Daedalus vs. Icarus

The Melting Point of Wax (2003)
Thrice
I've waited for this moment
All my life and more
And now I see so clearly
What I could not see before.
The time is now or never
This chance won't come again
Throw caution and myself into the wind.

There's no promise of safety with these secondhand wings
But I'm willing to find out what impossible means.
A leap of faith.

Parody of an angel
Miles above the sea
I hear the voice of reason
Screaming after me
"You've flown far too high boy now you're too close to the sun,
Soon your makeshift wings will come undone
"But how will I know limits from lies if I never try?

There's no promise of safety with these secondhand wings
But I'm willing to find out what impossible means.
I'll climb through the heavens on feathers and dreams
'Cause the melting point of wax means nothing to me.
Nothing to me
Nothing to me

I will touch the sun or I will die trying.
Die Trying.

Fly on these secondhand wings
Willing to find out what impossible means
I'll climb through the heavens on feathers and dreams
'Cause the melting point of wax means nothing to me
Nothing to me
Means nothing to me
Miles above the sea.

Daedalus (2005)
Thrice
I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
This island our prison, our home
And every day we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known.

"But I've got a plan," He sung
Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song thats too perfect for words

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know you’re the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Now safely away, I let out a cry
"We'll make the mainland by noon"
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
Maybe I've spoken too soon

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know you’re the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Wont you look at your wings
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun, for once wont you listen to me?

Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings

Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings


Most of us are at least familiar with the mythological tale of the adventures of Daedalus and his son Icarus, but would one ever expect to see it in two mainstream rock songs? As the story goes, Daedalus, a master sculptor, devised a way to make wings of feathers, string, and wax in order to escape the island of Crete (where he was held captive) with his son. Before leaving, Daedalus made sure to warn Icarus not to fly too high (the sun would melt the wax) or too low (where the ocean waves would soak the “makeshift” wings). They set off, and all seemed well until suddenly the boy began to fly to great heights, quickly approaching the heat of the sun. The wings melted, and Icarus fell from the sky into the depths of the sea. Daedalus lamented the loss of his son, blaming his art for the misfortunate ordeal. When he finally arrives safely on land, he “hang[s] up [his] wings” as an offering to the god Apollo, vowing never to fly again.
The first of these two songs, written by Dustin Kensrue of Thrice, was created in the upswing of the band’s career. It portrays the youth, enthusiasm, and sometimes recklessness of the artits in their early twenties. Very fittingly, “The Melting Point of Wax” is written from the perspective of Icarus, the adventurous youth who failed to heed the warnings of his father. Clearly, this song expresses the artists’ inexperience and even immaturity in reference to the consequences of “throw[ing] caution… into the wind.” Even the fast-paced, somewhat sporadic, beat and instrumentals display the juvenility that still exists in their character.
Four albums later, providing a poignant contrast, “Daedalus” is written from the father’s perspective. The rigidity and depth of older age is exaggerated by plodding beats and an unchanging time signature. This song is, in a sense, the “foil” of “The Melting Point of Wax” in every way. It came out in 2008, as the band members reached their late twenties and perhaps took a look back on their lives with a better perspective on things. Also, a few of them already had kids of their own, which may have inspired the creation of an opposing point of view to the story of Daedalus and his son—they now understood the pleading concerns of a loving parent.