The Thermals were an indie rock trio from Portland, Oregon. The band was fo… Read Full Bio ↴The Thermals were an indie rock trio from Portland, Oregon. The band was formed in 2002 and released seven records and toured at least fifteen countries.

The Thermals' sixth LP and debut for Saddle Creek, Desperate Ground, was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth) in Hoboken, NJ. Agnello and The Thermals completed the record and evacuated the studio just hours before Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey, a fate quite fitting when you consider the product. Desperate Ground is a true scrappy and scratchy return-to-form for The Thermals, with all the raw power and unhinged adolescent energy that made their early LP's so insanely enjoyable. Lyrically, Desperate Ground is a brash and irresponsible ode to human violence, a black celebration of the inevitability of war and death. A dark and yet joyous affair, Desperate Ground tells the (murky) tale of a lone rogue in the night. One man, one path, one sword. An unceasing urge to destroy. A never-ending battle against the forces of nature. A destiny impossible to avoid.

In early 2013 The Thermals signed to Saddle Creek, a label they've known and admired for many years. The Thermals and Saddle Creek have a long history of sleeping on floors together: The Thermals have toured with Cursive and Ladyfinger, and Hutch and Kathy organized the first Bright Eyes show in Portland way back in 1999.

The Thermals were most famous for turning down $50,000 from Hummer, discovering the elusive fourth chord in punk rock (F#m) and for soundtracking that scene in Weeds where Mary-Louise Parker jumps in the pot-filled pool in her underwear.

The Thermals announced they were splitting in April 2018.

The Thermals lineup was Hutch Harris, Kathy Foster and Westin Glass.

At the Bottom of the Sea
The Thermals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The air isn't thin
The air isn't thick
The air isn't anything
It doesn't exist
It's not what we need
At the bottom of the sea

The light is gray

The light is rare
It barely touches us
It's barely there for me
At the bottom of the sea

And I'm barely there for you

I will never come up
I will never compare
Wind to the sand
Water to air
It's not what I want
It's what I need

The love is near
I hear it speak
It's in my sight
But just out of reach
It slips from my hand
Just like it did on the land

And I'm barely there for you

For the air
For the light
For the love
Is barely there for me
At the bottom of the sea

It's not what I want
It's what I need

Overall Meaning

The Thermals's song At the Bottom of the Sea is a deeply metaphorical piece, carrying themes of loss, detachment, and longing. The opening lines “The air isn't thin, The air isn't thick, The air isn't anything, It doesn't exist” can be seen as a reflection of a feeling of being lost, where the singer is essentially stating that they do not feel grounded, leading them to feel detached from everything that would usually provide comfort, such as the air they breathe. They go on to say that they do not need this detachment, implying that it is painful and wish for something to ground them.

The sparse light, which is barely there, seems to reflect the singer's state of mind. The line, “The love is near, I hear it speak, It's in my sight, But just out of reach," suggests that the singer is trying to find something that can provide meaning, but it is always just out of reach, leading them to question whether what they are seeking is attainable. The repeated refrain, “It's not what I want, It's what I need” seems to reflect a sense of resignation, where the singer is acknowledging that what they are seeking may not be what they want at this moment, but it is something that they need to find.

Overall, the song's conclusion conveys a sense that the singer is lost, seeking desperately for something that may never ultimately materialize. While these conclusions are open to interpretation and may differ between listeners, it is clear that the song's introspective themes can resonate at a deep level with those experiencing similar feelings of loss, detachment, and longing.

Line by Line Meaning

The air isn't thin
The air doesn't exist

The air isn't thick
The air is not dense

The air isn't anything
The air is nothing

It doesn't exist
There is no air

It's not what we need
We don't need air

At the bottom of the sea
We are in the ocean depths

The light is gray
The light is dull

The light is rare
The light is scarce

It barely touches us
The light barely reaches us

It's barely there for me
I can hardly see the light

And I'm barely there for you
I can hardly be there for you