CD Review: Yellowcard

Written by: Dawn

"And I'm sure the view from Heaven beats the Hell out of mine, here. And if we all believe in Heaven, maybe we'll make it through one more year... down here."

Above are some of the lyrics from "View From Heaven", one of the songs on Yellowcard's lastest CD, "Ocean Avenue". As well as "View From Heaven", other songs on this CD are: "Way Away", "Breathing", "Ocean Avenue", "Empty Apartment", "Life of a Salesman", "Only One", "Miles Apart", "Twentythree", "Inside Out", "Believe", "One Year, Six Months" and "Back Home". In this article, I've decided to break down the new CD, song by song.

First up on the CD, we have "Way Away". In the first few seconds of the song, we hear a soft burst of music. But don't turn your volume up, yet! For right after that bit of mellowness, we have a huge burst of harsh instruments. "Way Away" is a song about being feelingless, to put it bluntly. How do I know that? Just listen to the refrain: "Way away, away from from here I'll be. Way away, away so you can see. How it feels to be alone and not believe (feels to be alone and not believe) anything."

Next up, we have "Breathing". This song is truly touching. It's about the singer of the song not being able to provide things for his significant other. The refrain? "And I feel you breathing.. and it's keeping... me awake. Can you feel it beating? My heart sinking, like a weight."

Then, we come to "Ocean Avenue", which is probably the most popular song by Yellowcard on the radio at the moment. This song describes a relationship between two people and the things they did throughout the years. Close to end of the song, the breakup is described along with the singer's will to get back together with the girl described in the song. Refrain: "If I could find you now, things would get better. We could leave this town and run forever. Let your waves crash down on me and take me away."

Next, we have one of Yellowcard's mellowest, "Empty Apartment". This song talks about the singer's relationship with someone who doesn't seem to listen to the singer and remember that he loves them. Refrain: "Take you away from that empty apartment. You stay, and forget where the heart is. Some day, if ever you love me, you'll say it's okay."

Song number five is called "Life of a Salesman". This song is all about the singer's father and how the singer's relationship with his father. Refrain: "Father, I will always be that same boy that stood by the sea and watched you tower over me. Now I'm older and I want to be the same as you".

The next song we have is "Only One", also a popular song on the radio. This song describes how someone is the only person for the singer, as the title suggests. This is also one of the only songs by Yellowcard that is mellow and, strangely, sad. Refrain: "Here I go. Scream my lungs out and try to get to you. You are my only one. I let go. There's just no one who gets me like you do. You are my only, my only one."

Song number seven is titled "Miles Apart". This song describes something most of us have felt in our lifetimes- loving someone and keeping them in your heart, no matter how far away you are. Refrain: "We'll be miles apart. I'll keep you deep inside- you're always in my heart. A new life to start. I may be leaving, but you're always in my heart."

Track number eight is called "Twenty-three". This song talks about how how the person the singer is referring to has been mad at the singer for a very long time. Refrain: "We're almost twenty-three, and you're still mad at me. So much that I said to you and I want to take it back now. Twenty-three, and it's so sad to me you tell the world I'm dead to you, but I know you want me back."

One of the saddest songs on the CD is number nine, "View From Heaven". This song describes how the singer lost someone and never got a chance to say goodbye. Refrain: "And I'm sure the view from Heaven beats the Hell out of mine here. And if we all believe in Heaven, maybe we'll make it through one more year... down here."

Number ten has a unique beat. It's titled "Inside Out", and describes how a singer is having to end a relationship with someone he is going to really miss. Refrain: "Even if I wanted to, I don't think that I'd get to you. There's nothing I can say to you to make you feel alive again."

Number eleven is the song I consider the saddest on the entire CD. It's titled "Believe" and is about September 11th, and how the singer lost someone in the attacks. Part of the song actually features a broadcast made on September 11th, 2002. Refrain: "Everything is going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright. Be strong, believe. Be strong, believe". It doesn't sound like an interesting song by the refrain, but it's truly beautiful and amazing.

And we come to the near-end of the CD with song number twelve, "One Year, Six Months". This song talks about how the singer cannot forget about a past relationship. Refrain: "Falling into memories of you, the things we used to do. Follow me there, a beautiful somewhere. A place that I can share with you."

The last song of the CD is called "Back Home". This song is about the singer waking up to sunny days in California that the people back home would love to see- mainly, he misses his home. Refrain: "Another sunny day in Cali-forn-i-ya. I'm sure back home they'd love to see it. But they don't know that what you love is ripped away before you get a chance to feel it."

I would really suggest you check this CD out. Most of the songs are truly amazing, in my opinion.