White Light Riot consists of Minneapolis natives, brothers Mike and Mark Sc… Read Full Bio ↴White Light Riot consists of Minneapolis natives, brothers Mike and Mark Schwandt, Joe Christenson and Dan Larsen. These incredibly talented musicians craft catchy songs that appeal to fans of both indie rock and Britpop. Though often compared to The Killers, The Strokes or Franz Ferdinand, White Light Riot blend originality with influences of the past. The foursome have been playing together since 2005 and already have released two Eps, The Dark Is Light Enough, produced by Erik Appelwick (Tapes ‘N Tapes) and Out of Sight, produced/co-engineered by Brent Sigmeth (Grant Hart, They Might Be Giants, Tim O’Reagan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott). Atomism, their first full-length album, was also produced/co-engineered by Sigmeth, co-engineered by Paul Marino (The New Congress, Desdemona) and mastered by Bob Ludwig. With sophisticated lyrics, perfected melodies and tight, driving rhythms, their music keeps audiences engaged and attracts new fans with every show.

This is definitely a band worth checking out:
Atomism is available on iTunes or buy physical copy through http://www.myspace.com/whitelightriotmusic
http://www.whitelightriot.com
or http://50records.com

Dive
White Light Riot Lyrics

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Silhouettes flicker
A candle wax river to singe
Settles cold
Cloudburst to quiver, bones in a shiver, your verse is untold
Cause you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive
Cause you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive

Keep to the center and heighten the censors, it's safe in a cell

Lie face down with astray desire
Sparks that shudder and cannot fire
All you could tell
Cause you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive
Cause you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive

Who will you never be to me?
What will you never see for me?

Futilely nervous, dread to resurface and drift into shore
But you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive

Oh, you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive
Yeah, you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to White Light Riot's song Dive depict a person who is struggling to express themselves fully, and instead retreats into themselves in fear of being vulnerable. The opening line describes the flickering of silhouettes, which can be interpreted as the person's lack of clarity in their own identity. The candle wax river represents the passage of time, and the danger of burning out before fulfilling one's purpose. The fear of failure is evident in the line "your verse is untold," indicating that the person can't even bring themselves to articulate their own desires and dreams.

The chorus, "Cause you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive," is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the person's tendency to retreat when faced with potential intimacy or vulnerability. The second verse paints a picture of a person seeking safety within themselves, perhaps out of a fear of rejection or judgement from others. The line "Lie face down with astray desire" conveys a sense of frustration and longing that is being suppressed.

The bridge asks the questions, "Who will you never be to me? What will you never see for me?" This implies that there is a missed opportunity for connection between two people who have not fully opened up to each other. The final verse continues to describe the person's struggle to overcome their fear and anxiety, with the powerful image of "drifting into shore" suggesting a sense of being lost or disconnected.

Overall, Dive is a powerful depiction of the struggle to express oneself fully and connect with others. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the cyclical nature of this struggle, and the underlying themes of fear, anxiety, and missed opportunity make for a poignant and relatable song.

Line by Line Meaning

Silhouettes flicker
Vague and undefined forms wavering in the dim light

A candle wax river to singe
A metaphor comparing a river of candle wax to the physical option of harming yourself to avoid a confrontation

Settles cold
A state of stagnant tension, a numb unease

Cloudburst to quiver, bones in a shiver, your verse is untold
A sudden outpouring of emotion that shakes you to your core, but your story remains unsaid

Cause you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive
Your guardedness and insecurities immediately consume you as soon as I enter the room

Keep to the center and heighten the censors, it's safe in a cell
Stay neutral and don't provoke any emotional reactions, it's safer to keep things confined and controlled

Lie face down with astray desire
Fall onto the ground in defeat with no clear motivation or direction

Sparks that shudder and cannot fire
Flickers of hope that cannot seem to ignite into anything more significant

All you could tell
The only thing you can express to me is your own uncertainty and confusion

Who will you never be to me?
What kind of relationship is permanently out of reach for you and me?

What will you never see for me?
What dreams or visions of our future will never be realized?

Futilely nervous, dread to resurface and drift into shore
Hopelessly anxious and reluctant to confront the reality of the situation

Oh, you fall shy the moment I arrive, you dive
Repeated emphasis on the immediate vulnerability and self-deprecation that takes over when you interact with me

Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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