Formed in Brighton, UK in 2011, The Wytches comprises Kristian Bell (vocals… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in Brighton, UK in 2011, The Wytches comprises Kristian Bell (vocals, guitar), Dan Rumsey (bass, vocals) and Gianni Honey (drums). Led by Bell’s luminous lyricism, feral delivery and overdriven, surf-like guitar bends, the trio create a sound that is at once raucous and unruly, and yet decorated with semi-automatic poetry and authentic emotional clout.

Having left Peterborough after feeling stifled by their hometown’s inward-looking hardcore scene, Bell and Honey relocated to Brighton in the autumn of 2011, applying to the city’s university before enlisting Bournemouth-raised Rumsey on bass – the sole applicant of an advert placed on campus. From the outset promoting their own shows in the city, The Wytches have never lost the DIY spirit of their hardcore origins: arranging their own tours; printing flyers; pressing their first single, ‘Digsaw’; inviting friend of the band Samuel Gull to create their artwork; and producing their own videos – all in spite of squeezed funds. It is this relentlessness and resilience that has led to The Wytches headlining countless shows across the UK and Europe to date, acting as chief support to Blood Red Shoes, The Cribs, Drenge, METZ, Japandroids, amongst others. In 2013 the band released a number of singles and EPs on London’s Hate Hate Hate Records (‘Beehive Queen’, Thunder Lizard Revisited EP, ‘Robe for Juda’), before attracting the attention of Heavenly Recordings in the UK and Partisan Records in the USA, who will release their debut album, Annabel Dream Reader, in Summer 2014.

Burn Out The Bruise
The Wytches Lyrics

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I show no emotion on the cat walk
And I cried fifteen times in and out of my head
I drew pictures of you drowning in my soup
Yeah Your claws slipped through like I was made out of glue
But It wasn't enough to help you
Burn out the bruise
Burn out the bruise
You Burn out the bruise

Burn out the bruise
Burn out the bruise
Like I was made out of glue
Out the bruise
I show no conclusion in the depths of
Spending your money to border my health
I drew pictures of you clinging on to my shoes
Yeah you struggled through like I was made out of glue
But the mice, the mice, the mice, the mice
The mice weren't heavy enough to break the ice
Burn out the bruise
You Burn out the bruise
Burn out the bruise
And burn burn burn burn burn!
You're the only one who isn't mine
And you're already mine

And you're already mine
And you're already mine

Overall Meaning

The Wytches’ song “Burn Out the Bruise” is an intense yet confusing track that’s open for interpretation. The lyrics seem to be about the internal battles we often face, all while trying to put a confident front. The theme of the song revolves around the singer not being able to express himself/herself properly, and the consequences that follow.

The opening lines of the song describe the singer’s apparent lack of emotions during a catwalk. The contrast comes when we learn that the singer cries fifteen times inside his/her head. This dichotomy shows the struggle between the persona of the singer and the actual human underneath. The singer is struggling to match the expectations of the world, and the tears show that these attempts are not successful.

Later, the lyrics mention drawing imaginary pictures of the person who the singer is seemingly not able to express themselves to. The metaphor of drawings in the soup indicates the fluidity of thoughts, where the thoughts quickly and continually drift away. However, whatever the singer tries to do, the claws of the situation still manage to grip onto him/her, like being made of glue. But ultimately, the song seems to suggest that those claws were not strong enough to burn out the bruise, which is essentially the pain that the singer is feeling.

Line by Line Meaning

I show no emotion on the cat walk
I keep my feelings hidden and do not show them publicly

And I cried fifteen times in and out of my head
Internally, I cried more than once- fifteen times to be exact

I drew pictures of you drowning in my soup
I imagined you drowning while I was doing something insignificant like eating soup

Yeah Your claws slipped through like I was made out of glue
Your words and actions hurt me deeply and it felt like I couldn't escape them

But It wasn't enough to help you
Despite all the pain and suffering, I couldn't do anything to help you

Burn out the bruise
I wish to forget the pain and make it disappear

Like I was made out of glue
I felt stuck and unable to move past the pain

I show no conclusion in the depths of
I am uncertain and struggling to find a resolution

Spending your money to border my health
You are trying to control me by spending money on me and my health

I drew pictures of you clinging on to my shoes
I pictured you clinging to me and not wanting to let go

Yeah you struggled through like I was made out of glue
You caused me pain and it felt like I couldn't escape it

But the mice, the mice, the mice, the mice
I tried to use something small to fix the problem

The mice weren't heavy enough to break the ice
My attempts to fix the problem were unsuccessful

And burn burn burn burn burn!
I wish to destroy the pain and make it disappear

You're the only one who isn't mine
I have no control over you

And you're already mine
Despite not having control, you are already a part of my life

And you're already mine
No matter what happens, you will always be a part of my life

Writer(s): Kristian Lewis Bell, Gianna Antonio Honey, Daniel Charles Revel Rumsey

Contributed by Colton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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