Thursday released their debut album, Waiting, in late 1999 with original guitarist Bill Henderson, who left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Steve Pedulla. The band gained popularity with the release of their second album, Full Collapse, in 2001, and released their third album and major label debut, War All the Time, in 2003, which reached number seven on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. Thursday released their fourth album, A City by the Light Divided, in 2006, and two further albums, Common Existence and No Devolución, before announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2011. In a January 2013 interview, Geoff Rickly confirmed that the band had actually disbanded. However, the band announced a reunion in 2016. Their reunion would conclude with a performance at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, NY in March 2019.
The band has been considered influential to the post-hardcore music scene in the 2000s, and is credited as one of the key bands to popularize the darker emo sound and screaming vocals which came to prominence at the time.
A Darker Forest
Thursday Lyrics
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And casts in relief the colors we have seen
And all the storms that we had been
They're paled and past
In the presence of the world at hand
Am I really there in the fractured light of the forest floor
With the broken branches
In the same life on the only road
A darker forest waits
In which we relive all our past mistakes
And trace them back with our decisions
To the fork in the road
But what if every path you take
Starts to look the same
And lead equally astray
We'll walk in circles and never find our way
The song A Darker Forest by Thursday explores the idea of moving forward from past mistakes and taking a different path to move ahead in life. The opening lyrics "A darker forest paints with blood in the sun sliding down its trees" introduces the listener to the imagery of a forest that is filled with darkness and danger. The darker forest is symbolic of the unknown future that lies ahead and the danger that comes with making decisions that could lead to regret. The line "casts in relief the colors we have seen / and all the storms that we had been / they're paled and past" suggests that the past is just a memory that fades in the presence of the present. What's important is to embrace the present and make choices that lead to a brighter future.
The second verse "Am I really there in the fractured light of the forest floor / with the broken branches" suggests a state of confusion and doubt that comes with making decisions. The fractured light symbolizes the fragments of hope found in a dark forest, and the broken branches represent the breakage of the past. The conclusion that the only way forward is to put aside one's regrets and embrace the present by taking a different path is articulated in the chorus: "A darker forest waits / in which we relive all our past mistakes / and trace them back with our decisions / to the fork in the road / But what if every path you take / starts to look the same / and lead equally astray / we'll walk in circles and never find our way.”
Overall, A Darker Forest lyrically explores themes of regret, doubt, and the importance of making smart decisions that lead to a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
A darker forest paints with blood in the sun sliding down its trees
The forest is colored in darkness and appears like it's painted in blood as the sunlight fades and slides down its trees.
And casts in relief the colors we have seen
The forest emphasizes and reminds us of the colors we have witnessed before.
And all the storms that we had been, They're paled and past
The previous troubles and difficulties we faced seem insignificant and have faded away in comparison to the present circumstances.
In the presence of the world at hand
Given the current circumstances of the world, our past troubles seem even less significant.
Am I really there in the fractured light of the forest floor, With the broken branches
The artist is questioning whether they are truly present in the forest, among the broken branches and the fractured light scattered on the forest floor.
Am I really there in the same light, In the same life on the only road
The singer continues to question their presence in the forest and whether their life has truly led them to this point on the same path they have always followed.
A darker forest waits, In which we relive all our past mistakes
The future holds a darker forest where we will inevitably relive the mistakes we have made in our past.
And trace them back with our decisions, To the fork in the road
Our actions and decisions have led us to where we are, and we can now trace these mistakes back to the choices we made at a certain point on our path, like a fork in the road.
But what if every path you take, Starts to look the same
The artist questions what would happen if every decision or path taken looks the same and leads to the same outcome.
And lead equally astray, We'll walk in circles and never find our way
If every path leads to the same wrong outcome, we'll keep walking in circles and never find our way out of the dark forest.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marie Tourniquet
I really love this song. Thursday was also so underrated..but these lyrics- they're fucking gold.
I hadn't heard this in forever. The other night i had a dream and this song was in it and has been in my head ever since.
Loved this video ❤