After sending demo after demo to labels around the county, the music caught the attention One Eleven Records owner Brad Fischetti. The result of that record deal was the raw and emotive Sunsets and Car Crashes, released on April 20, 2004, which began to amass Thomas eager fans around the country. Thomas was then joined by members Joe Beck, Ross Wheeler, and Brandon Aegerter shortly after the release of Sunsets and Car Crashes. Wheeler and Aegerter left the group and were replaced by Scott McGuire and Dan Ludeman. The four members collectively wrote what would be The Spill Canvas' second album, One Fell Swoop. The album was released on August 9, 2005.
After officially transitioning from solo act to full-fledged rock band, The Spill Canvas recorded their dynamic debut full-length, One Fell Swoop, with producer Ed Rose (The Get-Up Kids), releasing it on One Eleven in May of 2005 to great acclaim, eventually selling over 50,000 copies.
While on tour in support of One Fell Swoop, The Spill Canvas caught the eye of Sire Records President Michael Goldstone at New Jersey's The Bamboozle Festival in 2006. Ready to take the next step forward, The Spill Canvas formed a partnership with Sire, which Thomas believes will provide the band with the promise of career longevity.
In early 2007, McGuire declared that he was no longer a part of the band, stating, "The Spill Canvas has decided in order to make music to its fullest potential, they must do so with out me." There is still much speculation as to whether he was kicked out of the band or if he decided to leave. The temporary replacement for McGuire was Landon Heil, the guitarist of another band known as The Glass Atlantic. He is now a permanent member of the band.
On May 1, 2007, the band released an EP entitled Denial Feels So Good, to hold their fans over until their new album arrived. The EP consisted of three original songs and two covers. Marc Sheaffer, a keyboardist from Sioux Falls, played keyboards on Gold Dust Woman. Following the release of the EP, the band played on the entire 2007 Warped Tour, promoting the release of their third album No Really, I'm Fine. The album was recorded in March and April 2007 and featured Anthony Green of Circa Survive and Andrew McMahon of Jack's Mannequin. Green sang backup vocals on the song Bleed, Everyone's Doing It, and McMahon played keyboards in the re-recorded version of Saved, a song originally recorded for the soundtrack of the motion picture, Superman Returns.
The third album for The Spill Canvas, (which was recorded by Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, The Wallflowers, Yellowcard) in Hollywood, California) No Really, I'm Fine was released on October 2, 2007, although it was leaked on the internet a few days earlier. The band went on a Fall tour across North America in the Fall of 2007, named "All Your Favorite Spots". The tour was supported by Meg & Dia, Playradioplay!, and Treaty of Paris. On January 23, 2008, it was confirmed on Yellowcard's official MySpace that The Spill Canvas would be touring with them in a spring acoustic tour. In February 2008, they headed to Europe with Plain White T's and The Fold. In the summer of 2008, The Spill Canvas headlined a national tour, supported by Steel Train and Ludo. Up-and-coming pop-punkers [artist[Sing It Loud joined them for the first half of the tour, with Liam and Me joining for the end. They were joined by Motion City Soundtrack for the final leg of the tour. In late 2008, they toured with OneRepublic, The Hush Sound and Augustana. On this tour, most vocalists from all of the opening bands, including Nick, came up during Augustana's set to perform Traveling Wilbury's hit Handle With Care, trading off lead vocals.
On September 25, 2009, Joe Beck announced via the band's Twitter site that they had already finished recording 4 songs from the upcoming album. Their latest release to date is Honestly, I’m Doing Okay, a follow up EP to No Really, I’m Fine. Released in 2008 the EP was available only on the internet. Having five tracks in total it included one new song and two new acoustic versions of pre-released songs.
Black Dresses
The Spill Canvas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With our knuckles interlocked
Black dresses flood the cemetery
In this cliche tragedy
Just do as you're instructed and...
Take this razor and cut your palms
I'll do the same until
Now drip your ruby red over the casket
A funeral for my once loved youth
My secret is fatally gorgeous
I'd die for you
But in this Bonnie and Clyde kind of romance
Tell me what would you do?
My secret is fatally gorgeous
I'd die for you
But when your precious life is at stake
Tell me would you die for me too?
The quivering liquids in your stomach
Will eat away at the bad habits
That have made you a real character
In the story of your now distant life
Goodnight and goodbye, quickly
In gentle greens we stand side by side
With your head buried in my chest
Black veils send me shivering
The fear that part of me is dying
Just do as you're instructed and...
Take this razor and cut your palms
I'll do the same until
A river of crimson begins to flow
Now drip your ruby red over the casket
A funeral for my once loved youth
My secret is fatally gorgeous
I'd die for you
But in this Bonnie and Clyde kind of romance
Tell me what would you do?
My secret is fatally gorgeous
I'd die for you
But when your precious life is at stake
Tell me would you die for me too?
The quivering liquids in your stomach
Will eat away at the bad habits
That have made you a real character
In the story of your now distant life
Goodnight and goodbye, quickly, quickly
Goodbyes are said and roses thrown
And the crowd starts to weep
But the irony of the story
Is when I fell to my knees
And began clawing at the dirt
In front of the tombstone
Of my bashful childhood
With you by my side,
You're screaming at
The top of your lungs, "let it go"
And I'm screaming at the top of my lungs
"The ceremony was not proper,
There was not enough people,
And who picked the music?
Those melodies almost
Made me physically sick"
My secret is fatally gorgeous
I'd die for you
But in this Bonnie and Clyde kind of romance
Tell me what would you do?
My secret is fatally gorgeous
I'd die for you
But when your precious life is at stake
Tell me would you die for me too?
The quivering liquids in your stomach
Will eat away at the bad habits
That have made you a real character
In the story of your now distant life
Goodnight and goodbye, quickly
Goodnight and goodbye, quickly
"Black Dresses" by The Spill Canvas is a song about a tragic, intense love affair that ends in death. The song is divided into three different parts, with the first and last verse connected by a chorus. The song follows a narrative of two lovers who stand together in a cemetery, surrounded by black dresses, taking part in a "cliche tragedy." The "Black Dresses" serve as a metaphor for death and the end of a relationship. They stand interlocking their knuckles and cutting their palms until a river of crimson begins to flow before dripping it over the casket in a funeral for their once loved youth.
The lyrics capture the intensity of the situation as the two contemplate their love, with the singer questioning whether their partner would die for him should the situation arise. The song is ambiguous in its meaning, leaving open the interpretation if the death is a result of a suicide pact or a murder-suicide. The song ends with the singer mourning the death of his lover, lashing out at the ceremony and the music chosen, and the final chorus repeating the question of whether the lover would have died for the singer.
Overall, "Black Dresses" is a tragic love song that captures both the intensity and ambiguity of the relationship at the center of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
In muddy grass we stand side by side
We are standing close to each other in a muddy cemetery ground
With our knuckles interlocked
We are holding hands tightly while standing in the cemetery
Black dresses flood the cemetery
Women are wearing black dresses in the cemetery
In this cliche tragedy
This scene is a common one often seen in sad movies
Just do as you're instructed and...
I am asking you to follow my directions
Take this razor and cut your palms
I want you to make a cut on your hand using a razor
I'll do the same until
I will also cut myself until
A river of crimson begins to flow
Blood is going to start gushing out from our wounds
Now drip your ruby red over the casket
We are shedding our blood on top of a coffin
A funeral for my once loved youth
This is a symbolic way of letting go of my youthful past
My secret is fatally gorgeous
My hidden secret is both beautiful and dangerous
I'd die for you
My love for you is so strong that I would sacrifice my life
But in this Bonnie and Clyde kind of romance
Our love story is like the famous movie where two lovers go on a crime spree
Tell me what would you do?
What would you do if you were in my position?
But when your precious life is at stake
If your life was in danger
Tell me would you die for me too?
Would you be willing to sacrifice your life for me as well?
The quivering liquids in your stomach
The anxiety and nervous fluids
Will eat away at the bad habits
These emotions will help us get rid of our negative habits
That have made you a real character
Our flaws and issues have shaped the people we are today
In the story of your now distant life
These issues are part of our past experiences
Goodnight and goodbye, quickly
A quick farewell and goodnight
And the crowd starts to weep
The mourners begin to cry
But the irony of the story
The unexpected twist in this tale
Is when I fell to my knees
I suddenly fall to the ground
And began clawing at the dirt
I started digging the ground with my hands
In front of the tombstone
I am standing next to a headstone
Of my bashful childhood
This headstone belongs to a person from my childhood
With you by my side,
You are standing next to me
You're screaming at the top of your lungs, 'let it go'
You are yelling at me to stop
And I'm screaming at the top of my lungs
I am also yelling loudly
"The ceremony was not proper,
I am criticizing the funeral service
There was not enough people,
I think there should have been more attendees
And who picked the music?
I am questioning the choice of funeral music
Those melodies almost
The music almost
Made me physically sick"
Made me feel very nauseous
Goodnight and goodbye, quickly
A quick goodbye and goodnight
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICHOLAS THOMAS, NICHOLAS EDWARD THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind