motW had a consistent core membership which consisted of Jason Byron, Greg Massi, and Toby Driver. Throughout motW's career, they saw a sort of "revolving door" of members and session musicians as they were needed. In this regard, it may be more accurate to think of motW as a project rather than a typical band, akin to Chuck Schuldiner's influential death metal project/band, Death.
motW's music, lyrics, and atmosphere dealt predominantly with the subject of astral projection. The band tried to find music rather than compose it. This was attempted through practicing astral projection and lucid dreams, from which the band were purportedly able to "bring back" pre-existing music from the astral plane. This idea is similar to the common dogmatic notion that "all good things come from God", but with a new-age spin.
In late 2001, motW began working on a fourth studio album. During this time, the band lost longtime members, changed labels, and ultimately renamed themselves to Kayo Dot. This fourth motW album was released in 2003 as Kayo Dot's Choirs of the Eye.
Bath and Leaving Your Body Map were re-issued by Dark Symphonies in 2006 and the label has recently announced plans to re-release My Fruit PsychoBells...A Seed Combustible in September 2007.
On July 27, 2008, Toby Driver released a statement in his blog which confirms that a new studio album will be recorded starting February, 2009. The album, entitled Part the Second, was released in May 2009 on the band's website. The record was entirely fan-funded, and people who contributed to the funding of the record are listed on their website. A double-LP edition pressed at 45rpm was issued in November 2010 thanks to fan donations.
In 2012, the bands whole discography was re-released on CD through Blood Music, including The Secret Song single and the first CD release of Part the Second.
Girl With a Watering Can
maudlin of the Well Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I ever wanted was a simple you.
Real love is dying for a phantasy.
I held all of Heaven dead in my arms,
And in one moment, I knew all of Hell.
Nothing but a body, naked, beaten,
Bitterness is all God hath created;
A proud king among the failures of dreams.
I believe one love could be worth a life,
For life I would have burn'd myself away--
For nothing, life hath left me burning alone.
Girl, know that time leaves dust on my scars;
When the moment has pass'd, thousands will die.
I will remember when ghosts were mighty,
And I will laugh and catch my own tears.
In a perfect garden, all flowers flourish,
In this real garden, my flower knows thirst.
I don't think I can lift my face to the sun again.
I don't think I can look at your face again
And feel.
You were my everything, and you took
It all away.
The lyrics to Girl With a Watering Can by maudlin of the Well are complex and full of deep emotion. The lyrics speak of a person who has wasted their youth chasing after a false ideal of love, and has now been left with nothing but bitterness and pain. In the first verse, the singer bemoans the fact that they have sacrificed their youth for a supposed "hour" of love with someone who was not worth it. They express regret that they ever thought the person was the "simple you" they wanted.
The second verse is even darker, describing how the singer once held "Heaven" in their arms, but now knows all of "Hell." The vivid imagery of a broken soul amidst thorns is truly haunting. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been beaten down by life and is now left with nothing but their own bitterness. The mention of a "proud king among the failures of dreams" highlights the defeatist attitude that the singer has adopted.
The final verse speaks of the power of memories and how, even after the moment has passed, they can continue to haunt and hurt us. The singer says that they will never forget when "ghosts were mighty" and perhaps at some point, they will find the ability to laugh and move on from their pain. However, for now, they are consumed by the hurt and the pain from the end of their relationship.
Overall, Girl With a Watering Can is a powerful and insightful song that explores the complexities of love and loss. The lyrics are beautiful yet bleak, touching yet painful. It is clear that the songwriter has poured their heart and soul into this song, and the result is a stunning work of art.
Line by Line Meaning
I squandered my youth for a wither'd (bitter) hour;
I wasted my younger years for a brief moment of bitterness;
All I ever wanted was a simple you.
All that I have ever desired was a simple and ordinary version of you.
Real love is dying for a phantasy.
True love is fading away for an illusion.
I held all of Heaven dead in my arms,
And in one moment, I knew all of Hell.
I once embraced all happiness in my hands, and afterwards I knew what agony was at the same time.
Nothing but a body, naked, beaten,
Only a naked, injured body;
The wreck of a soul, amidst thorns bleeding.
The remains of a spirit, bleeding amidst the thorns.
Bitterness is all God hath created;
God has created nothing but bitterness.
A proud king among the failures of dreams.
A proud king standing over failed dreams.
I believe one love could be worth a life,
I trust that one love could be worthwhile enough to give up one's life;
For life I would have burn'd myself away--
I would have burned myself out for life—
For nothing, life hath left me burning alone.
For nothing, life has left me burning in solitude.
Girl, know that time leaves dust on my scars;
Lady, understand that time leaves a mark on my injuries;
When the moment has pass'd, thousands will die.
When the moment has passed, thousands of people will die.
I will remember when ghosts were mighty,
I will recollect the era when ghosts were powerful,
And I will laugh and catch my own tears.
Where I will chuckle and capture my own tears.
In a perfect garden, all flowers flourish,
In a flawless garden, all the flowers blossom,
In this real garden, my flower knows thirst.
In this genuine garden, my flower feels thirsty.
I don't think I can lift my face to the sun again.
I don't believe I can tilt my head towards the sun again;
I don't think I can look at your face again
And feel.
I don't think I can gaze upon your face once more and feel anything.
You were my everything, and you took
It all away.
You were my everything, and you stripped it from me.
Contributed by Andrew S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.