We vs. Death is a Dutch indierock band, founded in 2000. Since then the band has put out a few releases and has been touring throughout Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan.
History
In the second half of 2000 a couple of like-minded musicians find each other at Utrecht University in Netherlands and decide to start a band.
Almost right away they choose to make instrumental music, that by lack of a better term can be described as post-rock. Other bands categorised as post-rock are for example Explosions in the Sky, Slint, Mogwai, Tomàn and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
Anno 2008 we vs .death moved to using more vocals and harmonies, the sound evolved to more song-based material. a new album is expected march 2009
In the Netherlands We vs. Death is still the most successful exponent of the genre, that nowadays becomes more popular among bands.
Since they started the band has been playing venues on a regular basis, and since 2003 they have been playing outside the Netherlands as well. In the meantime they played venues in Belgium, England, Canada, France, Russia, Poland, Denmark, Germany and Japan We vs. Death alternately plays large venues like Paradiso, 013, Vera and Tivoli and small-scale venues and squats like the ACU and the OCCII.
Although We vs. Death is surely a band in the traditional sense of the word, they also try to seek collaboration with other creative disciplines. So far they worked together with performance-artist Jeremiah Day, theatre-designer Theun Mosk, video-artist Boudewijn Rosenmuller and Graphic Designer Roel Dalhuisen.
Discography
7-inch
Their first vinyl-single was released in 2001 on the Zabel Muziek music-label. This single contained four songs:
MK Ultra
HMV
MK Ultra
Heron
Split-CD with Tom Sweetlove
In 2003 the band released a split-CD with the Belgian post-rock band Tom Sweetlove. Each band contributed four songs for this release, titled The Message Is, that was released on the Dutch Zabel Muziek-label and the Belgian Matamore-label. The We vs. Death-songs on this CD are:
My Dog is Watching Me
City Council Cosmos
Consertina
Wave Goodbye With Your Little Hand
Split-CD with Green Concorde
In 2004 the band decided upon releasing a split-CD again, this time together with the Danish indie rock band Green Concorde. On this album, released on Zabel Muziek and Eglantine Records, appeared the following We vs. Death songs:
Pictures From Stellenbosch
Workers Are Referred To As "Hands"
Wake 44
We Too Are Concerned / We Are Too Concerned
After releasing the 7" EP en two split-CD's, the band released their full-length debut in Spring 2006. The CD-package also contained a DVD and a booklet with a short story from artist Jeremiah Day. The CD, again released on the Zabel Muziek-label contains eight tracks:
And How To Translate It
Pictures From Stanford
Snow Cushioned The Fall
One Light Will Do
Thomas Corner And The Valley Houses
(Yes,) We Went To Novgorod
Mother And Father And Me
Fieldfire
split 7 inch with audiotransparent
wevsdeath track : 'varde"a collection of stones
Line-up
Although it has undergone a few changes in the beginning, and has been stable for years, untill recently, when guitarist Bart de Kroon left the band and was replaced with Thomas Sohilait. The members are (in random order):
Marten Timan (bass)
Thomas Sohilait (guitar)
Paul Hoek (trumpet and concertina)
Wouter Kors (guitar)
Gerben Houwer (drums)
The band is being supported by several people:
Roel Dalhuisen (artwork)
Maarten Houwer (sound-engineering)
Theun Mosk (theatre-design)
Gibson Houwer (light-design/technician)
Boudewijn Rosenmuller (video)
Jeremiah Day (performance-artist)
www.wevsdeath.nl
The things you did
We vs. Death Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like when you hung yourself from the blossom tree
Yeah we called you cinnamon
Just because you were sweet
Now all country folk thought you were playing dead
all the things you said you were
Are all the thing you said you’re not
And I don’t believe in ghost
We know the time we spent by the riverside
They poked you with sticks and you popped like a balloon
Covered in teeth and guts and spleen
Yeah we miss you so
Id guard you like the crown Jewels
So text me what it's like on the other side
And all the things you said you were ( all the things you said you were)
Are all the thing you said you are not ( are all the thing you said you are not)
And I don’t believe in ghost
All the things we thought you were
Are all the thing you said you were
Are all the thing you said you’re not
And I don’t believe in ghosts
All the things we thought you were
And you know when you know
When we fall by the riverside
We belong we belong by the the riverside
So stay woke stay woke
Stay woke by the riverside
Stay strong stay strong by Virginia's side
Toutes ces choses que tu disais être
Je ne crois pas aux fantômes
The lyrics of We vs. Death's song "The things you did" explore themes of fragility, loss, and the struggle to understand and accept the reality of death. The opening lines suggest a forgetfulness of our own vulnerability, paralleled with the tragic image of someone hanging themselves from a blossom tree. The reference to calling the person "cinnamon" emphasizes their sweetness and likability.
The lyrics then describe how the townspeople assumed the person was only playing dead, not understanding the gravity of the situation. The contradictions in the person's identity are highlighted, as they claimed to be one thing but turned out to be another. The singer expresses a disbelief in ghosts, which can be interpreted as a refusal to romanticize or hold on to the memory of the departed. The repeated lines "all the things we thought you were" convey a sense of confusion and disillusionment.
The chorus brings a change of perspective, as the singer reminisces about spending time with the person by the riverside. The image of the person being prodded with sticks and bursting like a balloon conveys a brutal and grotesque depiction of their demise. Despite this, the singer expresses deep longing and fondness for the person, addressing them directly and offering protection like the Crown Jewels.
The third verse continues the theme of disbelief in the supernatural, emphasizing that the things the person claimed to be and aren't, are simply what they believed they were. The lyrics then transition into French, adding a touch of mystery and perhaps reflecting the sense of disbelief or confusion surrounding the person's identity.
Overall, the lyrics of "The things you did" by We vs. Death invite listeners to contemplate the fragile nature of human existence, the complexities of identity, and the weight of loss and remembrance.
Line by Line Meaning
Yet I forget how fragile we can be
Sometimes I overlook how easily we can be broken or hurt
Like when you hung yourself from the blossom tree
Similar to how you ended your life by hanging from a tree covered in flowers
Yeah we called you cinnamon
We used to affectionately refer to you as cinnamon, probably due to your sweet nature
Just because you were sweet
Only because you were kind-hearted and gentle
Now all country folk thought you were playing dead
People from the rural areas mistakenly believed that you were pretending to be dead
all the things you said you were
All the qualities or characteristics you claimed to possess
Are all the things you said you’re not
Contradicting the statements you made about yourself
And I don’t believe in ghosts
I don't believe in the existence of spirits or supernatural entities
All the things we thought you were
All the perceptions or assumptions we had about your identity
We know the time we spent by the riverside
We recall the moments we shared together next to the river
They poked you with sticks and you popped like a balloon
They prodded you with sticks and you burst like a balloon, releasing your insides
Covered in teeth and guts and spleen
Covered in teeth, internal organs, and specifically the spleen
Yeah we miss you so
We deeply long for your presence and feel your absence keenly
Id guard you like the crown Jewels
I would protect you with great care, just like how the crown jewels are cherished
So text me what it's like on the other side
Send me a message describing what the afterlife is like
And you know when you know
You understand and recognize the truth when it becomes clear to you
We belong we belong by the riverside
We have a sense of belonging and connection when we are near the river
So stay woke stay woke
Remain attentive and aware
Stay woke by the riverside
Stay vigilant and alert while being close to the river
Stay strong stay strong by Virginia's side
Be resilient and unwavering while standing beside Virginia
Toutes ces choses que tu disais être
All those things that you used to say you were
Je ne crois pas aux fantômes
I don't believe in ghosts
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Graeme Alexander Martin, Liam Karima, Ian Davenport, James Malcolm Hall, Arthur Sawbridge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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