Band member Adam Granduciel (born Adam Granofsky in Dover, Massachusetts) moved from Oakland, California to Philadelphia in 2003, where he met Kurt Vile and began playing music with him. They began playing as The War on Drugs in 2005, and self-released a demo EP. While Vile and Granduciel formed the backbone of the band, they had a number of accompanists early in the group's career, before finally settling on a lineup that added Charlie Hall as drummer/organist, Kyle Lloyd as drummer and Dave Hartley on bass. Granduciel had previously toured and recorded with The Capitol Years, and Vile has several solo albums. The group gave away its Barrel of Batteries EP for free early in 2008. Their debut LP for Secretly Canadian, Wagonwheel Blues, was released in 2008.
Reviewers of the band's music make note of its Americana overtones. The group's sound has been described as influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and My Bloody Valentine.
The lineup underwent several changes, and by the end of 2008, Kurt Vile, Charlie Hall, and Kyle Lloyd had all exited the group. Granduciel and Hartley were joined by drummer Mike Zanghi as the group slimmed to three members.
After Zanghi's exit in 2010, Steven Urgo took over drum duties and Robbie Bennett joined on keys.
Black Water Falls
The War on Drugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And push your gold in the safest place.
So scared, you sweat and run for the hills,
While I lay back and cherish my chance to grip my will.
There is a train we take downtown
That buckles and bends from the weight of the ground.
You'll slowly lose faith in gravity
I hear you dish it out, dish it out, dish it out.
I hear you dish it out, dish it out.
While you want to remain my friend,
No it's not -- it's not quite the same.
Remember me when you dissolve in the rain,
When the rivers run dry through the cold mountain range.
When you turn to the name you invented
To keep your identity safe from the smell of defeat,
When there is no way to carve your righteous paths of rage,
By holding the candle to those half you age.
Your jaw will be locked from hornets and bees,
And you'll understand I leave so suddenly with the breeze.
The lyrics to "Black Water Falls" by The War on Drugs are rich in symbolism and imagery. The song seems to be about taking control of your life, even if it means leaving others behind. The first stanza suggests that the singer is seizing an opportunity to assert his own will while others are scared and running away. He advises his friend to "push your gold in the safest place," presumably to protect it, but also to remind him of the fleeting nature of material wealth.
The second stanza paints a picture of a train ride through a city, where the weight of the ground causes the train to buckle and bend, and the passengers lose faith in gravity. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the fragility of our lives on this earth, and the need to find stability within ourselves. The phrase "give up the urge to sweat, and charm, and love, and breathe" suggests that we are often distracted by external things and that we must learn to let go of our attachment to them.
The third stanza hints at the possibility of conflict or disagreement between the singer and his friend. He acknowledges that his friend wants to remain friends, but he also implies that their relationship has changed in some way. The line "remember me when you dissolve in the rain" is particularly poignant, suggesting that the singer believes that he will be remembered long after his friend has been forgotten.
Overall, "Black Water Falls" is a powerful song about learning to let go of the things that hold us back and seizing opportunities to take control of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Now's the time. Unpack your case,
It's time for you to leave and take your belongings with you
And push your gold in the safest place.
Make sure to keep your valuable possessions in a secure location
So scared, you sweat and run for the hills,
You are afraid and trying to escape
While I lay back and cherish my chance to grip my will.
I am relaxing and enjoying the opportunity to assert my independence
There is a train we take downtown
We are traveling on a train towards the city center
That buckles and bends from the weight of the ground.
The train is struggling to support itself due to the weight of the surrounding land
You'll slowly lose faith in gravity
You will start to doubt the basic principles of physics
And give up the urge to sweat, and charm, and love, and breathe.
You will lose the desire to exert effort, be charming or loving, or even breathe
I hear you dish it out, dish it out, dish it out.
I can hear you continually criticizing or blaming others
While you want to remain my friend,
Despite everything, you still want to be friends with me
No it's not -- it's not quite the same.
Things have changed and it's not like it used to be
Remember me when you dissolve in the rain,
Think of me when you feel defeated or destroyed
When the rivers run dry through the cold mountain range.
During times of hardship, when all hope seems lost
When you turn to the name you invented
When you use a false identity to hide from your problems
To keep your identity safe from the smell of defeat,
To avoid being associated with failure or loss
When there is no way to carve your righteous paths of rage,
When you feel powerless and unable to achieve your goals through anger or aggression
By holding the candle to those half you age.
By comparing yourself to younger people and feeling inadequate
Your jaw will be locked from hornets and bees,
You will feel blocked or paralyzed by fear
And you'll understand I leave so suddenly with the breeze.
You will realize that I have easily moved on from our situation
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.