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.

I Let It Go
The Thermals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was lost, I was hurt,
I was trapped out at sea..
I was swimming in circles of circles
In the last place I wanted to be.

I was holding on to a love I knew so long
I thought it must be keeping me afloat
Only when I was down,

Only when I was drowning
Did I finally see your hands on my throat

I looked my fear in the eyes!
Looked at the water below!
I knew I could love or live!
I let it go!
I let it go!

I walked in the dark, I walked in the rain
I walked for miles and miles and years,
And all I knew was heartache and pain..

I was weighted with the hate I held so long
I thought it must be guiding me home..
Only when I was lost, only when I was crossed
Did I finally see it left me all alone.

I looked my fear in the eyes!
Looked at the cold ground below!
I knew I could love or die!
I let it go!
I let it go!

Four on the floor!
Two in the air!

Out of the sand, out of the sky!
Into the flow!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song I Let It Go by The Thermals tell a story of being lost, hurt, and trapped, both physically and emotionally. The first verse talks about feeling like someone is swimming in circles, going nowhere, and holding onto a love for too long, as if it was the only thing keeping them afloat. It appears as though this love was not reciprocal, and ultimately the singer realizes that it was actually suffocating them, like somebody was actually holding their throat. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for staying in a dysfunctional relationship, which can be both physically and emotionally draining.

The second verse talks about walking in darkness, pain, and heartache. Once again, it seems as though the singer was carrying hatred for a long time, thinking it was leading them home. However, when they looked deeper, they realized that it was all just an illusion that left them alone. This could be a metaphor for holding onto grudges and negativity, instead of letting go and moving on.

In the chorus, the singer confronts their fear and makes the decision to let go of the toxic love and hatred they've been carrying, accepting that they can either love or live, but can't do both if they continue to hold onto the past. The line "four on the floor, two in the air, out of the sand, out of the sky, into the flow" could be interpreted as letting go of control, jumping into the unknown, and trusting that the journey will take them where they need to be.

Overall, the song I Let It Go by The Thermals is about the importance of letting go of unhealthy emotional baggage, negative thoughts, and toxic relationships in order to move forward to a better place in life.

Line by Line Meaning

I was lost, I was hurt, I was trapped out at sea..
I was in a state of confusion, pain, and feeling stranded with no way out.

I was swimming in circles of circles In the last place I wanted to be.
I was stuck in a never-ending cycle in a place I didn't want to be.

I was holding on to a love I knew so long I thought it must be keeping me afloat Only when I was down, Only when I was drowning Did I finally see your hands on my throat
I was holding onto a relationship that I believed was keeping me going. It wasn't until I was at my lowest point that I realized it was actually choking me.

I looked my fear in the eyes! Looked at the water below! I knew I could love or live! I let it go! I let it go!
I faced my fears and confronted my situation head-on. I realized that I had the choice to either love and live or continue to suffer. I ultimately made the decision to let go and move on.

I walked in the dark, I walked in the rain I walked for miles and miles and years, And all I knew was heartache and pain..
I went through a long and difficult journey filled with darkness, rain, and heartache.

I was weighted with the hate I held so long I thought it must be guiding me home.. Only when I was lost, only when I was crossed Did I finally see it left me all alone.
I was holding onto anger and resentment that I thought was leading me somewhere. It wasn't until I was lost and betrayed that I realized it had actually left me feeling alone.

I looked my fear in the eyes! Looked at the cold ground below! I knew I could love or die! I let it go! I let it go!
Once again, I faced my fears and looked at my situation head-on. I recognized that I could choose between love or death and made the decision to let go and move on.

Four on the floor! Two in the air! Out of the sand, out of the sky! Into the flow!
This final section represents a sense of release and freedom, as if the weight has been lifted and I am now able to move forward.

Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: HUTCH HARRIS, KATHLEEN MICHELLE FOSTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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