The Word Alive was founded in 2008 by Craig Mabbitt (lead vocals) with Zack Hansen (lead guitar) and Tony Pizzuti (rhythm guitar) who were former members of the bands Calling of Syrens and Clouds Take Shape. As a side-project of Mabbitt during his part in Escape the Fate, the remaining required members he recruited to start The Word Alive were chosen to be Nick Urlacher (bass), Dusty Riach (keyboard) and Tony Aguilera (drums). The group recorded songs with the intention of releasing them as a self-titled EP, despite that it never surfaced. Later on, the band forced Mabbitt to leave due to their dissatisfaction with Escape the Fate's schedules, which required Mabbitt to work as a full-time member.
The day after, Mabbitt posted a blog to his fans via his Myspace account explaining that leaving the band was not his decision and that "[The Word Alive] pretty much replaced me while I was on the road due to the fact that they wanted to tour and couldn't until I was available, I started that band with those guys and I'm very hurt at how they replaced me while I was touring...it's bullshit." On December 3, the band officially announced that Tyler "Telle" Smith, who was formerly one of the vocalists for In Fear and Faith and bassist for Greeley Estates, joined The Word Alive as their new frontman.
Feeling somewhat stagnant in their progression beforehand, the addition of Smith catapulted the band’s ambitions to the forefront. With this initiation, their goals and aspirations were much more a reality, and they set to work on what would become their record label debut, Empire.
During March 2009, the band were taken in with a contract by a new label, later on during the 26th of that month the group officially confirmed that the label they were then signed to was Fearless Records. Smith stated "We hope to just keep touring, touring, touring... we couldn't be happier or more appreciative to be on tour right now, I think despite having some of the worst luck in the early beginnings of being a touring band yet never missing a show, we always have a positive attitude and that will make us a stronger band." The band set out to create an EP to be released through the label wherein it was titled Empire and was recorded with producer Andrew Wade in Ocala, Florida. It was released on July 21, 2009 where it reached #15 on the Billboard Heatseeker chart.
During February the band reached an agreement to leave founding drummer, Tony Aguilera out of the group. Both parties (Aguilera and the rest of the band) shared their concerns and reasoning for the matter publicly. It was overall described that the band wanted to pursue a different percussionist of alternate talent than the founding member. Aguilera was replaced with Justin Salinas, whom previously was a part of the bands Scars of Tomorrow and Catherine as well as serving as a past live drummer for MyChildren MyBride.
In April 2010, The Word Alive entered the studio in Ocala, Florida with Andrew Wade to record their debut full-length album, Deceiver. By June, Deceiver was fully mastered and engineered. On June 23, 2010 the band premiered their first single from the album, “Epiphany” as streaming media online.The following day, Fearless Records released their 2010 Summer Sampler which also featured the track "Epiphany". A week later, the album's album art and track listing was released. Guitarist Zack Hansen explained upon this premiere that "We all felt like that was going to be the best choice considering how comfortable the recording process is with Andrew. The tracking was a lot of fun and everyone had a good time. We got the opportunity to stay in a house while we recorded and surprisingly we didn't party as much as I thought we would haha." Hansen later followed along explaining that his favorite track on the record is “The Hounds of Anubis”, which was written by him and Pizzuti and stated that he "wrote this song with an 'Egyptian feel' to it and I think we got our point across." Smith described that its lyrics describe the times of when The Word Alive overcame their hardships that they face with the help and support from their fans. "The Hounds of Anubis" was released as the album's second single on July 26, 2010. It premiered on the official Revolver website.
By November of 2011, the band made plans to return to the studio on February 7, 2012 with Joey Sturgis to begin recording their next album, with an expected recording session lasting from that time until mid-March. However by February (and before the date of entering the studio), the announcement of two members leaving occurred; keyboardist, Dusty Riach and drummer, Justin Salinas were simultaneously confirmed to no longer be a part of the band. Salinas stated his reason was because he grew tired of touring, although Riach's reason was preferred to be kept silent.
In regards to the band's second studio album, it was reported that 17 songs were recorded in its process. 13 of those will be on the standard edition of the album, while the another three will be included on the deluxe edition. The name of the album will be Life Cycles and both editions will be released the same day.On March 23rd of the year, the group issued a statement that 18-year old Arizona resident Luke Holland has joined as the new drummer, however, Holland was not included for the recording sessions of Life Cycles. The drumming for the record was done by a friend of the band named Matt Horn wherein Holland joined after these sessions were already completed.
On March 18, 2014, the band released a new single entitled "Play the Victim." Along with the song, they also announced their third full-length album Real. would be released on June 10. The album would be the first to feature Luke Holland on drums.
The band released their fourth album, Dark Matter, on March 18, 2016. The band also revealed the tracklist and a headlining North American tour with support from Fit for a King and Out Came the Wolves. The album's lead single, "Trapped", was released January 8.
In November 2016, Luke Holland announced he would be leaving the band at the end of 2016 after finishing their last tour of the year to pursue other musical endeavors. In February 2017, the band announced that Matt Horn would be taking Holland's place as drummer. Shortly after, a new single "Misery" was released.
On August 7, 2017, The Word Alive and Daniel Shapiro mutually announced they were parting ways due to a "new musical adventure" of Shapiro's. The next day, The Word Alive announced that they would be joining I Prevail on their Rage on the Stage Tour along with We Came as Romans & Escape the Fate.
Face To Face
The Word Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Confused by a heart that is haunted
Mistaken, fallen, erasing
The history that suffered in silence
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And look me in the eyes, can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son that you left behind
Look into these eyes, I hope you always remember
That you were the sacrifice, that gave me a better life
Awakened, you're tortured
Slowly drowning in sorrow with empty excuses
You can't, escape this
Every moment you regret I didn't deserve this
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And look me in the eyes, can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Look into these eyes, I hope you always remember
That you were the sacrifice, that gave me a better life
Life life life
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And looking in your eyes, I can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Look into these eyes, I hope you always remember
That you were the sacrifice
I hope you always remember
That you were the sacrifice
I hope you always remember
That you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
The lyrics of "Face to Face" by The Word Alive delve into the themes of pain, resentment, and the desire for recognition and closure in a strained relationship. It portrays someone who has experienced a troubled past and carries the weight of their own suffering.
The first verse begins by describing the singer's state of being "Forgotten, unwanted, broken memories," implying that they feel neglected and overlooked. They are haunted by a heart that is confused and burdened by the pain they have endured in their past. The line "Mistaken, fallen, erasing the history that suffered in silence" suggests that they are trying to let go of the painful memories that have haunted them for some time.
The main chorus serves as a plea to the person who has caused the singer pain: "I just wanted you to know my name, I just wanted you to feel the shame, see you face to face." It signifies the desperation of wanting to be acknowledged and recognized by the person who is responsible for their suffering. The singer wants them to fully confront the consequences of their actions.
The second verse paints a picture of the person responsible for the pain as being tormented and plagued by their own sorrow. The singer questions their ability to escape these feelings, suggesting that they are aware of the guilt and regret that weighs on the other person's conscience. The line "Every moment you regret I didn't deserve this" represents the singer's accusation that they were undeserving of the pain inflicted upon them.
The second chorus repeats the plea from the first chorus, emphasizing the desire for eye contact and true acknowledgment. The singer wants the other person to look into their eyes and face the truth, hoping that they can see the lies they have told themselves. The line "That gave me a better life" indicates that despite the pain, the singer has managed to rise above their circumstances and find a better life.
The repetition of the chorus in the final verse underscores the singer's desperation for recognition and closure. They want the other person to always remember the sacrifice they made for the singer's betterment, highlighting the impact of their actions. The repetition of "That gave me a better life" at the end underscores the significance of the sacrifice made by the singer and the transformative effect it had on their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Forgotten, unwanted, broken memories
Memories that have been disregarded, rejected, and damaged
Confused by a heart that is haunted
Feeling bewildered due to a heart filled with haunting emotions
Mistaken, fallen, erasing
Having made mistakes, experienced downfall, and attempting to erase the past
The history that suffered in silence
The past struggles that have endured silently
I just wanted you to know my name
All I desired was for you to acknowledge my existence
I just wanted you to feel the shame
My intention was for you to experience the guilt
See you face to face
To confront you directly, in person
And look me in the eyes, can you see your lies
While gazing into my eyes, can you recognize the falsehoods you've spoken
Tell me you don't remember the son that you left behind
Deny that you remember the child you abandoned
Look into these eyes, I hope you always remember
Peer into my eyes and I hope the memory remains with you forever
That you were the sacrifice, that gave me a better life
You were the one who made sacrifices, leading to an improved life for me
Awakened, you're tortured
Now awakened, you're undergoing torture
Slowly drowning in sorrow with empty excuses
Gradually overwhelmed by sorrow while relying on empty justifications
You can't escape this
You cannot evade the consequences
Every moment you regret, I didn't deserve this
With each moment that you regret, I didn't deserve the pain caused
And looking in your eyes, I can see your lies
Observing your eyes, I can perceive the falsehoods you speak
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Declare that you have no recollection of the child you abandoned
Look into these eyes, I hope you always remember
Stare into my eyes, I desire that you always retain the memory
That you were the sacrifice
You were the one who made sacrifices
That gave me a better life
Which resulted in a more fulfilling life for me
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Scott STEVENS, Tony Pizzuti, Tyler Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cagethemonkey
Forgotten
Unwanted
Broken memories confused by a heart that is haunted
Mistaken
Fallen
Erasing the history that suffered in silence
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And look me in the eyes
Can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son that you left behind
Look into these eyes
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
Awakend, you're tortured slowly drowning in sorrow with empty excuses
You can't, escape this
Every moment you regret I didn't deserve this
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And look me in the eyes
Can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Look into these eyes
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
[Life x3]
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And looking in your eyes
I can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Look into these eyes
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
@cagethemonkey
Forgotten
Unwanted
Broken memories confused by a heart that is haunted
Mistaken
Fallen
Erasing the history that suffered in silence
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And look me in the eyes
Can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son that you left behind
Look into these eyes
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
Awakend, you're tortured slowly drowning in sorrow with empty excuses
You can't, escape this
Every moment you regret I didn't deserve this
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And look me in the eyes
Can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Look into these eyes
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
[Life x3]
I just wanted you to know my name
I just wanted you to feel the shame
See you face to face
And looking in your eyes
I can you see your lies
Tell me you don't remember the son you left behind
Look into these eyes
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
I hope you always remember that you were the sacrifice
That gave me a better life
@zul_1991
+yung derek Thanks for the lyric mate, cant find it anywhere.
@CloserToClosure09
+yung derek to me it sounds like he's singing "Forsaken" instead of "Mistaken"
@ioanchernev6478
+yung derek Thanks for the lyrics .
@alboimatri1864
yung derek looooo
@justinstayner4791
I love this song!!! The lyrics really hit you and make you think.
@LOVATICNation
Face to face is actually one of my favorites from this album. This song is amazing. This album is great 💕
@yazansakran3326
This song hits me in the feels
@98cheighton
It's dope. Sounds like they took all of their favorite bands and smashed the sound together for this album, a lot better than their last in my opinion
@timbonds4051
Ive been a fan of the word alive since the ep. (Probably like most people) even eith every past album being amazingly heavy, i love this album just as much as any of the others. Every song you guys have put out has been steadily solid. H8rs h8