During the band's early years, when they were fronted by former vocalist Dallas Taylor, Underoath displayed a heavier style than their later, more well-known work, incorporating disparate influences from death and black metal. With Taylor, they released Act of Depression, Cries of the Past, and The Changing of Times. Following Taylor's departure, Spencer Chamberlain became lead vocalist. The band then released They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line, gaining a certified gold rating and the highest-charting Christian album on The Billboard 200 since 1997, respectively. These two albums have given them more mainstream and commercial success. They're Only Chasing Safety marked an extreme departure from their earlier work, with extensive use of clean vocals and poppy rhythms, and a near-complete eradication of breakdowns and the use of double-bass. Define The Great Line reflected another shift in style, once again incorporating heavier styles into Underoath's sound. While the album still featured extensive clean vocals, its use of heavier vocals, detuned guitars, and Botch-inspired guitar work paved the way for Underoath's future.
Underoath released a live album called Survive, Kaleidoscope on May 27, 2008. Earlier that year, the band recorded a new studio album called Lost in the Sound of Separation, which was released on September 2, 2008, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard 200. In April 2010, Aaron Gillespie announced his resignation from the band, stating that there are no hard feelings and that he will continue to pursue his other band, The Almost, leaving Underoath with none of its founding members.
The band recorded their seventh album with new drummer Daniel Davison, formerly of Norma Jean. The album, Ø (Disambiguation), was released on November 9, 2010.
In October 2012, Underoath announced that they would be disbanding the following year, in addition to a career-spanning compilation album, Anthology: 1999–2013, which was released on November 6, 2012. The band then embarked on a nine-date farewell tour, which wrapped up at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida on January 26, 2013.
In January 2015, the band launched a campaign to finalize production of documentary film about their farewell tour of 12 shows, posting two trailers on that subject to their YouTube channel.
In July 2015, Underoath began teasing the phrase "rebirth is coming" and an accompanying cryptic video across their social media accounts. The audio portion to the cryptic video, when played backwards, turned out to be the chorus for "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" off the band's 2004 album They're Only Chasing Safety, and later a countdown timer ending on August 24, 2015 later appeared on the band's website.
On August 17, 2015, the band's first show since disbanding in 2013 was announced, headlining the Self Help Fest in San Bernardino, California on March 19, 2016, along with A Day to Remember. In an interview article for Alternative Press, Chamberlain and Gillespie confirmed that the band was reuniting.
A Moment Suspended in Time
Underoath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the back room where the water leaks
And I'm, oh, so cold
Command me on what to do
But we both know
Neither you or I are in control
There's nothing left for me here
It's all too real, this can't be happening
Never again, ever again, will I say I'm okay
I'm scared of the fate that will become mine
Become mine
No time to talk, no time to talk
You know the drill
Under my desk, this can't be it
I'm only dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
But I can't get up
No time to talk, not this time (This is my place)
This is where I arrange
Under my desk, this can't be it
I'm only dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
But I can't get up
No time to talk, not this time (This is my place)
This is where I arrange
It's so funny how
We see things so clear
When we have no time left to live
So, lay back now
And take it in
I won't say a word
So, lay back now
And take it in
And I won't say anything
I can't believe how it feels
To stand here in this room
And feel like it's gonna blow
I think we're all gonna blow
Under my desk, this can't be it
I'm only dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
But I can't get up
No time to talk, not this time (This is my place)
This is where I arrange
Well, I've got to be dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
We've got to be dreaming (We've got to be dreaming)
We've got to be
I've got to be dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
We've got to be dreaming
Please, don't wake me up
This is the end
This is the end
This is the end
The lyrics of Underoath's song "A Moment Suspended in Time" present a scenario in which the singer is trapped in a back room that's leaking water and freezing cold. He's ordered around and commanded, but neither him nor his master are in control. It's a hopeless situation and he knows it. There's a sense of urgency since the singer feels he's at the end of his life, and he's scared of his fate. The verses also mention that he's hiding under his desk and that he's only dreaming but can't wake up. Towards the end, the singer reflects on how clear things seem when we don't have much time left to live, suggesting that he's at peace with his inevitable demise.
Line by Line Meaning
Held captive, I'm a prisoner
Feeling trapped, like a captive in a helpless situation
In the back room where the water leaks
Being isolated and vulnerable, stuck in a place with flaws and defects
And I'm, oh, so cold
Feeling physically and emotionally numb, helpless
Command me on what to do
Needing someone else to guide and instruct out of desperation
But we both know
Acknowledging the reality of the situation
Neither you or I are in control
Lacking control over what is happening
There's nothing left for me here
Feeling like there is no hope or purpose in the current situation
I'm grabbing on to what's left of this hole
Seeking anything to hold on to, even if it's not stable
It's all too real, this can't be happening
Denial of the severity of the situation
Never again, ever again, will I say I'm okay
Realization that pretending to be okay is not an option anymore
I'm scared of the fate that will become mine
Fear and uncertainty about the future
No time to talk, no time to talk
Feeling rushed and pressured
You know the drill
Knowing what's expected and what to do, having gone through this before
Under my desk, this can't be it
Feeling small and helpless
I'm only dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
Denial, unable to accept the reality of the situation
But I can't get up
Feeling paralyzed and helpless
This is my place
Accepting the limited control and power one has in the situation
This is where I arrange
Working with what one has, trying to control what little one can
It's so funny how
Ironically
We see things so clear
Clarity comes when it's almost too late, when time is running out
When we have no time left to live
When life is on the line, priorities and realizations become clear
So, lay back now
Relax, let it happen
And take it in
Accepting the inevitable, trying to make peace with it
And I won't say anything
Silence becomes more comforting than words
I can't believe how it feels
Sensory overload in the midst of chaos and stress
To stand here in this room
Feeling trapped, confined
And feel like it's gonna blow
Sensing that something is going to happen, something that's out of one's control
I think we're all gonna blow
Everyone involved feels the same sense of impending doom and loss of control
Well, I've got to be dreaming
The denial and hope of it all being a dream persists
We've got to be dreaming
The possibility of it not being real is desperately held on to
Please, don't wake me up
The idea of the current situation not being real is more comforting than the alternative
This is the end
The realization that the situation cannot continue, that it has come to a dire end
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aaron Gillespie, Christopher Dudley, Grant Brandell, James Smith, Timothy Mctague, William Spencer Chamberlain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Raconbacon 564
Held captive, I'm a prisoner
In the back room where the water leaks and I'm oh, so cold
Command me on what to do, but we both know neither you or I are in control
There's nothing left for me here
I'm grabbing on to what's left of this hole.
It's all too real this can't be happening
Never again, ever again, will I say I'm OK
I'm scared of the fate that will become mine
No time to talk you know the drill
Under my desk this can't be it
I'm only dreaming, I've got to be dreaming
But I can't get up.
No time to talk, not this time, this is my place
This is where I arrange
It's so funny how we see things so clear when we have no time left to live
So lay back now and take it in
I won't say a word
So lay back now and take it in
I won't say anything
I can't believe how it feels
To stand here in this room
And feel like it's going to blow
I think we're all going to blow
Under my desk this can't be it
I'm only dreaming, I've got to be dreaming
But I can't get up
No time to talk, not this time, this is my place
This is where I arrange
I've got to be dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
We've got to be dreaming (We've got to be dreaming)
We've got to be...
I've got to be dreaming (I've got to be dreaming)
We've got to be dreaming
Please don't wake me up
This is the end
This is the end
This is the end
Brett
From 13 to 27 year old, underoath will never get old
wibblersnatch
Just turned 39 yesterday and still listen to UO. My favorite band of all time and this may be my favorite song ever.
ᴀ ʙ ᴇ ᴋ ꜱ я я я
haha holy shit , exact same age i got into em too ! these guys are forever .
Crisp Chaos
I’m 14, I’m glad I got into Underoath and others like them
𖤐 Cypher
I headbang and drum my steering wheel harder at 29 than I ever did at 14😈...emo 444ever 🔥🔥🔥
𖤐 Cypher
Hell ya bro Underoath will always be #1
Bryan Baez
They’ll never recapture this. Define the great line is truly a moment suspended in time cause I don’t think underoath or any other band will ever write a record like this again.
facgce
There are three bands that just make my life worth living: Saosin, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and Underoath. Nothing can compare... Pure genius.
serjio88e
My high school burned CD collection. Lol
Colton Allen
Bruh! Scary kids scaring kids! The jam!