In 2000, Thrice signed with Sub City Records and released two LP's. The first, Identity Crisis (2000), only received 1.5 stars in the AMG review and little buzz. The second, The Illusion of Safety (2002), was widely acclaimed and received attention from major record labels. Even though Thrice's music has always included metal influences, The Illusion of Safety contained a heavier metalcore sound. The album was recorded in Beltsville, Maryland and the track The Beltsville Crucible reflects this.
In 2003 Thrice signed up with Island Records and released The Artist in the Ambulance, which featured more metal oriented songs while keeping true to their hardcore influences. In 2005 a DVD outlining their entire career to date was released under the title If We Could Only See Us Now. It included a CD with live tracks from the Apple Store and various b-sides.
Thrice released their fourth full-length album, Vheissu, on October 18, 2005. The album was characterized by many critics as being experimentally different, using non-traditional Thrice elements in the process. From keyboard melodies ("For Miles") to Japanese music-box undertones ("Music Box") to chain gang chant choruses ("The Earth Will Shake"), Vheissu introduced a new sound to the band's post-hardcore roots. UK producer Steve Osborne, whose past credits include many Brit-pop hits, was sought by Thrice to gain a new perspective on the songwriting process, enabling the band to expand their musical influences and produce a different album. The album garnered widespread critical acclaim and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200.
The band releasedRed Sky, an EP comprised of various b-sides as well as live recordings, shortly after Vheissu.
Thrice released the first and second volume of The Alchemy Index, a highly experimental project based on the four traditional elements (fire, water, earth, and air), on October 16th 2007. Over the summer Thrice parted ways with Island records and signed with Vagrant. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II - Fire & Water was released on October 16, 2007, and sold 28,000 copies in its first week. The album consists of the first two volumes, Fire and Water, and features 12 songs, 6 on each disk. The third and fourth volumes, Air & Earth were released on April 15, 2008.
The "Fire" disc features the heavier post-hardcore sound traditional Thrice fans will quickly embrace, harking back to their pre-Vheissu albums. The "Water" disc, however, is comprised of ambient songs similar to those found in Vheissu, Thrice's previous album release. The "Air" disc brings a whole new element of electronic elements and delayed guitar riffs to Thrice's sound. In "Earth", much like Dustin Kensrue's solo album, "Please Come Home", Thrice introduces an indie-folk sound combining intricate piano and acoustic guitar.
Thrice's sixth studio album Beggars was released digitally through Vagrant Records in the UK on August 9, 2009 and in the US on August 11 with a physical release containing bonus material pencilled in for September 15. These dates deviate from the original proposed release date of October 13 because of a leak via Vagrant Records web player, which has meant the artwork for the album has also changed. The first single to be taken from the album is All the World Is Mad and was first made available through Guitar Hero: World Tour on July 23.
Dustin Kensrue has described the album as being "more visceral and more raw - both in the songwriting and in the overall sound. It moves with a different energy than any of our past records. It was born out of us playing together in a room, almost as a backlash to the giant headgame that was The Alchemy Index" and has been well received critically.
The seventh studio album Major/Minor came out on September 20, 2011 through Vagrant Records. Yellow Belly, Promises and a few other songs were made available for the listeners to stream online before the release date. The album received extremely positive reviews from many online websites. Alex Djaferis of Absolutepunk.net gave Major/Minor a rating of 95%. Tracks like Promises and Listen Through Me reflected a natural progression from the sound Thrice created in Beggars, which was widely appreciated by the early listeners.
Thrice decided to take a break from being a full time band on November 21, 2011. In late spring/early summer Thrice announced the 'Farewell' tour for the spring/summer of 2012 , which would be the bands final tour before going into an indefinite hiatus.
In early 2015 it was announced that the band intends to release new music and tour again. Announcements were done via the bands website http://www.thrice.net/ and social media outlets with an accompanying picture with "Thrice 2015" text.
Words in the Water
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somehow I knew I lost something
Waiting waist-deep I saw a book there, in the river
Waiting for me to find it there
I tried to read it, neck deep, treading water
The tide pulled me out to sea
The words began to rise from their place
They were beautiful and dread
I reached for them and fed on each phrase
They were honey on my lips
Then a bitter twist in my side
I knew they'd lay me in my grave
"Is there no one who could save me?" I cried
Sinking down deep through cold water and heavy silence
Shadows stirring in the gloom
What things lay sleeping down deep in the darkness?
Woke then to find me in my tomb
Then with water in my eyes
The words began to rise from their place
They were beautiful and dread
I reached for them and fed on each phrase
They were honey on my lips
Then a bitter twist in my side
I knew they'd lay me in my grave
"Is there no one who could save me?" I cried
And when I lost all hope to look
Someone took that heavy book from my hands
All it's weight they set aside
After they had satisfied it's demands
I felt white and black reverse
And the lifting of a curse from my heart
Then like one receiving sight
I beheld a brilliant light in the dark
Thrice's song "Words in the Water" is a richly evocative meditation on the transformative power of language, and the ways that it can both inspire and haunt us. The song features a powerful image of standing knee-deep in cold water, feeling like something has been lost, before discovering a book waiting in the river. As the singer tries to read it, he is swept out to sea by the tide, and the words on the pages seem to take on a life of their own, becoming both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. The singer feels consumed by their power, and realizes that they will eventually be the death of him. The second half of the song shifts dramatically, as the singer sinks deep into the water and begins to confront the darkness within himself. He cries out for someone to save him, but only finds redemption when he is finally able to let go of the book and its heavy weight. The song ends on a hopeful note, as the singer experiences a blinding revelation of light that suggests he has emerged from his ordeal spiritually renewed.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing knee-deep in cold water, swiftly moving
I found myself in a difficult situation where I was barely able to keep my head above water.
Somehow I knew I lost something
I realized that I had lost an important element of my life that had been keeping me afloat.
Waiting waist-deep I saw a book there, in the river
I spotted a ray of hope that appeared meaningful to me, but it seemed all too far out of my reach and beyond my grasp.
Waiting for me to find it there
But I didn't give up and kept hoping that one day that book would make itself available to me, waiting patiently for me to come to it.
I tried to read it, neck deep, treading water
As I tried to approach the book and gain understanding from it, I found myself sinking deeper into difficulties, barely able to breathe.
The tide pulled me out to sea
My problems grew so intense that I was no longer in control and felt lost and alone as I drifted further and further down the path of self-destruction.
Then with water in my eyes
Despite my best efforts, I couldn't deny the emotions that were consuming me and was left crying and feeling hopeless.
The words began to rise from their place
After experiencing such deep agony, I could eventually see a glimmer of hope as the words in the book began to resonate with me.
They were beautiful and dread
The words in the book were simultaneously inspiring and terrifying, offering me both hope and some sobering revelations about my situation.
I reached for them and fed on each phrase
Despite my fear, I realized that I had to engage with these words and challenged myself to find meaning and strength in them.
They were honey on my lips
As I began to understand the meaning of the book's words, I found myself consuming them like a sweet nectar that lifted me up and gave me hope.
Then a bitter twist in my side
Despite the initial pleasure and hope the book gave me, I soon remembered the harsh reality of my situation as anxiety kicked in and pained me once again.
I knew they'd lay me in my grave
I remembered the severity of my situation and considered the real possibility of never seeing the light again, of being consumed by anxiety until it consumed me entirely.
"Is there no one who could save me?" I cried
I was in despair, feeling as though there was nobody who could help me out of my situation and turn things around for me.
Sinking down deep through cold water and heavy silence
I felt myself slipping further and further away from hope and help, sinking deeper into a dark place where the only thing was my own despair and hopelessness.
Shadows stirring in the gloom
I felt as though malevolent forces were surrounding me and that I was powerless against them.
What things lay sleeping down deep in the darkness?
I began to consider the origins of my problems, wondering what other dark feelings lay dormant within my mind that could flare up again and continue to consume me.
Woke then to find me in my tomb
I was consumed entirely by my own dark thoughts and feelings, lost completely and without any hope or direction to look towards.
And when I lost all hope to look
After hitting the very bottom of my despair, I finally gave up what little hope I had left.
Someone took that heavy book from my hands
Someone else saw what I couldn't and took the book from me, hoping to ease my burden and help me find a way out of everything that was holding me down.
All it's weight they set aside
They worked hard to ensure that the book would no longer be such a heavy burden for me to carry and helped me begin to see a way out of the darkness.
After they had satisfied it's demands
After time and energy, they had begun to work through the challenges of the book themselves and had used it to find meaning and hope in their own ways.
I felt white and black reverse
For the first time in a long time, I felt myself being lifted out of the abyss of despair and able to see things in a new light.
And the lifting of a curse from my heart
I finally felt as though the bitterness and pain that had been eating away at me for so long had finally lifted and I could be happy once again.
Then like one receiving sight
I was struck dumb by the realization that, once again, I was seeing the world with a clear and fresh set of eyes that could recognize the joy and beauty in life.
I beheld a brilliant light in the dark
Despite the hardships and difficulties that lay ahead of me, I could see a light of hope shining out in the darkness, urging me to keep going and find my way back to a happier and brighter life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TERANISHI TEPPEI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sam
"Standing knee-deep in cold water, swiftly moving
Somehow I knew I lost something,
Waiting waist-deep I saw a book there, in the river
Waiting for me to find it there,
I tried to read it, neck deep, treading water,
The tide pulled me out to sea,
Then with water in my eyes,
The words began to rise from their place,
They were beautiful and dread,
I reached for them and fed on each phrase,
They were honey on my lips,
Then a bitter twist in my side,
I knew they'd lay me in my grave,
"Is there no one who could save me?! " I cried.
Sinking down deep through cold water and heavy silence,
Shadows stirring in the gloom,
What things lay sleeping down deep in the darkness?!
Woke then to find me in my tomb,
Then with water in my eyes,
The words began to rise from their place,
They were beautiful and dread,
I reached for them and fed on each phrase,
They were honey on my lips,
Then a bitter twist in my side,
I knew they'd lay me in my grave,
"Is there no one who could save me?! " I cried.
And when I lost all hope to look,
Someone took that heavy book from my hands,
All it's weight they set aside,
After they had satisfied its demands,
I felt white and black reverse,
And the lifting of a curse from my heart,
Then like one receiving sight,
I beheld a brilliant light in the dark."
Mr. Rich B.O.B 👑
Standing knee-deep in cold water, swiftly moving,
somehow I knew I'd lost something...
Wading waist-deep, I saw a book there in the river,
waiting for me to find it there...
I tried to read it, neck deep, treading water,
the tide pulled me out to sea!
Then with water in my eyes,
the words began to rise from their place;
they were beautiful and dread,
I reached for them and fed on each phrase!
They were honey on my lips,
then a bitter twist in my side.
I knew they'd lay me in my grave!
"Is there no one who could save me," I cried!
Sinking down deep through cold water and heavy silence,
shadows stirring in the gloom,
what things lay a sleeping down deep in the darkness...
Woke then to find me in my tomb.
Then with water in my eyes,
the words began to rise from their place;
they were beautiful and dread,
I reached for them and fed on each phrase!
They were honey on my lips,
then a bitter twist in my side.
I knew they'd lay me in my grave!
"Is there no one who could save me," I cried!
And when I lost all hope to look,
someone took that heavy book from my hands!
All its weight they set aside,
after they had satisfied its demands,
I felt white and black reverse
And the lifting of a curse from my heart!
Then like one receiving sight,
I beheld a brilliant light in the dark!
Kyle Schaefer
This song helped me through two deployments when I was in the Navy. Love your music, guys.
J Melara
Wow, found myself in the same shoes now that I’m in too.
Take Down Squad
They're brilliant and that's a great story
Tabitha Whitt
Thank you for your service.
Alex
Thank you for your service, Kyle.
Serving is serving and is a great way to not waste your time down here.
Ryan Sonnier
Haha! Mine was Vhessiu
lefteyemusic
This song made me cry the hardest I have in a long time. Such a beautiful piece of music. Thank you Dustin ❣
Moogie Spike
From listening to you guys back when i was 14-15? To all grown up now and seeing this music almost 2 decades later is filling me with joy with the thought that these guys have stayed friends all this time. What more could a man want besides the best brotherhood there is. Love from Germany
Lewis T
This song made me tear up when I first heard it. I just pulled up to work and I couldn't stop listening to it. Words in the water became water in my eyes. It was absolutely amazing!
Jara M
Such a beautiful song, always brings tears to me eyes and having been through some very dark moments in my life and your music was the only thing to get me through it and helping me to keep on surviving. It still keeps me going when I start to feel a little depressed again but it's so healing and uplifting. Even though I don't have a religion I still find all your lyrics and music composition just incredibly powerful and so compelling. Keep on rocking guys the world needs more beautiful souls like you! (also every day that I drive to work I blast your music out my car!)