Building their sound around the soft-pull of frontman Gabe Archer's soothing vocal delivery, they play to their strengths by keeping their sound simple, straightforward and melodic thus allowing the lyrical weight of Archer's musings to sit comfortably out front.
The band was formerly known as The Pale, but due to legal issues, has changed its name to The Pale Pacific. Their last two records have been released by California-based SideCho records.
Sucker Punch
The Pale Pacific Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bare shoulders and now
Tattoos of the things we love the most
And it's retold with amazing success
And it seems so brave but it's just a sucker punch
And so I
I glower and plot
Chorus
It's what we loved in this family
Only in my head
It's knees and elbows
Melted down instead
Groups of things you tell yourself
I'm solid it's just that nobody knows
It's replayed with precision and care
And why are you even talking
You weren't even there
So I
I glower and plot
I will wreck you
Chorus [x2]
And we're waiting, waiting, waiting
Are you done?
Do you wonder whatever became of this
Have you ever tried to call
I won, I tried, I gave it a shot
We've grown, graduate and married
I would want to know these things
I won, I tried and I gave it a shot
So we ache to be different
Even though we don't really know how
I won, I tried and I gave it a shot
The lyrics to The Pale Pacific's song "Sucker Punch" are written in a highly poetic manner, creating a sense of confusion and mystery around the events being described. The first verse discusses tattoos on bare skin and the way stories about these things can be retold with bravery, even if it was just a "sucker punch" - a sudden and unexpected blow. The second verse moves into a more aggressive tone as the singer plots their revenge, glowering at the person who has wronged them. The repetitive refrain of "I will wreck you" adds to this sense of anger and vindictiveness.
The chorus is somewhat confusing, stating "It's what we loved in this family, only in my head", which implies that the events being discussed may have been distorted or twisted over time. The lines "It's knees and elbows, melted down instead" suggest a physical altercation, perhaps even a fight within a family or group. The final verse brings up the idea of growing up and moving on, and wonders what became of those involved in the conflict. The singer seems to have made peace with the situation, but still longs for closure and understanding.
Overall, the song seems to be about unresolved conflicts and hurt feelings within a group of people, possibly a family. The lyrics are written in a way that is intentionally confusing and open to interpretation, leaving the listener to piece together their own understanding of the story being told.
Line by Line Meaning
It's under shirt sleeves
Hidden beneath the cover of clothing
Bare shoulders and now
Exposed to the world with vulnerability
Tattoos of the things we love the most
Permanent marks of passion and adoration
And it's retold with amazing success
Rewritten in a way that pleases and impresses
And it seems so brave but it's just a sucker punch
Appearing valiant while secretly delivering a surprise attack
And so I
As a result, I
I glower and plot
I stare angrily and scheme in my mind
And I will wreck you
And I will cause harm or destruction to you
Chorus
Refrain
It's what we loved in this family
It's the aspect of our family that we cherished
Only in my head
Only as a memory or fantasy
It's knees and elbows
It's the physical roughness and scrapes
Melted down instead
Reduced to nothing or altered completely
Groups of things you tell yourself
Collections of beliefs you hold within your mind
I'm solid it's just that nobody knows
I'm strong internally, but my strength isn't apparent to others
It's replayed with precision and care
It's remembered and retold accurately and with attention to detail
And why are you even talking
And why are you even participating in this conversation
You weren't even there
You weren't present during the original experience being discussed
And we're waiting, waiting, waiting
And we're anticipating, anticipating, anticipating
Are you done?
Have you finished what you were doing or saying?
Do you wonder whatever became of this
Do you ever think about what happened to this situation?
Have you ever tried to call
Have you ever attempted to make contact?
I won, I tried, I gave it a shot
I succeeded, attempted, and made an effort
We've grown, graduate and married
We've matured, completed our education, and wed
I would want to know these things
I have a desire to learn about these experiences
So we ache to be different
So we yearn to distinguish ourselves from others
Even though we don't really know how
Even though we're uncertain of the method to achieve differentiation
I won, I tried and I gave it a shot
I accomplished, attempted, and made an effort
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
brakingtrails
This should have 10,000,000 listens, 50% of the by me. Been secretly listening to this tune since like 2008. :) Nice work guys, really really solid tune and production.
Gerardo O. Quintero
The Best song, the Best band.
In México we liked his Music in the year 2005
James Summers
AHHH!!! I just randomly had an urge to listen to this song, but couldn't remember it! Took me a good while before I finally remembered and shouted out "The Pale Pacific!". I kept thinking The Postal Service for whatever reason, I knew it had a P in there somewhere.
JakeMondNaver424
original songs... this is my favourite LIKE :D
Leo Jacobus
so weird how this has like no views?