Adam took some time to shine a little bit of light on the songs from With Us. Dig in deeply below, kids.
- The Ballad of an Onion Sprout
Two close acquaintances of mine were in a relationship that was destined for destruction. This song was a correlation between their affair and that of John Smith and Rebecca Rolfe (Pocahontas). The onion analogy is indicative of hope sprouting from a bitter scenario — from the upset topsoil of sour circumstance something beautiful may blossom, as in the case of Smith and Rolfe. - Little Piranhas
An Amazon tribe is seeking out two treasonous members to feed them to a river teeming with baby piranhas. The indulgence of forbidden fruit (sex, literature, music, etc.) has the two outcasts on the run. Their tribe leader engages in a relentless pursuit throughout the song and eventually has the traitors captured and thrown into the piranha infested waters. - Cowboys & Cut Cigars
“Cowboys & Cut Cigars” depicts a group of renegades drunk on power that scour the Earth wreaking carnage and havoc in conquest for glory. It metaphors the schismatic nature of modern American politics and global imperialism. No one is spared from having the modern cowboy ride into their village and pillage their sanctity. - Norman Bates
Quite literally, this song portraits the schizophrenic meltdown of Hitchcockian character Norman Bates. He consciously sees motel guest Marian Crane as a damsel in distress, however internal rants he hears from his deceased mother are brewing darker plots for the mislaid maiden. - Wake Up Edamame
John Lennon intentionally opted to write “I Am The Walrus” with blurred purpose. His foresight was people trying to decipher the lyrics could extrapolate multiple meanings from the song. In a similar regard “Wake Up Edamame” was intentionally written with an abstract message to allow each listener to hear something different. References to hallucinogenic, telepathy, surrealism and sorcery are laid throughout the track, but it is ultimately up to the individual listening to the song to interpret the meaning for herself. - Island
Aldous Huxley’s utopian novel Island sets the stage for this track. The storyline takes place on the same shipwrecked isle that Will Farnaby lands himself on in the book, however in this rendition Farnaby finds love on the lost island. He’s willing to sacrifice anything to court the object of his desire, even his own life. Characters from the book make a cameo in the song but it ultimately has its own storyline, just adapted from Huxley’s setting in the novel. - Why Can’t I Stop Killing My Friends?
Seldom do I write about personal experiences–this song is an exception. I used to view my life as a book, and once a chapter was closed I’d sever ties with the characters left behind in that scene. In the process of letting relationships go, I opted to repent via music. This song is penance for those wronged and left in a wake of forgetfulness. - Audrey II
Seymour Krelboyne names his man-eating plant “Audrey II” after his sweetheart (Audrey) in Roger Corman’s Little Shop Of Horrors. This song shares the plant’s name as a tribute to Corman for creating such a freaky fantasy concept of terror and hilarity. The whimsical balance of tongue-in-cheek humor with foreboding undertones is a juxtaposing style that the Burning of Rome strives to achieve in our sound. It only seemed proper to give this film accolade on the record. - Opus For Sleepwalking
I dreamt of a recurring demon that froze my body and took over my soul every night. I later heard a dream analyst mention that as the body goes into REM it experiences paralysis to keep it from flailing in deep sleep. It is documented in many different cultures that many dream of being frozen and possessed by evil spirits while they sleep. This is actually a result of sleep paralysis. For many, when they wake up they still remain paralyzed until the body reconnects with the mind and recognizes that it is no longer asleep. “Opus For Sleepwalking” is a song about the demon I saw, and the recognition of my body fighting my mind in trying to escape him. - The Universe Is Made Of Nonsense
Embracing Chaos Theory through conjugated plots of things like “undulated babies and kittens with rabies,” this anthem totes finding courage in chaos. By accepting the utter lack of control we have over own lives we can enjoy the fruits of our existence without worry. The universe is, in fact, made of nonsense–random energy transferring into more random energy. That is all we are–random energy. We might as well embrace the chaos and not fret the small shit.