I'll try to make this perfectly clear
I'm so transparent I disapear
these words I lyrically defecate
upon songs I boldly claim to create
clint steps in to establish the beat
4/4 hip hop and you don't stop
this unique approach to start an EP
intended to shock, create a mystique
a cheap strategy, a marketing scheme
building awareness for the next LP
they've got a good fan base
they've got integrity
they've got a DC sound
Shudder to Think, Fugazi
and Chapel Hill Around The Early 90's
this is the latest from saddle creek

some melodies are like disease
they can inflame your misery
they will infect your memory
they haunt me
some melodies are like disease
they can inflame your misery
they will infect your memory
they haunt me

I write these words with my motherly intuition
I shape these sounds into harmonic aparitions
but I can see can see through these haunting things
my moldy dreams are debased by the same hands that shaped them

I'll try to make this perfectly clear
I'm so reflexive i am a mirror
these words I'm driving into the ground
the same words I scream out over the crowd

I'm just an airwave rolling around
I storm and crash without a sound
There's all these islands out at sea
I can't reach

I'm just an airplane diving down
I storm and crash without a sound
engines exploding silently out at sea
where waves caress unstable egos
where melody is completely swallowed
where songwriters chain their songs
to their ankles and
sink to the beat
'til it stops and
bursts under pressure
let it
burst and bloom
hit song
let it burst and bloom



Lyrics submitted by emergency!

Track duration: 04:13

"Sink to the Beat" as written by Gretta Mindy Cohn, Tim Kasher, Matthew Ryan Maginn, Clint Frederick Schnase, Ted James Stevens

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Sink to the Beat song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about the writing process itself and about the self awareness that comes along after you have made a few successful albums. You begin to over think the creative process and question your motives and end up becoming more self-concious of what will and will not be accepted by your fans. This song is Tim reflecting on what it means to be an "artist" and eventually the expectations you have to live up to once you've established yourself.
    Flag Pennywisd0mon October 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i agree with some of you, its pointed towards themselves, its meant to be ironic and hypocratic,
    This unique approach to start an EP
    Intended to shock, create a mystique
    A cheap strategy, a marketing scheme
    Building awareness for the next LP
    its pretty much what people would think that they're doing with this song, but they're making a song like that, to make fun of it, its kinda confusing but it makes sense to me.

    Also they mention to Fugazi and Shudder to Think, those are they're influences.

    Its also about the radio and other bands, hit song, let it burst and bloom, if its a hit on the radio, it bursts and blooms into an entire franchise of music, but they need more hit songs, it keeps repeating.

    Add it all up, its about music and themselves, and the connection. what they have to do with everything else, and where they fit into the whole thing, thats what i get out of it.

    by the way, i saw them in cleveland, best show ever, it was the first time i heard this song, and i hearted it from then on.
    Flag fevers + mirrorson September 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Chapel Hill is a pretty liberal town in North Carolina that was famous for its music scene.
    Flag Mellow_Harsheron August 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i know shudder to think and fugazi, but who's chapel hill?
    Flag Trainspottingon July 28, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is definately satircal- i'm so tranparent i disapeer. artists today try to spill their guts and tell everything just because other people are doing it. tim is poking fun by saying he is so tranparent he disapeers
    Flag willlliwon June 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Actually, I read that Oberst and Tim sat down and decided "No more songs about making songs" anymore.
    A decent amount of recent songs from both artists have been on the topic...
    Flag overplayedsongon May 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:sorry if someone already corrected this error in earlier comments because i did not look.

    some MELODIES are like disease
    they can inflame your misery
    they will infect your MEMORIES
    they haunt me
    some MEMORIES are like disease
    they can inflame your misery
    they will infect your MELODY
    they haunt me
    Flag maybeIhaveaproblemon December 16, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it IS satire
    it's mocking itself
    they're singing about promoting their own music
    that's what music is ABOUT
    especially now, when all this indie and underground music
    seems to be getting so popular
    and he's a lot like conor oberst
    [whose last name i find to be a self-fulfilling prophecy]
    when they feel gluttonous and bad
    for being "successful"
    and in that sense,
    they take after kurt cobain,
    even though i really didn't want to make that parallel.
    [where songwriters chain their songs
    to their ankles and
    sink to the beat ]
    they're saying their music is killing them,
    and it is,
    at least that's what they're conveying.
    Flag klsotson November 19, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song makes me curl up in a ball and want to cry it's so amazing and powerful...I signed up just to say that
    Flag Digitson October 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love how Cursive have so many songs making fun of themselves. Art is Hard, Butcher the Song, and all that. I love Burst And Bloom, it is probably my favorite Cursive CD, and this song has alot to do with that.
    Flag WillAlexHon May 20, 2004   Link

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