self-titled EP. They received much attention and did major touring after they released a full length album on Doghouse Records in 2004 entitled, "Anything Else But the Truth". The album was recorded in Nashville and New York with producer Roger Moutenot who has also worked with Yo La Tengo and Guster. Videos are available for the singles "Everything I Once Had", "Bridge and Tunnel", & "Frame by Frame".
On October 24, 2009 Jarrod announced that The Honorary Title would play their final show on Friday, November 20, 2009. Gorbel released a solo EP called Ten Years Older on his 2010 acoustic tour with Dustin Dobernig. In an interview with weworemasks.com, Gorbel says, "It’s considered a solo session, but…The Honorary Title might be over." He also said he is working on a solo LP. He continues to record and play music, but under his name.
The Smoking Pose
The Honorary Title Lyrics
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Sleeping but awake
Desperately, you're searching for remains
To feed that part of you
Crawling and scratching
Sifting through ashes
Your fingers are blistered
Right down to the filter
With your chin down to your chest
Speech drooling out in a mesh
Of baritone slurs, incomprehensible, unaware of what you mean
Of baritone slurs, incomprehensible, unaware of how you seem
Your eyes were just blatant hints at your elevation
Allowing the two of you, completion
Singe your throat when the door is open
Beneath the smoke that I can see that,
I can see that you have come alive again
The Honorary Title's song "The Smoking Pose" paints a vivid picture of a person who is desperately searching for something to feed a part of themselves. The "color in your eyes ablaze" juxtaposes with the fact that they are "sleeping but awake," suggesting a certain level of restlessness within them. The imagery of someone "crawling and scratching" and "sifting through ashes" with "blistered fingers" adds to the desperation of their search. The person's smoking habit is used as a metaphor for their search for fulfillment - "right down to the filter" refers not only to the cigarettes they smoke but also to their own endeavors to find meaning in their life.
The second verse describes the effects of the smoking habit on the person's physical and mental state. Their "chin down to their chest" and "speech drooling out in a mesh" suggests a lack of control over their body and speech - they are "incomprehensible" and "unaware of what [they] mean." The third line of the verse, "your eyes were just blatant hints at your elevation," perhaps suggests that there is something about this person that is elevated or admirable, but their smoking habit and their search for meaning are getting in the way of them reaching their full potential. The final line of the verse, "allowing the two of you, completion," suggests that this person's search for meaning is affecting someone else in their life, perhaps a partner or friend who is trying to support them.
The final verse offers a glimmer of hope. The person is able to come alive again, with their smoking habit perhaps helping to clear their mind or allowing them to reach some kind of revelation. The lines "singe your throat when the door is open / beneath the smoke that I can see that / I can see that you have come alive again" convey a feeling of both pain and release. The smoking habit is portrayed as harmful (singeing their throat) yet also a necessary part of their journey towards achieving some kind of awakening.
Line by Line Meaning
With the color in your eyes ablaze
Your eyes shine bright, displaying the emotions you feel inside.
Sleeping but awake
You're physically asleep, but your mind is wide awake and active.
Desperately, you're searching for remains
You yearn for something that's been lost or taken away, and you're frantically trying to find any remaining trace of it.
To feed that part of you
You need to satisfy a hunger or craving deep within you.
Crawling and scratching
You're relentlessly trying to get what you want, often resorting to desperate or extreme measures.
Sifting through ashes
You're searching through the remnants of something that's been lost or destroyed, trying to find any evidence of what once was.
Your fingers are blistered
You've been searching and working so hard that your hands have been damaged and hurt.
Right down to the filter
You've put in so much effort that you've reached the very end, where there's nothing left to give.
The blistering that carved that shape in you all night
The physical and emotional pain you've endured while searching has left a lasting impression on you, shaping who you are.
With your chin down to your chest
You're hanging your head low in defeat or disappointment.
Speech drooling out in a mesh
Your words are falling out of your mouth in a sloppy, unclear manner.
Of baritone slurs, incomprehensible, unaware of what you mean
Your speech is muddled and difficult to understand, and you may not even know what you're trying to say yourself.
Of baritone slurs, incomprehensible, unaware of how you seem
Your words and actions may not make sense to others, and you may be oblivious to how you appear to them.
Your eyes were just blatant hints at your elevation
Your eyes were the only aspect of you that suggested you were at a higher level or in a better position than you actually were.
Allowing the two of you, completion
Your eyes brought you and another person together, completing something between you.
Singe your throat when the door is open
You expose your vulnerability and hurt when others are around, even when you don't mean to or want to.
Beneath the smoke that I can see that,
Despite trying to hide behind a veil, your pain is visible to others.
I can see that you have come alive again
Your search and struggle have given you renewed energy and passion.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JARROD GORBEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind