ThouShaltNot have built strong fanbases through their national tours and their work with acts such as The Dresden Dolls, VNV Nation, Alphaville and David J (of Bauhaus). Their club hits "Cardinal Directions," "Without Faith," "Last Comfort," and "Inside of You, In Spite of You," have been played at nearly every dark alternative and goth venue in America, while their more organic "True Love" and "When Everyone Forgets" have appeared to acclaim on high profile compilations that exceed the limits of genre.
ThouShaltNot's music, throughout its thoughtful subject matter, is hook-laden and complex in its emotional and intellectual architecture. With their latest releases, Land Dispute and the New World EP, ThouShaltNot is poised to change the way you think and feel about music.
The band consists of: Alex Reed (vocals, keyboards, guitars, programming, samples), Aaron Fuleki (percussion, programming, samples, guitars, backing vocals) and Jeremy David (guitars, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, programming).
Relief
ThouShaltNot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sky fell in as the wilted choke
The sleeper relieved of consciousness
The dreams relieved of all their joy
The snake relieved of venom tongue
The need to hold fast to everyone
And as the birthday girl opens up her box
Her life is relieved of all
Of a final and ultimate goal
Windows and shutters and lowly creatures
Waiting for you at the pole
I forget how many ways to go
There were at this journey's start
But all I feel is tooth and nail
As they sink into my heart
The lyrics to ThouShaltNot's song Relief paint a haunting and eerie picture of despair and hopelessness. The singer seems to be grappling with the harsh realities of the world around them, and the imagery in the lyrics reflect this sense of loss and detachment. The first few lines describe a world falling apart, with the "sky falling in" and "wilted choke" suggesting a sense of decay and rot. The line "The sleeper relieved of consciousness/The dreams relieved of all their joy" is particularly poignant, suggesting a loss of innocence and vitality in the world.
The later lines continue with the theme of loss and emptiness, with the snake being relieved of its venom tongue and the birthday girl opening up her box to find her life "relieved of all". The final lines of the song paint a picture of despair and desperation, with the singer feeling lost and overwhelmed. The imagery of "tooth and nail" sinking into their heart is particularly visceral and evocative, suggesting a sense of physical and emotional pain.
Overall, the lyrics to Relief are a powerful meditation on the struggles of life and the search for meaning and purpose in a world that can often seem chaotic and unforgiving.
Interesting facts about the song "Relief":
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't want to believe the way
I refused to accept the harsh reality and truth of the situation
The sky fell in as the wilted choke
The sky turned dark and hopeless, as if it was choking and dying
The sleeper relieved of consciousness
The person who was sleeping is now free from consciousness and the troubles of life
The dreams relieved of all their joy
All the happy and joyful dreams are now gone
The snake relieved of venom tongue
The snake is now without its venom and has lost its dangerous quality
The need to hold fast to everyone
The desire to cling to everyone in fear of being alone
And as the birthday girl opens up her box
The moment the birthday girl opens her gift box
Her life is relieved of all
Her whole life is being taken away from her
But the narrowest corridor in the way
Despite there being an unnoticeable path towards our ultimate goal
Of a final and ultimate goal
Towards the end and ultimate objective
Windows and shutters and lowly creatures
Windows and shutters, along with less significant living beings
Waiting for you at the pole
Anticipating and awaiting one's arrival at the end of their journey
I forget how many ways to go
I have lost count of the different paths I could take
There were at this journey's start
At the beginning of my journey, there were countless paths to choose from
But all I feel is tooth and nail
But now, I only feel the pain and struggle of fighting for survival
Contributed by Lillian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.