He then released two solo albums, 12 Song Program (2010) and Sad Bear (2011), as well as another split album with Joey Cape in 2012, Acoustic Volume 2.
On August 1, 2012 it was announced that he had passed away.
Therapy
Tony Sly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A major chord of minor use
Don't know if it's worth it anymore
Built us a home without a door
On this winter day I heard the wind call out your name
And it sounded like a scream of summers passed
This is therapy for me a mission that my heart is on
I love you plain and simple but it's sad
I can't help to wear you on my sleeve
We say hello and then we leave
Distance makes the heart grow apart
The saying's wrong, most of them are
On this winter day I heard the wind call out your name
And it sounded like a scream of summers passed
This is therapy for me, a mission that my heart is on
I love you plain and simple but it's sad
That all we want is what we had
The lyrics to Tony Sly's song Therapy describe a relationship that is falling apart. The opening lines, "Here's a new way I can sing the blues, a major chord of minor use," suggest that the singer is struggling to find a way to express his sorrow. He feels as though he's tried everything already, and that sometimes the best way to convey an emotion is to use a different approach, almost as if he's using a different chord progression to tell the same old story.
The song continues with the line, "Don't know if it's worth it anymore, built us a home without a door." This seems to suggest that the couple have created a life together that has become so insular, so closed off, that there's no way to let anyone else in. Even if one of them wanted to escape, they can't; there's no way out. The rest of the song is a lament for what's been lost. The singer hears the wind calling out his lover's name, and it sounds like "a scream of summers passed." He's reminded of all the times they've spent together and all that they've shared, but he can't escape the fact that it's all slipping away.
The refrain, "This is therapy for me, a mission that my heart is on," suggests that the singer is trying to work through his feelings by putting them into music. He wants to understand what's happening to him, and he hopes that by expressing his emotions in this way, he can find some sort of resolution. However, it's a melancholy resolution at best - he loves his partner, he wants to be with her, but he knows that they can never go back to what they had before.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a new way I can sing the blues
I have found another way to express my sadness.
A major chord of minor use
I am using a common musical pattern in a different way to represent my emotions.
Don't know if it's worth it anymore
I feel uncertain if holding on to this relationship is still the right thing to do.
Built us a home without a door
Our relationship lacks openness and communication.
On this winter day I heard the wind call out your name
I heard a reminder of you and our past relationship during a melancholy time.
And it sounded like a scream of summers passed
The sound reminded me of the excitement and passion of our past relationship.
This is therapy for me a mission that my heart is on
Creating and singing this song is therapeutic for me and allows me to express my emotions.
I love you plain and simple but it's sad
I still love you, but it is a bittersweet feeling due to our current situation.
That all we want is what we had
We both yearn for the passion and closeness we shared in the past.
I can't help to wear you on my sleeve
I cannot hide my emotions or my love for you.
We say hello and then we leave
Our interactions are minimal and superficial.
Distance makes the heart grow apart
Being physically apart from each other is causing a strain on our relationship.
The saying's wrong, most of them are
The common adage about distance and relationships is inaccurate, much like many other cliches.
Contributed by Lillian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.