Between the Buried And Me

1. “Desert of Song” Davis Chandler Block 6 Between the Buried And Me

2. Between the Buried and Me The writer of Desert of Song is Between the Buried and Me’s lead singer Tommy Rogers. He and their guitarist Paul Waggoner started the band in 2000 and added new member to the band including their other guitarist Dustie Baker; the bassist, Dan Briggs; and the drummer, Blake Richardson. Previosly, Tommy Rogers has been in the band Prayer for Cleansing (along with Paul Waggoner) and has started his own electronic band, Giles (“Prayer for Cleansing”). After the release of their self titled album, Tommy and Between the Buried and Me signed with Victory Metal Records, and is still currently under their label today. BACK

3. Desert of Song The Radios stopped tuning.The static is forbidden.The chords quit strumming...But we found our new home.It will rain (falls so slow)It will rain down here.The drums quit thumping.These tones are forbidden.The throat can't stop singing...The scarecrow is watching.It will rain (falls so slow)It will rain down here. BACK

4. Here, we're awake in the desert of song.The silence is broken.Here, we're awake and the silence is broken.Silence is broken.Silence is broken.Here...we...sing...Sing with the fear.Fear: the control tower,The new sun comes by the hour.Ghosts slowly disappear in the fog...Silence: the suffering.We've built back the age-old sound of song.Here...we...sing...Sing with the fear. BACK

5. Here, we're awake in the desert of song.The silence is broken.Here, we're awake and the silence is broken.Silence is broken.Silence is broken.Here...we...sing... Sing with the fear. CITATIONS BACK

6. Literary: Anaphora • “Silence is broken” is repeated twice during this chorus, and is repeated other at other times during the song. BACK

7. Literary: Hyperbole • “The silence is broken” is literally untrue because, silence being abstract, cannot literally be broken into pieces. The meaning is that the a group of people are playing music, which is not silence. BACK

8. Literary: Mood • In the second to last stanza of the paragraph, the song creates a mood of positivity; that in the face of adversity (the aliens/government) people will still find a way to make themselves happy through, in this case, music. BACK

9. Literary: Theme • Desert of Song is apart of a semi-conceptual album called The Great Misdirect. This album’s theme is based upon several topics including the future, and aliens taking over earth. (Lymangrover). BACK

10. Literary: Alliteration • The “scarecrow” refers to Big Brother from George Orwell’s book 1984. In 1984 Big Brother was refereed to as the government surveillance system watching the conduct of the citizens. BACK

11. Literary • This “new home” is the relief from the control of the outside force. The relief is music that is made against the strict rules of the government. BACK

12. “The new sun comes up by the hour” • These lyrics are referencing from a past album from Between the Buried and Me, Colors, and specifically the song “Sun of Nothing.” There are other references to Colors in some of the other songs in The Great Misdirect. BACK

13. Sing with the fear. • As the song ends, one can hear ocean waves crashing on the shore which then leads to an 18 minute song about a man who is searching for a purpose (Swim to the moon), the same man that plays music in Desert of Song against the rules of the government (Shields). BACK

14. The Radios stopped tunning, • The first two stanza’s of Desert of Song are sung by lead guitarist Paul Waggoner (interview with Waggoner), whom has been in Between the Buried and Me since the beginning. He has also been in Prayer for Cleansing along with Tommy Rogers. BACK http://www.fourteeng.net/photos2k6/the_truth/truth_btbam11.jpg

15. The drums quit thumping, • These next two lines are sung by Tommy Rogers (interview with Rogers), lead singer of Between the Buried and Me. Along with Paul Waggoner, he was in the band from the beginning and also played guitar for Prayer for Cleansing. BACK http://weliveinthecity.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/20080313_btbam_044.jpg

16. “It will rain…” • This quote is a reference to the middle part of an earlier Between the Buried and Me song, “Backwards Marathon.” This song has similar structure to Desert of Song (especially in the middle) and shares the same lyrics, “it will rain.” “Backwards Marathon” is also one of Between the Buried and Me’s most popular songs. BACK

17. Citations • "Between The Buried And Me Profile Page: Biography, Interview, and Album      Reviews." Music Emissions. Music Emissions, n.d. Web. 14 May 2010.      <http://www.musicemissions.com/artists/      Between+The+Buried+And+Me#biography>. • Lymangrover, Jason. "allmusic (((Great Misdirect - Overview))) ." allmusic.      N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2010. <http://www.allmusic.com/cg/      amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kvfoxzqaldte>. • "Prayer for Cleansing - Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and pictures at      Last.fm." Last.fm. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2010. <http://www.last.fm/      music/Prayer%2520for%2520Cleansing?ac=prayer%20for%20cleans>. • Shields, Brian. "Between the Buried and Me 'The Great Misdirect' on White Noise      Metal - White Noise Metal Video." White Noise Metal. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June      2010. <http://whitenoisemetal.typepad.com/white_noise_metal_video_p/2010/      04/between-the-buried-and-me-the-great-misdirect-on-white-noise-metal.html>. • "BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME LYRICS - The Great Misdirect (2009)." DarkLyrics.      N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2010. <http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/      betweentheburiedandme/thegreatmisdirect.html#5>. • Slevin, Patrick. "Interview with Paul Waggoner of Between the Buried and Me:      Still Digging." The Aquarian. N.p., 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 1 June 2010.      <http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/01/19/      interview-with-paul-waggoner-of-between-the-buried-and-me-still-digging/>.

18. "Between The Buried And Me (Tommy Rogers) - 3/11/2009 :: Metal Obsession." Metal Obsession. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2010.      <http://www.metalobsession.net/      between-the-buried-and-me-tommy-rogers-03112009>. • (pictures on slide 1 and 2 came from site)