In Autumn 2002 the band recorded their debut album (Find Yourself Along the Way) at The Ship with Aaron Espinoza, the famed musician (Earlimart) and producer (The New Folk Implosion, Eliot Smith, The Breeders). Each member contributed to the songwriting process (Dean and Arthur picking up the guitar again for passages in “Take to the Sun” and “On Our Own” respectively). Find Yourself Along the Way is a stream of peerless compositions that inconspicuously tours the best of the early 1990s dream pop scene. But, due in large part to Harris’ deliciously nonchalant voice, the songwriting progresses from that scene with momentum towards a sparkling style of noise-pop that is equally memorable and provocative. The album appeared on the Top Albums of 2003 lists of several publications around the world, with critics noting the record's crafty juxtaposition of ambience and tunefulness.
From late 2005 to early 2006 the quartet recorded their sophomore album with Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Earlimart) at The Ship. "Numbered Days" contains ten luminous new songs that combine infectious, melodic indie-pop with the tremulous soundscapes the band first explored on their 2003 debut. The album will be released worldwide on Words On Music in early Autumn 2006.
The Meeting Places has performed live extensively in California, including the 2003 San Francisco Noise-Pop Festival. They also played at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas in both 2003 and 2005.
In the late summer of 2008 The Meeting Places returned from a two-year hiatus. New songs are currently being worked on, as well as live shows throughout Los Angeles
Scott McDonald left the band in late 2010 and was replaced by Matt Gleason in early 2011. Currently in the early stages of writing new songs for a L.P.
Freeze Our Stares
The Meeting Places Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you lead me nowhere
You want to see me drown
Claw the surface for air
But you’re not there
You steal the dreams from my sleep
And leave the darkness to bear
What more do you need to keep
It’s not fair
You turn your eyes from mine
Glance if you dare
In the wintertime
The cold will freeze our stares
We won’t care
The Meeting Places’s song Freeze Our Stares talks about a relationship in which one person is leading the other towards nowhere, causing them to drown and steal their dreams. The lyrics employ the use of various metaphors to showcase the feelings of the person who is at the receiving end of this tormented relationship. The lyrics suggest that this person is being taken advantage of and has fallen victim to the other person’s manipulation, causing them to feel trapped and unable to escape the hold that the other person has over them.
The song speaks of the victim’s desperation to reach out to the other person, wanting to share their thoughts and emotions with them, but feeling as though they are constantly being denied this opportunity. Instead, they face endless darkness and are left to bear it alone. The lyrics also talk about the irony of their emotions towards the other person, feeling resentful towards them but at the same time wanting them to glance their way even if it is for a brief moment.
Towards the end of the lyrics, The Meeting Places use the metaphor of the cold winter to reflect how the relationship is bound to eventually freeze their glares. In a way, it symbolizes how they will eventually grow apart and become indifferent to each other's presence.
Line by Line Meaning
You want to string me around
You desire to manipulate me as a puppet, controlling my actions and decisions without any regard for my personal agency.
But you lead me nowhere
Despite your attempts at manipulation, you are unable to steer me in any specific direction or achieve any desired outcome.
You want to see me drown
You wish for my failure or downfall, perhaps out of jealousy or resentment.
Claw the surface for air
Despite your efforts to hold me underwater, I am able to struggle and fight for my survival.
But you’re not there
Despite your harmful intentions, you are not physically present to witness the effects of your actions or the success of my resilience.
You steal the dreams from my sleep
You sabotage my ambitions and aspirations, destroying any hope or motivation that I may hold for the future.
And leave the darkness to bear
You abandon me in a state of hopelessness and despair, forcing me to confront my fears and worries without any support or guidance.
What more do you need to keep
You remain unsatisfied despite the harm that you have caused, and continue to seek control and power over my life.
What more can’t I share
You demand complete knowledge and access to all of my thoughts, emotions, and experiences, disregarding my right to privacy or independence.
It’s not fair
You acknowledge the injustice and cruelty of your actions, but refuse to take responsibility for them or make amends.
You turn your eyes from mine
You avoid direct confrontation or communication, preferring to manipulate and sabotage from a distance.
Glance if you dare
You dare me to challenge your authority or to make any attempt at resistance or rebellion.
In the wintertime
During a time of cold and darkness, when life is difficult and bleak.
The cold will freeze our stares
Our icy gazes will be locked in a state of hostility and mistrust, unable to bridge the emotional chasm between us.
We won’t care
We have become so calloused and bitter towards each other that we no longer feel any empathy or compassion, and can only continue our cycle of harm and destruction.
Contributed by Alice P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.