As with most biographies, this story begins with the utterances of hypnotic… Read Full Bio ↴As with most biographies, this story begins with the utterances of hypnotic phrases being repeated over, and over, and over, again; ricocheting through a developing sensitive mind; with the whispering of bitter-sweet music before the age of reason. The words, the sounds and the looks that a young mind has processed cannot be erased. They can only be stored in different places. Under the influence of Steven Heller’s Monsters and Magical Sticks, the concept of Uniform Motion sees the light.

The principle is that we go through life in a continual straight line and that the trajectory we are on will never change unless something, or someone, hits us.

After years and years of selectively storing data and cruising down the highway of life (and a quick stint with Angle -We'll Pick Up the Pieces Next Time, 2006), Andrew Richards picks up an old battered guitar. Two of the strings were missing, but that’s how that guitar was meant to me, so she would stay that way.

The 4-string guitar is the backbone of Uniform Motion's music. Multiplied, duplicated, interlaced, and dissonant – as if there were different personalities trying to jump out of it. The vocals follow the same pattern - when strummed guitar strings become strings of words, or soft utterances that give substance to a subconscious idea. The beating of African percussion can be heard in the background, emanating from an urban soundscape, evoking a primitive nature, an imaginary journey, a calm floating sensation. The guitars hold this all together.

Dry Eyes
Uniform Motion Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Swamp stewing in the grass,
Where you wept.
You wipe your fingers clean of the tears
Your dry eyes for all to see.
Salty and blind,
And open wide

Grab a chair and catch a read,

Of your life and where it leads.
This story reveals this side of you,
The one you wished you never knew.

In this storm shore home,
Safe and secure.
In a mutant roar I follow you home,
With dry eyes for all to see.
Salty and blind,
And open wide,
Safe and secure,

With dry eyes for all to see
With dry eyes for all to see
With dry eyes for all to see

With dry eyes for all to see
Dry eyes for all to see

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Uniform Motion's song Dry Eyes depicts a scene of a person weeping in a swampy area. The second line of the verse gives us a hint that the person is wiping off their tears, only to reveal their dry eyes to others. The next line "Salty and blind, and open wide" can be interpreted as the person's tears being salty, causing them to feel blinded by their emotions, yet they remain vulnerable and open to how they are feeling. The next verse talks about the person catching a read of their life and discovering a side of themselves that they wish they never knew. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "With dry eyes for all to see," indicating that despite the person's tears, they are hiding their true emotions, and instead putting on a brave face for the world to see.

The song's title, "Dry Eyes," is a metaphor for the emotions that the person is feeling. Despite the fact that they are crying and feeling overwhelmed, they are trying to hide their true feelings from the world. The line "In a mutant roar I follow you home" in the second verse could be interpreted as the person feeling like they are being followed by their emotions, and they are trying to seek refuge and safety in their own home.

Line by Line Meaning

Swamp stewing in the grass, Where you wept.
You were crying in a swampy area where vegetation grows.

You wipe your fingers clean of the tears
You wipe away the tears from your face.

Your dry eyes for all to see.
Although your eyes are dry now, people can still see the effects of your previous crying episode.

Salty and blind, and open wide
Your previous tears made your eyes salty and caused temporary blindness, now they are wide open.

Grab a chair and catch a read, Of your life and where it leads.
Take a moment to sit down and reflect on your life and where it is heading.

This story reveals this side of you, The one you wished you never knew.
The narrative exposes an undesirable part of your character that you wish wasn't true.

In this storm shore home, Safe and secure.
You are in the safety of a home that is far away from the stormy sea shore.

In a mutant roar I follow you home, With dry eyes for all to see.
You were followed home by someone or something that made a scary, abnormal noise, but you show no signs of fear.

With dry eyes for all to see Dry eyes for all to see Dry eyes for all to see Dry eyes for all to see Dry eyes for all to see
Repeated line emphasizing that although tears may have been shed before, you are now showing dry eyes as a sign of resilience and strength.

Contributed by Ethan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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