Contrary to popular belief, this song is not a follow-up to "The Big Chill".
This song has emerged as a favorite of mine. From the funny lines and parts to the big and small of it all to the “triumphant” ending. The title, like many themes of this album, comes from one of the many facets of Feng Shui and the Yi-Ching, wherein your fortune can be decided by where and how you bury your parents. When I was in China, there were dudes getting their doctorate in this—to me—superstitious study. It’s like having a doctorate in Star Wars Studies only for someone to be like, “I know it says ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,’ but these aren’t documentaries. They’re fictional stories.” I worry about people like that. On the other hand, these guys have thousands of stories of success concerning the burial site of people’s parents—one guy was given a Rolex just for meeting and consulting with a couple for half an hour. It’s a totally abstract system compared to ours, wherein we tend to just pray the gay away or cross our fingers. They use “scientifically based” evidence on totally random placement. From what I understand, putting your parents by water is a good idea. Not too close though. Trees are nice, and so are mountains—but not too close! It’s so strange, but it’s so interesting because at its base, it’s a way of letting nature decide what is best for you.
The actual theme of this song, you see, is that we need to let the world govern us. There’s a reason the cicadas come back every seventeen years, and despite the theories, we don’t actually know why the fuck that is. At the end of the day, this is about how fucking arrogant we are in thinking that we know what’s going on; but
in reality we have no idea.
Bonus note:
We were going to name our album Where to Bury Your Parents, but it only got a 50% vote.
lyrics
We’re throwing caution to the wind
But where does it go?
If rain washes away our sins
How will we know?
Maybe you were right, maybe I was wrong
But I would rather fight than never try at all.
Take another drink, just have another drink.
It's good to know that you know what's best.
Swallow all your words, forget what you said.
In the morning just live with it.
Maybe this will work, but I know it won't.
I'm just glad to know that I have failed.
The return of the cicadas
After seventeen years’ time
It shows us nature’s in control
Check-in, check-out: couldn’t mean less
It’s a start and stop progression
Proceed with baby steps
Keep your toddler legs strong
The best is yet to come
Let the world govern you
When people lose their prime
They’ll admit defeat
They always do.
This Oakland trio makes spine-prickling, visceral noise with live drumming: a big sound that lives in the throat and heart. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 10, 2018
Epitaph Records will be matching all pre-orders of “Always Foreign” with a donation to The Immigrant Defense Project. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 28, 2017
Grab your copy here of their second album, in all its epic, atmospheric, indie glory - before it's available anywhere else. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 22, 2015
Atmospheric black metal band Sadness and experimental screamo band To Be Gentle channel intense emotions on this split single. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 28, 2021
Eve Beeker of screamo band To Be Gentle stretches her solo work in new experimental directions on this EP, a meditation on gender & healing. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 10, 2021