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.
Storm Eye
Uniform Motion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one left to mop up.
Bright-eyed dull look,
The joke's on your book.
Standoff nearby,
A storm on it's way to look.
Storm-eye sulking,
The sounds are like a calling, like an urging, like the screaming of the prey you watched in awe for hours in the previous life.
We'll get our fists out, 'cause there is nothing coming out of this hopeless southern call.
I'll show my wrist low, before their empty guts, there's something going foul.
We'll get our fists wet, 'cause there is nothing coming out of this hopeless southern call.
I'll show my wrist low, before their empty guts, there's something going foul.
Standoff nearby,
A storm on it's way to look.
Storm-eye sulking,
The joke's on your book.
The sounds are like a calling, like an urging, like the screaming of the prey you watched in awe for hours in the previous life.
I saw the sword I used to cut the stainless sheets and calling chords, good luck.
Sawn off shot home,
No one left to mop up.
Bright eyed dull look
The joke's on your book
The sounds are like a calling, like an urging, like the screaming of the prey you watched in awe for hours in the previous life
The song "Storm Eye" by Uniform Motion is a haunting, dark depiction of a violent scene. The lyrics paint a picture of a standoff between two parties, with the storm brewing in the background. The first verse describes a moment of violent action, with a "sawn off shot" leaving no one to clean up the mess. The second verse brings the storm into the picture, with the "storm-eye sulking" as the joke is on the book of whoever is being targeted.
The chorus is a call to arms, urging the listener to use their fists in this hopeless situation, as the sounds around them become like the screaming of prey watched in awe in a previous life. The final verse brings in the imagery of a sword cutting through "stainless sheets and calling chords," leaving the listener to imagine the aftermath of this violent encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
Sawn off shot home,
Returning home after use, but now useless, like a sawed-off shotgun. There is no one to clean up the mess.
No one left to mop up.
There is no one around to take care of the aftermath, creating a sense of emptiness and abandonment.
Bright-eyed dull look,
A facade of optimism covering up a feeling of emptiness and detachment.
The joke's on your book.
Ultimately, the situation is futile, and the outlook is bleak. The metaphorical book of life is not going according to plan, and it's becoming a joke.
Standoff nearby,
An impending conflict looms in the air, creating tension and fear.
A storm on it's way to look.
A literal or metaphorical storm is brewing, ready to cause destruction and chaos.
Storm-eye sulking,
The center of the storm is brooding, hinting at the destruction that is about to ensue.
The joke's on your book.
Despite the situation, there's a sense of detachment, almost to a point where everything seems comical.
The sounds are like a calling, like an urging, like the screaming of the prey you watched in awe for hours in the previous life.
The sounds of impending doom, a calling for the oncoming disaster, urge the listener to take action. It's a warning that something bad is going to happen, like the prey's calls that were ignored in the past life.
We'll get our fists out, 'cause there is nothing coming out of this hopeless southern call.
The only solution is to fight back, as there's no hope in the old ways of the south.
I'll show my wrist low, before their empty guts, there's something going foul.
Despite the situation, the singer is not willing to give up hope. They will show their vulnerability before their enemies, hoping that they will recognize the foulness of their situation.
We'll get our fists wet, 'cause there is nothing coming out of this hopeless southern call.
Even though the situation looks bleak, the artist is determined to fight back and get their hands dirty. There may be nothing coming out of the southern call, but they will find another way to make it out alive.
I saw the sword I used to cut the stainless sheets and calling chords, good luck.
The singer reminisces about their past battles, wishing themselves luck as they prepare for another painful fight. The weapons they once used to create beautiful music and art are now tools of destruction.
Contributed by Brayden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.