After growing Skyharbor as one of India's biggest rock bands with songwriter Keshav Dhar, including taking the stage with acts such as Lamb of God and Deftones, the pair collaborated on Tompkins' new Contemporary Pop project with progressive and experimental music at its heart.
'Atone', the new album from WMBB, is masterfully built on organic, textured and cinematic sounds, with two opposing themes of loss and hope. Tompkins explains - "Whilst songs like "Tempest" and "Atone" focus on faith and forgiveness, others like "Rising Sun" and "An Ocean Away" linger on love and nostalgia; throwing the listener into a bygone world of having less and caring more. The front cover artwork captures the beauty of nature and the harsh realities of life: power and dominance. White Moth Black Butterfly represents that very same struggle."
The album was recorded across the globe at studios in India, the UK, US and Taiwan, bringing in their international roster of performers. This included the band's other writers: Randy Slaugh, the producer and string arranger for Skyharbor in the US, who has also worked with Devin Townsend, Architects and Periphery; and co-singer and lyricist Jordan Turner.
I: Incarnate
White Moth Black Butterfly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left to bear and the skies won't hold
The opening line of "I: Incarnate" reflects the internal struggle of the singer who is about to face significant emotional turmoil. The line "Don't you care for the scars you hold?" addresses the singer's inner voice, asking them if they are ready to face their psychological scars. The line tries to imply the extent of the pain the singer has gone through and asks them to embrace their vulnerability. The following line "Left to bear and the skies won't hold" is an allusion to the external pressures that the singer feels forced to bear. The use of 'skies' symbolises that it's not just the internal emotional turmoil but also the external factors that are weighing the singer down. The line tries to highlight the burden being carried by the singer and how they are left to bear it alone.
The lyrics in the song showcase the struggle to find oneself while grappling with negative emotions. With a slow and haunting melody, Damon Fox, the composer of White Moth Black Butterfly, tries to weave a story of pain and self-realisation. The lyrics work as an internal dialogue, asking the singer to face the challenges of life and not shy away from their scars. The song can be seen as a message of hope that even in the hardest of times, it is essential to embrace oneself rather than running from the trials of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you care for the scars you hold?
Are you not concerned about the emotional wounds you carry?
Left to bear and the skies won't hold
Left alone to endure the pain, even the heavens refuse to offer solace.
Writer(s): Daniel Mark Tompkins, Randy Slaugh, Keshav Dhar, Jordan Turner
Contributed by Isaac B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.