Your History Is Mine.

It's very rare that you get to grow with a band. What I mean is, it is not very often that a listener's maturity is in tune with a band's maturation. Take the Welch post-hardcore band called Funeral A Friend's discography. Starting off with their 2003 debut album Seven Ways To Scream Your Name and all the rage, angst, and emotions of a teenager tossed in with probably some of the post lyrics to ever hit a Hot Topic's playlist in songs such as "This Year's Most Open Heartbreak" with "Same old songs on a brand new stereo," to their mellow album of Memory and Humanity in 2008, this band has grown a lot.

Their second album, Hours, ins 2005 was the crossing point for the band. Perhaps, their coming of age. Still with the mixed emotions of a troubled teenager, this album is actually the most notable album the band produced; it showcases the more melodic side of the band and had less screaming than the previous Seven Ways To Scream Your Name album. The one song that sticks out of the whole is "History."

Perhaps the song is about fighting alcoholism; perhaps not. Vocalist Mathew Evans did have some problems in the past.  "But I don't care for your sweet scent or the way you want me more than I want you" would be the case in point.

The song itself starts off with a reference from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

Dear friends of this academy

Oh Romeo is bleeding to death

To see a friend bleed to death

What for, some kind of metaphor that I can't see?

But then, the song also makes references to English bowmen that fought the French at the Battle of Agnincourt. The longbows used by the English massacred the French; who were given the orders to remove the middle fingers of any English that they could find because they were aware of how deadly the longbows were. The middle fingers were used by the archers to guide the arrow. The English flaunted their middle fingers at the French as a form of a salute to taunt them and also shouted phrases such as "Pluck yew!" or "Give them the salute!" or "Give them the bird!" before launching their volley of arrows at their targets. 

Archers in your arches

Raise your fingers for one last salute

And bleed this skyline dry

Your history is mine

With several references worked into this song, the lyrical value of it is alone why it gets stuck in my head. 

Now combine the music video in for a special effect, this song is really well worked out. It references the Welch miner strikes in a very artistic way.

This song is very motivational, catchy, and impressive. I think this is the band's masterpiece of maturity. It showed the creative, intelligent, and emotional side of a screamo band without any rage. The next two albums continue this theme. Their 'Best Of' album, Your History Is Mine: 2002-2009, is even titled to reflect the importance of this one song.