by Simon Sarte
Vic Fuentes is well-esteemed for his lead vocals in the beloved post-hardcore band, Pierce the Veil. In high school, Fuentes sang for his 90’s skate punk-influenced band, Before Today, formerly named “Early Times.” Fuentes and Co.’s musical repertoire has been deservingly distinguished for its mind-shattering melodies, requinto-reminiscent guitar riffs, and passionate lyricism. The title of Before Today’s singular album, A Celebration of an Ending (2004), is referenced in Pierce the Veil’s twelfth track, “The Sky Under the Sea,” from their Selfish Machines (2010) album. A Celebration of an Ending’s first lyrical track, “Roots Beneath Ideals,” tells a sobering tale of deflection; meanwhile, Selfish Machines’ final piece, “The Sky Under the Sea,” offers an afflicted attitude towards strained love. Thus, opposing perspectives are illustrated between the two songs’ narrators. The titles possess paralleled imagery: roots are buried in the ground, while the sky reigns above. While the “sky” represents the idealized heavens, we remain tormented by our anchoritic “roots;” we may sink into our “sea” of habitualized thought patterns.
In “Roots Beneath Ideals,” Fuentes voices the trepidatious task of confronting one’s subconscious. Out of avoidant “desperation,” the narrator has attempted to shed his aching paranoia, by leaving a “crack in your expectancy.” In this context, the usage of the noun “crack” creates a pun. The narrator has attempted to break his lover’s faith in the relationship, yet he indents a sliver of hope in their heart. The narrator in “The Sky Under the Sea” clings to this debilitating sense of anticipation: “Because I love the way your voice, it says it’s gonna get back to me someday.” In both these stories, the couples are shackled to a pattern of reunification and discardment. In “Roots Beneath Ideals,” the narrator expresses how a “confusion has awaken[ed] in me.” The emotional exhaustion of love-bombing and devaluation has hindered their bond, causing them to feel “careless once again.”
Thus, in “Roots Beneath Ideals,” the narrator illustrates how he and his lover are incompatible: “I will ignore the lines that you have drawn / For along them I could never walk upon.” The lover is also accused of obliterating the once-“innocent” nature of their relationship. Resultatively, the narrator’s “buried hatred” is conjured, due to feeling psychologically deserted. In “The Sky Under the Sea,” he asks, “And do you really trust your tongue or did you bury the taste?” The narrator wonders if the lover has lost faith in their respective promises. Additionally, the motif of “burying” ties back to the daunting predicament of veering from darker realities.
The use of interrogative phrases evoke frantic despondency. In “Roots Beneath Ideals,” the question “Would life for you continue if mine stopped?” showcases the narrator’s emotional dependence and fear of abandonment. In “The Sky Under the Sea,” the narrator swears, “I’ll be your breath if you can be mine.” The couple is drowning in their shared pains; however, the narrator believes himself a remedy to her emotional instability, as he revels in her intoxicating presence. The narrator is convinced that “someday” they will finally be saved by the illusion of an oceanic heaven. To continue this metaphor, in “Roots Beneath Ideals,” Fuentes inscribes: “And I can’t predict if the air will clear / In time to catch my breath.” If the couple reached just before the surface of the ocean, they would be met with an unbreathable circumstance. The morbidity of this line reinforces his awareness of their maladaptive cycle.
In “The Sky Under the Sea,” the narrator yearns to maintain the relationship, assuring himself with the delusion that “you’ll be alright as long as I’m not.” There is a suffocating euphoria birthed by their infectious addiction. In “Roots Beneath Ideals,” the narrator gives a warning: “Don’t blow the dust off these old books / Because I’ll choke again.” If the narrator succumbs to the nostalgic appeal of their history, he will find himself begging for mercy. In “The Sky Under the Sea,” the narrator relays his fantasy: “We’ll swim in circles in the blue lights.” The “circles” epitomize the never-ending tyranny of toxic love. The “blue lights” could pertain to the Archangel Michael, who represents the spiritual warriorship between good and evil. He is often depicted wielding a sword, slaying Satan’s incarnation as a dragon. This imagery suggests how fighting demons causes spiritual imbalance. Healing stems from the bravery to embrace yourself, including your misery. One must give themself the space to understand their cultivation of self-hatred. Feeding selfish impulses, being overly-defensive, and dwelling upon betrayals, will only generate inner-turmoil.
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