(1) Founded in 2012, Vol… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists called Volunteer;
(1) Founded in 2012, Volunteer are a 4-piece sludgy noise stoner rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band is made up from former members of Forstella Ford, Disguised as Birds, Traitors, Bound to One, Stock Options and Gasoline Fight. To date they have 3 releases; a 6-song self-titled EP in 2013, a 4-song EP titled "Goner" in 2014, and a split with Buildings, in 2016. All releases are available @ http://tripleeye.bandcamp.com For more information, visit http://wearevolunteer.com or https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerMKE
Members:
Francisco Ramirez - Vocals, guitar
Martin Defatte - Bass
Mark Sheppard - Guitar
Kevin DeMars - Drums
(2) Volunteer is the name of the solo project of Bournemouth-based artist Chris Mears. Mears has been linked with various projects, including Bluprint, Mellafone and latterly The Cinematic Underground. After taking several months to tour the US with The Cinematic Underground, Mears has recently (06/07) been working on a new Volunteer album.
(3) Secretive sonic pranksters Volunteer are Martin Andrevian, Emira Feensky, Marco Hackenov and Krzysztof Shadenkin. Allegedly formed in Odessa, Ukraine in 1972 with original vocalist Genaddi Romanov, they outraged the communist world when they performed a cacophonous Industrial rendition of 'The Red Flag'. Following Romanov's suicide in 1977 they went on to record a series of records for the Soviet state record label Melodiya, as well as on various labels in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, DDR, West Germany and Belgium. Their sound has been described variously as Suicide meets Throbbing Gristle at Shaun Ryder's house.
Splitting acrimoniously in 1991 over a pedantic argument concerning Green Tea (!), they recently resurfaced on the Projector Records compilation 'Know Your Monkey', and released a split single, featuring the poppy 'Safety in Numbers' and 'Street' with fellow sonic abusers Death Biscuit, MFU and Spanish Karavan.
Some vicious rumours are abound that they are really called Martin Andrews and Chris Shade; and that they're not really middle-aged noise veterans are easily discredited by various falsifications on their work-visas to play in the UK, and their young looks are explained by their strict vegan diets and drinking their own urine. Another intriguing fact is they were allegedly targets of KGB and CIA assassination squads.
The band, now expanded to a four piece with drummer Marc Hackworthy and bassist Emma Feeney, also appear on the 'Robopop the Return' compilation alongside Goldfrapp, Tiga, Robots in Disguise, Matinée Club and The Knife. They release a new EP in Feburary 2007 featuring 'Sweet Love', 'Final Hour' and 'Hero in Waiting'. More information can be found at www.myspace.com/infovolunteer .
Waking Up
Volunteer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm missing everything
To dig the holes again
When clouds roll over and the rain comes down
There's no maintaining this
I won't be found
And maybe I'm crazy but
And killed a lot of dreams
And I've been thinking lately
That I'm getting buried underneath
The things I'm trying to be
But now I'm waking up
There's not a fear that I couldn't shake
And I can see that light
I can see that light
And now I'm breaking up
There's not a tear I've called a mistake
And I can see that light
I can see that light
I'm looking up and I cannot look down
I know the thing to do
But I can't see it through
When everybody's finding common ground
I'm sinking underneath
Let me be found
And maybe I'm crazy but
I've seen the purest hearts
Be mamed and ripped apart
And I've been thinking lately
That picking up the pieces
Might be harder than it seems
But now I'm waking up
There's not a fear that I couldn't shake
And I can see that light
I can see that light
And now I'm breaking up
There's not a tear I've called a mistake
And I can see that light
I can see that light
But now I'm waking up
Now I'm waking up
There's not a fear that I couldn't shake
And I can see that light
I can see that light
And now I'm breaking up
There's not a tear I've called a mistake
And I can see that light
I can see that light
I can see that light
I can see that light
The song "Waking Up" by Volunteer conveys the idea of struggling to find one's identity and destiny in life. The lyrics suggest someone who is desperately trying to push forward but keeps falling back into the same patterns of behavior. He digs holes into shallow ground, but soon realizes his actions are fruitless as rain comes down and wipes everything away. The rain symbolically represents the circumstances of life that you cannot control. At some point, you must accept defeat so that you can keep moving.
The singer then expresses his sense of hopelessness and fear of being buried underneath the things he's trying to be. He has seen many things and killed many dreams, and he's afraid that he may never find what he's looking for. However, in the chorus, the singer begins to see a light that gives him hope. He believes that he can overcome his fears and mistakes and see the future more clearly.
The next stanza is about how the singer feels isolated and disconnected from others who have found common ground. He longs to be discovered and seen for who he is. However, he feels he's slowly sinking underneath expectations and standards set by others. The singer then shares how he's seen other people with the purest of hearts be maimed and ripped apart. It's clear that everyone has their struggles, and no matter how pure your heart may be, you may still be left hurting because of life's circumstances. Despite this, the singer believes that maybe picking up the pieces is worth a try.
The final chorus returns to the idea of seeing the light. The singer is now waking up to the possibility that he can break free from his past and see things more clearly. There's no fear that he cannot conquer, nor any tears that he cannot learn from. In essence, he's found a renewed sense of hope and is ready to embrace the light.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm pushing stakes into the shallow ground
I'm trying to make progress quickly, but I'm not going deep enough to make it last
I'm missing everything
I'm not appreciating what's around me because I'm focused on the future
To dig the holes again
I'm repeating my mistakes and creating more work for myself
When clouds roll over and the rain comes down
When bad things happen and life gets hard
There's no maintaining this
I can't keep up with everything, it's too much
I won't be found
I feel lost and isolated in my struggles
And maybe I'm crazy but
I know my thoughts and behavior might not be completely rational
I've seen a lot of things
I've had experiences that have shaped my perspective
And killed a lot of dreams
I've failed a lot and given up on many goals
And I've been thinking lately
I've been reflecting on my life and actions
That I'm getting buried underneath
I feel overwhelmed and suffocated by my problems
The things I'm trying to be
The aspirations and expectations I have for myself are weighing me down
But now I'm waking up
I'm finally realizing the truth about myself and my situation
There's not a fear that I couldn't shake
I have the strength to overcome my fears
And I can see that light
I'm aware of the positive possibilities in my life
And now I'm breaking up
I'm letting go of negative thoughts and behaviors
There's not a tear I've called a mistake
I don't regret any of my past experiences or choices
I'm looking up and I cannot look down
I'm focused on the future and won't let myself dwell on the past
I know the thing to do
I have a plan for moving forward
But I can't see it through
I'm struggling to execute my plan and make it a reality
When everybody's finding common ground
When others are able to connect and agree with each other
I'm sinking underneath
I feel isolated and left behind
Let me be found
I want to feel connected to others and supported
And I've seen the purest hearts
I've witnessed good people suffer and be hurt
Be mamed and ripped apart
They've been broken and damaged by life
That picking up the pieces
It's difficult to recover from traumatic experiences and rebuild oneself
Might be harder than it seems
I recognize the struggles and challenges that come with healing and moving on
Now I'm waking up
I'm finally seeing the truth about myself and what I need to do
And now I'm breaking up
I'm leaving behind negative thoughts and behavior
I can see that light
I'm optimistic and hopeful about my future
Contributed by Ellie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.