The Way After
You Built A Wall

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You Built A Wall Lyrics

Hailing from Coventry and London, The Way After are a proper independent and self-produced band with a strong Beatles influence – as their acoustic orchestral single, ‘Hear The Bird Sing’ testified.

After an eight-month pause, the band has given us their second release, ‘You Built A Wall’. After a count-in, it’s straight into the first verse, and the quick flow approach is a theme, with each chorus landing straight into the first line of the next verse. The bass provides interesting runs and the lead guitar licks around the edges, while the acoustic guitar bridges across to the rhythm section with its strumming pattern.

You have to wait for the middle eight for an instrumental section, with the orchestral violin stepping forward with stabs that certainly conjure a Beatlesy feel. The drop back into the chorus has a satisfying feel and the violins rise in prominence once more for the fade out.

The lyrics smuggle some neat moments, with mid-line rhymes (‘you realize I trust the dust won’t settle down’) and rhythms and some well-crafted allegory, which manifests in the multi-meaning lines like ‘held at the length of arms’.

This song certainly wears its heart on its sleeve. But, dare I say it… I’d rather hear a Beatles-influenced new band than have another posthumous song created by a committee from archive tapes (with apologies to the swarms of people involved in ‘Here and Now’).

Watch The Way After – ‘You Built A Wall’.

You Built A Wall Lyrics

I don’t feel the need to argue with you
When I know I’d lose before we start
I don’t have to try to make you change your mind
I’d need to see a change of heart

I try to seize the day instead I see
That you took control and took a hold of me
It seemed if I could lead I could appease you all
I tried to build a bridge instead you build a wall

It’s not enough to paint a picture
When it’s clear that everyone has closed their eyes
It’s not enough to speak the truth
When no one hears and others lie in love’s disguise

I try to seize the day instead I see
That you took control and took a hold of me
It seemed if I could lead I could appease you all
I tried to build a bridge instead you build a wall

You realize I trust the dust won’t settle down
Not now while you’re stamping the ground
Were you always so loud?
So proud to be fighting the war

And where will you run when the fight is too far gone
To be held at the length of arms
And where is the harm
In trying to find calm from the storm?

It’s not enough to win unless you mean to prove
Not all your moves follow greed
It’s not too late to change I pray to see the day
You learn to tell want from need

I try to seize the day instead I see
That you took control and took a hold of me
It seemed if I could lead I could appease you all
I tried to build a bridge instead you build a wall

The Way After

Written by Fenton on 12th November 2023

Steve Fenton writes in our music, words, and culture categories. He was Editor in Chief for The Mag and covered live music for DV8 Magazine and Spill Magazine. He was often found in venues throughout the UK alongside ace-photographer, Mark Holloway. Steve is also a technical writer and programmer and writes gothic fiction. Steve studied Psychology at OSC, and Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-1978 at the University of Reading.