The fact that there’s even a new Prids record is a miracle. In March of 2015 bassist-vocalist Mistina La Fave suffered a brain hemorrhage the night before the band was scheduled to enter the studio. The recovery was physically and mentally taxing, and La Fave is lucky to be alive, let alone playing and performing again. The Prids’ 22 years have been marked with death, sickness, divorce, and a near-fatal van crash that cut a tour short and left members bloody and broken—but they survive through the friendship and bond of founding members La Fave and guitarist-vocalist David Frederickson. While those events have invariably made their way into the band’s narrative, the two simply chalk it up to life.
They met in La Fave’s small hometown of Saint Joseph, Missouri, in 1995, not long after Frederickson had moved there from Southern California. They started a relationship (they divorced in 2001, not long after they married), formed The Prids, and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, before settling in Portland, Oregon, in 1999. In that time they’ve released four full-lengths and a trail of EPs, toured all over the world, while gaining the respect of bands throughout Portland for their tenacity and longevity (The Prids are one of the longest-running active bands in the city). They continue to make music for the right reasons—with or without a label, for themselves. A few years ago they brought in drummer Gordon Nickel and multi-instrumentalist Tim Yates, their sturdiest lineup to date. These four individuals are what make Do I Look Like I’m In Love? such a special record.
Throughout it all The Prids have remained completely DIY (the band even launched its own label/artist collective This-a-Way Records in 1996). Their videos and album art are as brilliantly conceived as the music itself. And in 2017 the Prids are playing with the same ardor they did 20 years ago. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and this band is the embodiment of that.
Fragile
The Prids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when we're almost there will we care
Will I not matter again?
Drowning in your ocean eyes
The fragile unravel stole my mind
Drowning in your ocean eyes
The fragile unravel stole my mind
Run from the Sun, don't stop to think it over
Whatever I am feeling again
Pretend I can make it stop, oh
Drowning in your ocean eyes
The fragile unravel stole my mind
Drowning in your ocean eyes
The fragile unravel stole my mind
I know that you try resisting the tide to need us
But when you reassure the cracks in your world
Remember I've fallen through, oh
Drowning in your ocean eyes
The fragile unravel stole my mind
Drowning in your ocean eyes
The fragile unravel stole my mind
The Prids' song "Fragile" narrates the feeling of being lost and disoriented in a relationship, as well as the struggle to hold on to oneself amidst it. The opening lines suggest that as we move further away from our current life, we tend to lose our sense of attachment to it, raising the question of whether our existence even matters. The theme of detachment and uncertainty continues as the singer draws a vivid picture of being submerged in their lover's eyes. The usage of the word "fragile" not only describes the delicate state of the singer's mind but also of the relationship. The line "run from the sun, don't stop to think it over" signifies that the singer is afraid of facing reality, thus resorting to avoidance.
The chorus repeats the idea of being suffocated and overwhelmed by the lover's intense gaze. The final verse expresses the pain of being ignored despite being in need, despite falling through the cracks in the other person's world. Overall, the song portrays a struggle for self-preservation and the battle to maintain one's identity even in the most intense and disorienting relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
With every mile lose your ties to this life
As you move farther away from your current surroundings, let go of your past and the things that hold you back
And when we're almost there will we care
When we are close to reaching our destination, will we still care about the things we left behind
Will I not matter again?
Will I once again become insignificant in your life?
Drowning in your ocean eyes
Being overwhelmed and consumed by the depth and intensity of your gaze
The fragile unravel stole my mind
The fragility of the situation caused everything to unravel and overwhelmed my thoughts
Run from the Sun, don't stop to think it over
Escape from the daylight and reality, without second-guessing or analyzing the situation
Whatever I am feeling again
No matter what I feel, I must escape it no matter the consequence
Pretend I can make it stop, oh
Falsely believe that I have control over my emotions and make them come to a halt
I know that you try resisting the tide to need us
I understand that you resist your desire to depend on us for support
But when you reassure the cracks in your world
However, when you patch up the vulnerabilities in your life
Remember I've fallen through, oh
Remember that I have already gone through a similar experience and have been affected by it
Drowning in your ocean eyes
Being overwhelmed and consumed by the depth and intensity of your gaze
The fragile unravel stole my mind
The fragility of the situation caused everything to unravel and overwhelmed my thoughts
Contributed by Samantha H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bruno lessa
" the fragile unravel stole my mind "
beautiful
pyenapple
<3 forever.