In December 2005 The Maple State flew out to Chicago to record new material with Sean O'Keefe (Fall out Boy, Hawthorne Heights) and Joshua Caine (Motion City Soundtrack), also playing at First Avenue in Minnesota with Motion City Soundtrack. At the end of the year Big Cheese magazine named The Maple State 'Best British Newcomer' in their annual reader’s poll.
In 2006 the band released a spilt EP with Kneehigh and toured throughout the year with Say Anything, The Academy Is..and Get cape. Wear cape. Fly.
In the summer of 2006 the band recorded a single with Andy Gill (Gang of Four) but apparently due to legal complications the songs were not released. At the end of 2006 the band signed with Manchester Indie label; High Voltage Sounds and in February 2007 they released the Joanna EP, the songs on this release were far-removed from the emo-rock songs the band had started out with taking on a slower more mature sound, but the single 'Joanna' received radio play across the UK and the band were invited by Mark Hoppus to support his band +44 on their European tour.
In summer 2007 Richard Higginbottom who was a long time friend of the band joined on guitar and they began writing material for their album. The band released an EP entitled Say, Scientist on High Voltage Sounds in February 2008 to consistently strong reviews from the likes of NME and Rocksound, this EP marked a return to the faster passed and more energetic sound the band started out with and the first single We Swear By the Light Life was released in December 2007. The second single Temperate Lives was released in April 2008 and has been the bands most successful to date, with the song making national radio playlists and the video receiving regular play on MTV2 - reaching number 6 in the MTV2 chart. At the end of 2008 Temperate Lives was named single of the year by the Manchester Evening News.
Bones
The Maple State Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our time won't amount to much
But February 4th '05 remains a bitch
For any day to touch
With your cold hands
And my "what are you waiting for"s
'Cause we could leave now
Yeah, we could leave
Through evergreens and frozen windows
We're out of drink, but far from out of luck
So say just what we're waiting for
And say just what we're swimming for
It gets better every time it's so
In the cold inside your house
I hope the whereabouts remain unknown
So don't make me relive this alone
With the lights along the fence
We'll draw the life back to my bones
With college still in recent memory
Our adulthood lay safely out of reach
So say just what we're waiting for
And say just what we're swimming for
It gets better every time it's so
In the car outside your house
I hope the whereabouts remain unknown
So don't make me relive this alone
With the lights along the fence
We draw the life back to my bones
Now don't make me relive this
With the lights along the fence
We draw the life back to my bones
We only count the perfect moments
Our time won't amount to much
But February 4th '05 remains a bitch
For any day to touch
The Maple State's song Bones describes a desire to relive a moment from the past that was special, even if it was fleeting. The opening lines are instantly relatable, as many people often focus on the good times and forget about the more mundane moments that fill our days. Still, these perfect moments are precious, and the singer of the song is willing to revisit them at any cost.
The specific moment that the song references is February 4th, 2005. While it's unclear what happened on that day, it clearly holds a lot of meaning for the singer. The memory is painful, but it's also powerful enough that no other day can match it. This line creates a poignant sense of nostalgia that permeates the entire song.
The chorus of Bones follows a similar pattern to the verses, with the singer pleading with someone else (possibly an ex-lover or friend) to share in their nostalgia. The repetition of the lines "say just what we're waiting for" and "say just what we're swimming for" adds to the sense of urgency and longing in the song.
Overall, Bones is a poignant reminder that life is made up of both good and bad moments. While we might want to focus only on the good, it's important to acknowledge and appreciate the hard times as well. The song captures this sentiment beautifully and is an ode to the nostalgia that we all carry within us.
Line by Line Meaning
We only count the perfect moments
We only value and remember the moments that were perfect and ideal.
Our time won't amount to much
We don't have much time to make an impact or achieve great things.
But February 4th '05 remains a bitch
February 4th, 2005 was a difficult and painful day that still haunts us.
For any day to touch
No other day or moment can compare to the pain and heartache of February 4th, 2005.
With your cold hands
With your distant and unfeeling touch.
And my "what are you waiting for"s
And my frustration and impatience with your reluctance and indecision.
'Cause we could leave now
We have the opportunity to leave this painful moment behind and move on.
Yeah, we could leave
We have the freedom and ability to leave this painful moment behind and start anew.
Through evergreens and frozen windows
Through the snow-covered landscape and icy surroundings.
We're out of drink, but far from out of luck
Despite running out of alcohol, we still have hope and optimism for the future.
So say just what we're waiting for
Let's clarify what we're hoping to achieve or waiting for before we leave this moment behind.
And say just what we're swimming for
Let's clarify what our goal or purpose is, so we can focus and move forward.
It gets better every time it's so
Each time we revisit this painful memory, it becomes less painful and more bearable.
In the cold inside your house
In the emotionally distant and uncomfortable environment of your home.
I hope the whereabouts remain unknown
I hope this memory doesn't resurface or become known to others.
So don't make me relive this alone
Don't force me to confront this painful memory alone without your support.
With the lights along the fence
With the hope and joy that comes with festive lights and decorations.
We'll draw the life back to my bones
We'll restore the joy and vitality that has been lost due to this painful memory.
With college still in recent memory
Since we just graduated from college, we feel a sense of longing for the carefree days of our youth.
Our adulthood lay safely out of reach
We feel like we have a long way to go before we become true adults.
Now don't make me relive this
Please don't force me to confront this painful memory again.
We draw the life back to my bones
We reignite the spark and energy that has been lost due to this painful memory.
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Owen Simpson
That chorus blows me away every time
N1G3L2
AHHH!! i cant find this album anywhere pleeeeease send it?