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.
Wind Up
Thursday Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're dressing this color on the edge of fire
Until these tightened strides
They march in time again
I don't know if I will cut through
I don't know if my heart will beat without you guiding it
Leading me
Winding up to explode
It's the sound of your racing heart
That beats in time with every start
(the start of the year. the start of life. the start of war)
That reaches up and across the sky
That makes us want to try
I'm falling to peices
I can't let go
Tearing apart your lies
I want to live
It's the sound of your shotgun pulse
Beating over and over in your silent halls
It's a thought that keeps us alive
It makes us want to rise
A scream to guide me through my life
Winding up
Leading me
Winding up to what you can not unwind
This side of you and if it's taken away
You won't know what to do
You're stretching to meet expectations that you will never reach
And now it's far to late to ever leave this cold
I'm giving up
Marching in time with your drums
I'm letting go of everything I once loved
The lyrics in Thursday's song Wind-up express the feeling of being trapped in a cycle that you can't break free from, dependent on someone else to guide and lead the way. It starts with the image of the other person winding up, perhaps getting ready to explode, while the singer is uncertain if they will be able to cut through and make their own way without guidance. The sound of the other person's racing heart beats in time with every start, reminding the singer of the passage of time and the urge to try new things.
As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges that they are falling apart and can't let go, tearing apart the lies they have been told in order to live their own life. The sound of the other person's shotgun pulse, metaphorically representing their power and control, beats in their silent halls, juxtaposed against the need for a scream to guide the singer through their own life.
Ultimately, the singer acknowledges that they are giving up on everything they once loved, marching in time with the other person's drums and letting go of their own desires and aspirations. The image of being stuck in a cycle represented by the winding up and winding down actions is prevalent throughout the song, expressing the feeling of being trapped and unable to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Just ahead I see you winding up
I can see you getting ready to explode with emotion and energy
And you're dressing this color on the edge of fire
You are wearing this vibrant color that symbolizes being on the brink of an intense situation
Until these tightened strides
Moving forward with constrained steps
They march in time again
Continuing to move forward in sync with others as if following orders
I don't know if I will cut through
I'm not sure if I will be able to stand out and make an impact
I don't know if my heart will beat without you guiding it
I'm not sure if I can survive without your influence and leadership
Winding up
Getting ready to explode with energy and emotion
Leading me
Guiding and controlling me
Winding up to explode
Building up to the point of bursting with energy and emotion
It's the sound of your racing heart
Your heartbeat is fast and intense
That beats in time with every start
Your heart seems to sync up with the start of events, whether they be good or bad
(the start of the year. the start of life. the start of war)
Your heart beats in sync with the start of any event
That reaches up and across the sky
Your heartbeat seems to echo across the world
That makes us want to try
Your heartbeat inspires us to take action and try to achieve something meaningful
I'm falling to peices
I'm breaking down emotionally and mentally
I can't let go
I'm struggling to move on from something, whether it be a person or a situation
Tearing apart your lies
Uncovering the truth and exposing dishonesty
I want to live
I want to be free from the burden of secrets and lies
It's the sound of your shotgun pulse
Your heart sounds like a rapid-firing shotgun
Beating over and over in your silent halls
Your heartbeat echoes through the halls of your mind
It's a thought that keeps us alive
The idea of your presence keeps us going
It makes us want to rise
The thought of you inspires us to push forward and rise above our struggles
A scream to guide me through my life
A cry for help and guidance to navigate through life
Winding up
Building up to the point of bursting with energy and emotion
Leading me
Guiding and controlling me
Winding up to what you can not unwind
Building up to a level of intensity that cannot be undone or reversed
This side of you and if it's taken away
This aspect of you and what happens if it's lost
You won't know what to do
You'll be lost without this aspect of yourself
You're stretching to meet expectations that you will never reach
You're trying too hard to meet expectations that are impossible to achieve
And now it's far too late to ever leave this cold
It's too late to escape the harsh reality or consequences of your actions
I'm giving up
I'm losing the will or ability to fight back or resist
Marching in time with your drums
Following your orders and marching in sync with others
I'm letting go of everything I once loved
I'm moving on and letting go of my past attachments and emotions
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Geoffrey Rickly, Robert III Keeley, Steven Pedulla, Thomas Rule, Timothy Payne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind