It is entirely possib… Read Full Bio ↴This is an open letter to old and new friends;
It is entirely possible that The Mark Inside's new EP False Flag may never have seen the light of day. Myself and the rest of the band---Geoff Bennett, Gus Harris, and Reade Ollivier---have had to struggle a long time to get this out to you and to get where we are today. But I think we've come out the other side stronger, self-possessed artists (yes I am willing to label ourselves as such) content to live and die by our collective sword. We have lived this music inside and out and mean every word, beat and note of it.
In the years following our debut release, Static/Crash, this band has fought hard to get on with a second full-length record. We toured Canada extensively, made two videos that saw heavy play on MuchMusic and online, and the songs 'Carousel' and 'Sweet Little Sister' from Static/Crash achieved mainstream radio success. All good things.
But our band has been most lauded for our live show. We love to play, and it is our bare-bones live sets have made the band bleed, pour sweat, and blister hands and vocal cords. Fans leaping onto the stage, unable to control themselves is a regular phenomenon; they have all but thrown us from the stage in their frenzy. Cops have shut down our shows on more than one occasion and there have even been instances of public nudity and property damage. Dose magazine says The Mark Inside live experience is a "ballsy rock rave up. Kinda like a balls-out bar-room jamboree at the roadhouse at the end of the universe!!" I've always been very proud of that quote.
Things were going well, but we had differences with our label, and found our way clear of our recording contract. We threw ourselves to the mercy of our own wits and instincts to carry on. And carry on we did: We started writing in earnest. Each of us, seemingly desperate to prove ourselves, came out swinging; the new songs were more focused and aggressive, the rhythm section more dominant and pushed further by thunderous guitar passages and, personally, I wanted to take a more pointed and aggressive lyrical stance addressing my understanding of myself and the world at large. We released a 7" single, 'Circling the Drain b/w Liar!', on Davy Love's vinyl singles-only label Magnificent Sevens. And various television shows sought out our music for key scenes (almost always as the soundtrack for a character’s adolescent angst or over-indulgence - hehe). We even ended up playing ourselves in the Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom) mini-series At The Hotel, alongside our 'manager' Don McKellar (Highway 61, Child star).
When we finally sent new demos to our dream list of producers, the music struck a chord. We found ourselves in the enviable, but difficult, position of having to make a choice from a selection of some of the most talented producers of the day. Ultimately we narrowed it down to two: Andy Gill (Gang Of Four founding member) and Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian producer). Andy Gill gave us some high praise, describing The Mark Inside’s music as "Gutsy, direct and often inspiring; this music is timeless." I considered it an honour just to be able to speak to a personal hero from one of my favourite bands. Ultimately, it was the way we intuitively felt that Jim understood the music, combined with the picture Abbiss painted of a live-off-the-floor recording, focusing on the band’s live prowess and energy that won us over.
Abbiss signed us to his own MetalBox Recordings, and TMI headed to England to begin work on our second full-length album. Holing up for a month in rural Lincolnshire in a converted chapel from the 1700's, we started laying down the tracks which will first appear on our new EP False Flag. Jim captured the essence of The Mark Inside, working with us to interpret what became the best recorded representation of the band and our songs. Long days and focused nights drenched in the joy and catharsis of playing the new songs permeates the recording. The heart and soul of our band can be heard throughout and this is what we had always aimed to achieve.
Following an opening slot for The Hold Steady in the UK, the band and MetalBox struck a licensing deal with Sony Music Canada. The Mark Inside’s first Canadian release through this new arrangement is False Flag, an EP being released on vinyl (which includes a digital download), and digitally in Canada on October 26.
After two years spent cursing the gods and ourselves, navigating the ever-changing realities of the music industry, and rallying our personal demons and angels for some fresh wind in our sails, I speak for the whole band when I say that The Mark Inside could not be more pleased to finally offer up the results of our hard work to the world at large. Through a long and odd trip in which we have toiled and then some, we have remained fiercely loyal to our own cause holding ourselves in judgment of our own reflection and what gets us off in all other music, words and art; it has made us become more focused and wise but, perhaps above all, we have elevated and maintained a sense of purpose and humour in making our way through this world in turmoil.
Thank you for reading,
Chris Levoir - The Mark inside
** The Mark Inside's ep False Flag was released in the Fall of 2010
Carousel
The Mark Inside Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sad am I
Well am I too old to cry
And I'll never deny emotion
And I'll never deny I'm open
To all the wheels spinnin' inside my head
Well I can't get off this ride
And I think I must be dead
Real, real, real
Sorry, sorry, sorry am I
Well am I too old to lie
And am I too old to try
I'm waving to the view
The view is going by
Well I cannot say hello
And I can barely say goodbye
Hurt, hurt, hurt
Hurting, hurting am I
I try to satisfy
I ask not how but why
With all the wheel spinnin' insidemy head
I can't get off this ride
I think I must be dead
Real, real, real
Sorry, sorry, sorry am I
Well am I too old to lie
And am I too old to try
I'm waving to the view
The view is going by
Well I cannot say hello
And I can barely say goodbye
Come and take a ride with me
On this ol' carousel
You can have the best of me
On this ol' carousel
Come and take a ride with me
On this ol' carousel
You can have the best of me
The Mark Inside's song "Carousel" is a melancholic and introspective tune about feeling stuck in a repetitive and cyclical pattern of emotions. The opening lyrics, "so, so, so, sad am I, well am I too old to cry," establish the somber mood of the song from the very beginning. The singer of the song is unable to deny their emotions, acknowledging their vulnerability and open-mindedness. However, at the same time, they feel trapped on a ride that they cannot get off, and they wonder if they are already emotionally dead.
The second stanza expands on the theme of regret, as the singer expresses sorrow and apology for something unclear, but possibly related to past lies or attempts at personal growth that did not materialize. They wave at life as it goes by, unable to fully connect with it or to express their emotions in a meaningful way.
The chorus repeats the same melody and lyrics, adding a call to action that sounds more hopeful and uplifting: "Come and take a ride with me on this old carousel, you can have the best of me." The carousel, previously presented as a limiting and oppressive element, now becomes a shared experience that can bring people together and reveal hidden aspects of themselves.
Overall, the lyrics of "Carousel" convey a sense of exhaustion and disillusionment with emotions and personal growth, but also a glimmer of hope that comes from shared experiences and connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
So, so, so
I am incredibly sad
Sad am I
My sadness consumes me
Well am I too old to cry
I feel like I'm too old to show my emotions and cry
And I'll never deny emotion
I will always acknowledge and accept my emotions
And I'll never deny I'm open
I am open and vulnerable to the world
To all the wheels spinnin' inside my head
My thoughts and feelings are constantly racing inside my mind
Well I can't get off this ride
I feel like I'm stuck in my sadness and can't escape it
And I think I must be dead
My sadness is so overwhelming that I feel like I'm not truly alive
Real, real, real
I am filled with regret and sorrow
Sorry, sorry, sorry am I
I am deeply apologetic for the person I am or have become
Well am I too old to lie
I am too tired to pretend to be someone I'm not
And am I too old to try
I don't have the hope or motivation to try anymore
I'm waving to the view
I'm trying to enjoy the moment
The view is going by
Life is passing me by and it's bittersweet
Well I cannot say hello
I struggle to open up and connect with others
And I can barely say goodbye
My heart aches at the thought of losing someone
Hurt, hurt, hurt
I am deeply wounded
Hurting, hurting am I
I am the embodiment of pain
I try to satisfy
I am a people-pleaser and strive to make others happy
I ask not how but why
I don't know how to find answers, only questions
Come and take a ride with me
Join me through this journey of life
On this ol' carousel
One of the many cycles of life
You can have the best of me
I'm willing to give my all to this ride with you
Contributed by Samuel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Eddie Aldaco
This song is amazing.
Retro VI
I did a few shows with this band in 2005. They opened for my band at the time. Great group of guys.
Kevin d'Eça
Perfection!! Absolute love for this song!
Shah Syed
This and Sweet Little Sister are actually different from the studio albums. Which is awesome because I felt these versions were way more grungier. Thanks. RIP Chris, amazing person and voice.
Anne Kendall
This song is classic, thanks for upload
Devon Sampson
loves it! #awesome
Julie Semeniuk
ohhhh i just remembered this gem thankyou!!!!!
エスベーターMania 358 个
懐かしいな!!このアルバム持ってた‼スウィートリトルシスター最高に好きだった(⌒‐⌒)
Kevin d'Eça
Attention publisher: Do Not Remove This Video!!...Ever.
Stefan Tijanic
Thank you for having this song posted, I can't find this demo version anywhere else.