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.
Live A Lie
The Word Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't hide
I won't let you pull me down
I'll be who I am and I will, I will live
I'm alive
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
Fear will never conquer me
It will guide my way
I welcome this day
Welcome me this way
Fear will never overcome me
Finally, you begin to see, I was built to me more
Never will I settle for your worth
You can't trust what you know, this is just the beginning
I'm right here. You can't deter me
I'm right here. You can't escape me
I'm right here
You'll never find your way out
This is me
This is me
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
Fear will never conquer me
It will guide my way
I welcome this day
Welcome me this way
Fear will never overcome me
So many times,
I've laid by the wayside
While I let them tear at me
It's my time to believe
If you ever believed in something,
It's time you believed in me
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
(I wont live a lie, I won't live a lie)
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
(I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie)
Fear will never conquer me, it will guide my way
I welcome this day (Welcome me this way)
It will never overcome me
I won't let anything come before me
This is who I am, I am alive.
The Word Alive's song Live A Lie is an anthem of self-empowerment and refusing to conform to societal expectations. The lyrics express the sentiment that the singer will not live a life that is not true to who they are as a person. They emphasize the importance of being authentic, standing up for oneself, and not allowing others to control or dictate one's thoughts or actions. The lines "If you ever believed in something, it's time you believed in me" suggests that the singer is asking for support and understanding from those who know them while asserting their own self-worth.
The repeated line "I won't live a lie" is significant in that it represents the idea of living one's truth and not pretending to be something or someone else to fit in or please others. The lyrics imply that the fear of being judged or rejected should not hold one back from living an authentic life. The lines "Fear will never conquer me, it will guide my way" suggest that the singer is using their fears as motivation to keep fighting and striving for their true self.
Overall, Live A Lie is a powerful and inspiring song that encourages listeners to be true to themselves and not let fear stand in the way of living an authentic life.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't live a lie, I don't hide
I refuse to deceive myself or others
I won't let you pull me down
I am determined not to be held back by external forces
I'll be who I am and I will, I will live
I will be authentic and true to myself, and I will thrive
I'm alive
I am full of vitality and energy
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't succumb to the expectations or stereotypes placed on me
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
I won't be held captive by anyone or anything
Fear will never conquer me
I won't let fear control me or my decisions
It will guide my way
Instead, I will use fear as motivation to push myself further
I welcome this day
I embrace each day and the opportunities it brings
Welcome me this way
I am ready and willing to take on whatever comes my way
Finally, you begin to see, I was built to me more
Others are starting to recognize that I am destined for greatness
Never will I settle for your worth
I won't let anyone else determine my value or limit my potential
You can't trust what you know, this is just the beginning
The path to success is often uncertain and unpredictable
I'm right here. You can't deter me
I am here and ready to face any obstacles that come my way
You'll never find your way out
Those who doubt or try to hold me back will never succeed
This is me
I am unique and unapologetically myself
So many times, I've laid by the wayside
I've been overlooked or dismissed in the past
While I let them tear at me
Others have tried to bring me down or undermine my confidence
It's my time to believe
Now is the moment for me to trust in myself and my abilities
If you ever believed in something, It's time you believed in me
For those who have faith in something beyond themselves, they should also believe in me
I won't let anything come before me
My goals and dreams are my top priority
This is who I am, I am alive.
I am alive and thriving, true to my authentic self
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY PIZZUTI, ANTHONY JOHN JR. PIZZUTI, DANIEL SHAPIRO, DANIEL HARRISON SHAPIRO, TYLER SMITH, ZACK HANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zander J
I won't live a lie, I don't hide
I don't hide
I won't let you pull me down
I'll be who I am and I will, I will live
I'm alive
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
Fear will never conquer me
It will guide my way
I welcome this day
Welcome me this way
Fear will never overcome me
Finally, you begin to see, I was built to me more
Never will I settle for your worth
You can't trust what you know, this is just the beginning
I'm right here. You can't deter me
I'm right here. You can't escape me
I'm right here
You'll never find your way out
This is me
This is me
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
Fear will never conquer me
It will guide my way
I welcome this day
Welcome me this way
Fear will never overcome me
So many times,
I've laid by the wayside
While I let them tear at me
It's my time to believe
If you ever believed in something,
It's time you believed in me
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
(I wont live a lie, I won't live a lie)
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
(I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie)
Fear will never conquer me, it will guide my way
I welcome this day (Welcome me this way)
It will never overcome me
I won't let anything come before me
This is who I am, I am alive.
Alisha
This is quite possibly one of their most underrated songs.
Zander J
I won't live a lie, I don't hide
I don't hide
I won't let you pull me down
I'll be who I am and I will, I will live
I'm alive
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
Fear will never conquer me
It will guide my way
I welcome this day
Welcome me this way
Fear will never overcome me
Finally, you begin to see, I was built to me more
Never will I settle for your worth
You can't trust what you know, this is just the beginning
I'm right here. You can't deter me
I'm right here. You can't escape me
I'm right here
You'll never find your way out
This is me
This is me
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie
Fear will never conquer me
It will guide my way
I welcome this day
Welcome me this way
Fear will never overcome me
So many times,
I've laid by the wayside
While I let them tear at me
It's my time to believe
If you ever believed in something,
It's time you believed in me
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
If you think I'll break because you think I'm the same
(I wont live a lie, I won't live a lie)
You can't keep me this way, I will escape
(I won't live a lie, I won't live a lie)
Fear will never conquer me, it will guide my way
I welcome this day (Welcome me this way)
It will never overcome me
I won't let anything come before me
This is who I am, I am alive.
Daniel Sewell
I know that TWA are pretty much over playing this kind of heavy music now, and don't get me wrong I love their new stuff as I love anything else by them. But back when this album came out, it seriously had a huge impact on me, especially this song. They may or may not ever see this comment but I guess its an open letter thanking them for creating such incredible music, even if this album falls under the category of 'metalcore' which is such a dirty word nowadays - it doesn't matter to me, because music is music. And this album will always be an all-time favourite of mine. ✌
Daniel Sewell
Josiah Pierce with all due respect, how are they garbage? Real and Dark Matter are brilliant albums if you appreciate them for what they are. I love the old stuff but it'd get boring if every album sounded like Deceiver or Life Cycles
Daniel Sewell
Josiah Pierce calm down mate. Telle said Dark Matter was a experimental album for them and their next album will be along the lines of the heavier side of Dark Matter, you can't assume the reason Luke left unless he told you himself. Bands change and mature their sound over time, otherwise they'll get bored of writing the same shit. They're doing what makes them happy, learn to accept that. You don't have to like their new music.
Douglas Fernandes
Instrumentalmente eu acho o Deceiver bem melhor, mas as letras do Life Cycles e a emoção que o Telle está passando nas músicas me fez gostar mais do Life Cycles. Invasão Brasileira aqui! :)
waterfall eyes
am i the only one who got massive chills at 2:39 ?
Glenn White
I love this album from beginning to end! Empire was an instant classic but Deceiver had some dole moments in for me. Life Cycles is just amazing and full force in your face!
Matt
This is my favorite their albums!
Jacob Miller
easily my favorite song. has the same kinda feel as the part of epiphany right after the first chorus. the guitar lead with delay, and the arpeggio riffs. i likes!