Formed in early 2004 by drummer Gabe Senour along with guitarist Trinity Martin and since departed member Joe VanMeter, Xero Sum was soon completed by vocalist KJ Testin and bassist Brian Lewis. Together the group quickly established themselves with a notably explosive live show that garnered a considerable hometown following. Over the last three years the quintet has not only welcomed guitarist Dustin Green into the fold but also set their sights on developing an arsenal of songs with a powerful-yet-far-reaching appeal. This Concrete Heart, Xero Sum’s debut full-length, is the direct result of that aspiration.
Highlighted by Testin’s compelling appeal, the twelve-track effort sees her passionately weave stories ripped direct from personal journals. With hardly any sense of self-righteousness, she’s an open book of life’s ups and downs where even moments of tension, doubt and disillusionment always come with an underlying impression of hope. Adding to the feel of every song are Testin’s bandmates who provide swirling and surging sonics to match the lyrical muse. The album’s already produced a breakout single in “Wasted Away”, and with its interplay between vigorously catchy riffage and enticing vocal hooks it’s easy to understand why local new rock alternative station WRZX X103 put Xero Sum into rotation.
This Concrete Heart is also a record that’s very much immersed in mood. Intimate details about romantic relationships, personal politics and inner demons are boldly laid out on the table throughout the CD’s dozen cuts. The ache that’s so movingly apparent in “Apology” couldn’t be anymore sincere as the distressed refrains of “I wrote this song for you but you're not listening” tug at the heartstrings in tandem with some great songwriting that scores big in capturing essence. The brooding, rhythmic mid-pace of “For What It’s Worth” is every bit the slow-burning seethe of disrespect while “My Naivety” connects further as weighty, charging guitars propel more confrontational sentiments. The distinct chemistry Xero Sum shares is undeniable and their solid playing skills - especially that of sticksman Senour during “All The While” - even allow them to rework A-HA’s classic “80s pop hit “Take On Me” into a fairly respectable cover that might just get them radio play yet again.
But when all is said and done something quickly becomes clear about This Concrete Heart and Xero Sum. There’s more than a glimmer of hope here when it comes to having a bright future.
- via MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/xerosum
apology
Xero Sum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To tell you that it's time for us to break up
I know this won't be easy for you
I'm not expecting you to understand
It's not that I'm wanting a different man
I know this won't be easy for you
And maybe it's because you'd never let me fly
And maybe it's because we never had our own lives
We'd have a reason to work it out
But we have nothing at all
I WROTE THIS SONG FOR YOU BUT YOU'RE NOT LISTENING
It wasn't easy just to tell you what you mean to me
I hope to God that you accept my apology
You know I'm praying every day because I've caused you pain
There's nothing I know you could say or do
To stop me from saying that we're through
There's nothing because it's not you.
Although we know the dark will fall tonight
The next day you'll see the sunrise
Tomorrow will still come without me
I know it's hard for you to see...
You had to know we'd never work out
What was it that always kept you holding on?
And if you thought we'd ever work out
I'm sorry I broke your heart
Just so you know, mine is broken too...
I wrote this song for you
In Xero Sum's song Apology, the artist acknowledges that it won't be easy to tell his partner that it's time for them to break up. He recognizes that it will be hard for his partner to understand and accept his decision, as it is not because he wants a different man. The artist questions whether the reason their relationship hasn't worked out is because they were never allowed to pursue their own passions or interests. However, the artist acknowledges that despite their lack of common ground, it was not an easy decision to break up.
As the song's title suggests, the artist is apologizing to his partner. He admits that it wasn't easy to express his feelings and what his partner means to him. The artist hopes that with time, his partner will forgive him for the pain he's caused. The artist admits that nothing could change his mind about ending the relationship, even if his partner were to try to convince him otherwise.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of sadness and regret for what could have been. The artist acknowledges their shared pain caused by the breakup. However, he is firm in his decision to move on, despite the difficulties that come with ending a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I know it won't be easy when I wake up
I understand that breaking up is difficult and I'm anticipating the process will be hard.
To tell you that it's time for us to break up
I need to inform you that our relationship has to end now.
I know this won't be easy for you
I'm aware that this will be tough for you.
I'm not expecting you to understand
I don't anticipate that you'll accept my reasons for ending it straightaway.
It's not that I'm wanting a different man
I don't desire to be with someone else instead of you.
And maybe it's because you'd never let me fly
Perhaps the reason our relationship didn't work out is that you didn't allow me to express myself or grow.
And maybe it's because we never had our own lives
Possibly, we were too co-dependent on each other and didn't pursue our own interests and aspirations.
But maybe, if we had something to talk about
It's feasible that if we had a shared interest or something new to discuss and explore, our relationship could have continued.
We'd have a reason to work it out
That purpose would have served as a motivation to fix our relationship.
But we have nothing at all
Unfortunately, we don't have that shared interest and there's nothing else in common between us.
I WROTE THIS SONG FOR YOU BUT YOU'RE NOT LISTENING
The song I'm singing right now is dedicated to you but you're not paying attention.
It wasn't easy just to tell you what you mean to me
Expressing my feelings for you wasn't straightforward either.
I hope to God that you accept my apology
I'm praying that you'll forgive me for the hurt I've caused and move on.
You know I'm praying every day because I've caused you pain
I'm conscious of the harm I've done to you and I ask God for your relief and well-being.
There's nothing I know you could say or do
I'm not sure if there's anything you can say or do to change my decision.
To stop me from saying that we're through
My mind is made up, and I'm determined to end this relationship.
There's nothing because it's not you.
You're not the issue here, and it's not your fault. It's just the way things are right now.
Although we know the dark will fall tonight
We're aware that there'll be some dark moments after we split up.
The next day you'll see the sunrise
However, a new day will dawn, and you'll be able to keep going.
Tomorrow will still come without me
Life still goes on, and you can still have great moments even without me.
I know it's hard for you to see...
I understand that it's tough for you to visualize life without me, but it's possible.
You had to know we'd never work out
Deep down, you must have known that our relationship would not be successful.
What was it that always kept you holding on?
Despite the warning signs, you remained hopeful. What was it that continued to fuel that hope?
And if you thought we'd ever work out
If you believed that our relationship could have succeeded,
I'm sorry I broke your heart
Then I apologize for crushing your expectations.
Just so you know, mine is broken too...
I'm going through this experience with you and my heart is also shattered.
I wrote this song for you
This song is a tribute to you.
Contributed by Juliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ghost0796
i didn't even know these guys existed, i thought they were a fictional band for rock tour tycoon :P lol
taccers
I used to work with Gabe at a pizza joint. He carried a guitar and mentioned on more than one occasion that drummers were d-bags. A-hahahaha! Now he's a drummer! Love ya Gabe! -- Sampson
kamaj88
Thanks! This is a great song ;)
dslash
best song in rock tour tycoon...hahahaha
CiramicRabbits
cheesy lyrics but it gets heavy so its cool :-)
Ben Hicks
We are all one with Gabe
Beaky
anyone know where to find the album? i bought it on itunes once and somehow lost access to it
Trinity
Hey, super late, but I'm in the band. Can get that to you if you still want it. Message me
Lynn Smurr
They're based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Lead singer is different now though.
bro santino
so its all true blaknote, xero sum in rock tour world tycoon