(2) Tommy Guerrero may be better known in the world of skateboarding than music. Born in San Francisco, Guerrero joined the skateboard company Powell Peralta in 1985 and became one of the original members of the legendary "Bones Brigade" team. Always interested in music, Guerrero was a fan of the high-energy punk music that surrounded the early-'80s skate scene. Since then, Guerrero has become an accomplished bassist and guitarist with influences as diverse as John Coltrane, Latin Playboys, and Tortoise. Guerrero released his debut album, Loose Grooves & B**tard Blues, in 1998 on the Galaxia label. To support the record, Guerrero turned to his friends -- skateboarder and bassist Monte Vallier, DJ Gadget, and former Threeo drummer Tim DeGaugh -- to form the band Jet Black Crayon, who toured with Isotope 217 in 1999. With help from Gadget, he released Hoy Yen A**'n in 2000, as well as the solo record A Little Bit of Somethin' on Mo Wax. His warm, soulful music continued on 2004's Soul Food Taqueria, and after the five-song EP Year of the Monkey, Guerrero moved to Quannum, issuing From the Soil to the Soul in 2006. Another record on the Galaxia imprint, Return of the B**tard, followed in 2007. Four years later, Lifeboats and Follies was released on the same imprint and largely featured the same cast (including an appearance by Money Mark). In 2012, Guerrero recorded his seventh solo album No Man's Land which was released in Japan. Two years later, the album would receive worldwide distribution via the Modulor label. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi
It Gets Heavy
Tommy Guerrero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking on the fight
Underneath the sand that make believe(?)
Somewhere deeper inside
Will this change everything in time
Stuck in between the blame we see
Half-way and I lose my mind
Lose your words this time
Take away the lights
Take away the friends we left behind
Will this change everything in time
Stuck in between the blame we see
Half-way and I lose my mind
...It's the cause we feel like we're fading
The lyrics to Tommy Guerrero's song "It Gets Heavy" potentially allude to the idea of struggling to deal with personal conflicts with oneself and others. Guerrero frequently references things that we see and think upon, "Underneath the sand that make believe(?) / Somewhere deeper inside," which could symbolize the idea of digging deeper to uncover the root of issues that cause internal struggles. The line "Half-way and I lose my mind / It's the cause we feel like we're fading" may recognize the difficulty of reaching a resolution when conflicts and blame exist, leading to a sense of hopelessness.
The chorus repeats, "Will this change everything in time / Stuck in between the blame we see / Half-way and I lose my mind / ...It's the cause we feel like we're fading," which further emphasizes the frustration and helplessness that come with being stuck in a situation with no clear resolution. The final lines, "Lose your words this time / Take away the lights / Take away the friends we left behind," suggest that sometimes what's needed to overcome these personal conflicts is to strip away external factors and focus on confronting the issue head-on, even if it means losing connections or support from others.
Line by Line Meaning
All those things we see
Refers to all the things we observe in our lives and how they affect us.
Thinking on the fight
Meditating on the difficulties we face, the struggles that cap our potential, and how we can fight back.
Underneath the sand that make believe(?)
There are things hidden from us just beneath the surface level or what we consider reality which we may not be aware of.
Somewhere deeper inside
Suggests that the answers we seek may be found by looking deep within ourselves.
Will this change everything in time
Asking whether time will bring about change, shift, or even revolution.
Stuck in between the blame we see
Being pinned down by the blame that we see others, or even ourselves, inflicting upon us.
Half-way and I lose my mind
Being caught between two things, unable to decide in which direction to head, leads to loss of focus or sanity.
...It's the cause we feel like we're fading
Whatever our core motivations are is what drives us to succeed, if it fades away, we feel like giving up.
Lose your words this time
An expression that means to allow your deeds speak for themselves instead of words since words have become ineffective.
Take away the lights
Means to strip away everything frivolous, every distraction in a bid for clarity.
Take away the friends we left behind
Refers to letting go of any baggage, negative influences or attachment to people who no longer have a place in our lives.
Contributed by Xavier I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.