Thee Oh Sees are no doubt the lightest of his excursions, but in contrast to the rest of his resume one could surmise that there are significant reasons for the change.
Thee Oh Sees have a lo-fi electric-acoustic sound that's usually soaked in reverb, making it as if you can hear and see the exact room they recorded in. It creates a very distinct mood that seems to fit their style, lyrics, and melodies.
What most people focus on is that Mr. Dwyer is in the band. While it's certainly a notable quality, the recent band members bring so much more to the table. The earliest recordings are Dwyer's solo recordings, mostly single instrument/vocal ditties that you can hear him working out. They're an intimate portrait of John, but without the recent material, the portrait would simply be incomplete.
Thee Oh Sees don't subscribe to any one style.
With the addition of Brigid Dawson, Petey Dammit, and a rotating cast of drummers, the sound has grown into the landscape that one man couldn't create alone. Brigid's soprano voice brings an almost hauntingly sensitive aspect to the lyrics and melodies, while Petey and Mike's pounding and insistent backline (and additional drums from Lars Finberg of The Intelligence on recent recordings) complete the frame in its entirety. Their energetic, sweat-laden shows coupled with their prolific recording schedule has garnered them a growing, dedicated fan base.
The catalog that this band has put together is growing and growing, albeit under several different monikers, and several different labels.
in 2017 it was announced that the band would change its name to simply 'Oh Sees'
in November of 2019, the band announced that they would be changing their name yet again to simply 'Osees'
Dead Man
Thee Oh Sees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Electrifies the night time sky
Squeezing out colossal cries
In the seconds after blast
A dead man's gun lays in the grass
Deemphasized by fusillade
Lain upon hematic graves uh
Houses broken under heft of cloven hoof, the horse of death
Breathing poison gas attack
Raze the people like an axe
Exercise in slow erasure
Human kind and earthly nature
Smoldering, the ashen claw
Closes all the exit doors, uh
Perhaps now Terra can rest
Less this great weight upon her chest
All the system are now gone
No more human persuasion
In the seconds after blast
A dead man's gun lays in the grass
Deemphasized by fusillade
Lain upon hematic graves uh
The lyrics of Thee Oh Sees's song "Dead Man" are open to multiple interpretations. However, one possible meaning is that the song is a commentary on the destructive impact of human activities on the environment and the eventual demise of humanity. The lyrics suggest that humans have caused irreparable harm to nature, and the consequences of these actions are reflected in the "colossal cries" and "poison gas attack" that are described.
The song also evokes a sense of apocalypse, as if the end of the world has come to pass. The dead man's gun lying in the grass implies a sense of finality, as if the human struggle for power has come to an end, and nature has reclaimed its rightful place. The line "Perhaps now Terra can rest" implies that the earth will now be free from the destructive presence of humans, allowing nature to regain its balance.
The final imagery in the song suggests that all is lost, with the words "all the systems are now gone, no more human persuasion." This line implies that humanity has been completely wiped out, and there is no hope left for the planet. The song's somber tone and harsh lyrics make it a poignant commentary on the devastation that humans have inflicted on the earth.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a part of us I see, in ecstasy, we extirpate
The singer is observing how humans are often driven to destroy parts of themselves and others. They feel a sense of euphoria as they do so.
Electrifies the night time sky
The act of destruction creates an intense energy that spreads throughout the environment, even affecting the sky itself.
Squeezing out colossal cries
The destruction causes immense pain and suffering, leading to massive outcries of agony.
In the seconds after blast
The aftermath of destruction is often chaotic and disorienting, as the environment and those who survived must deal with the fallout.
A dead man's gun lays in the grass
The imagery of a weapon forgotten and discarded after its owner has already died highlights the senselessness and tragedy of violence.
Deemphasized by fusillade
The sound of ongoing gunfire can make individual deaths and atrocities seem less significant, as they are drowned out by the constant noise of battle.
Lain upon hematic graves uh
The dead accumulate and eventually become part of the landscape, their bodies forming blood-stained graves for others to walk upon.
Houses broken under heft of cloven hoof, the horse of death
The arrival of death and destruction is often sudden and powerful, like a horse stampeding through homes and crushing them in its path.
Breathing poison gas attack
Weapons of war can inflict slow and agonizing death through chemical attacks, leaving victims struggling to breathe and fight back.
Raze the people like an axe
Violence can be just as destructive and deliberate as chopping down a forest with an axe, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.
Exercise in slow erasure
The act of destroying can be a gradual process of removing all traces of what once existed, as if erasing a memory from history.
Human kind and earthly nature
Both humans and the environment can be damaged and destroyed by acts of violence and destruction.
Smoldering, the ashen claw
After a destructive event, the aftermath can linger and continue to cause harm, illustrated by the image of a smoldering claw shaped by the destruction.
Closes all the exit doors, uh
Environmental devastation and loss of life can leave survivors feeling trapped and with no easy way out of the situation.
Perhaps now Terra can rest
The singer observes that perhaps the Earth can finally find peace and respite from human violence and destruction.
Less this great weight upon her chest
The weight of human destruction and environmental damage is lifted, potentially allowing nature to heal and recover from the wounds inflicted upon it.
All the system are now gone
The destruction has wiped out systems of human society and organization, leaving only chaos and uncertainty behind.
No more human persuasion
Humans are no longer able to influence the world around them, having been defeated by their own destructive tendencies.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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