Live Band Members, Jack Antonoff – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, samples
Evan Smith – keyboards, synthesizers, saxophone, vocals
Mikey Hart – bass, guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, vocals
Sean Hutchinson – drums, sampling pad, synthesizers, backing vocals
Mike Riddleberger – drums, sampling pad, backing vocals
Bleachers' debut album Strange Desire was released July 10, 2014, from RCA Records. Variance Magazine called the single "Rollercoaster" a "brilliant summer anthem." Bleachers went on their debut Come Alive! tour, which features Night Terrors of 1927 and Joywave as opening acts, from March to April 2015. From there, they went on the Strange Desire World Tour from July to November of that same year. They juggled this with the Charli and Jack Do America Tour, a tour co-headlined by Bleachers and Charli XCX.
Bleachers' second album Gone Now was released June 2, 2017. Its lead single "Don't Take the Money" has been described by Atwood Magazine as "an epic uplifting pop-rock anthem ultimately about how when love is real, its worth everything that comes along with it". In celebration of the album release, he brought his childhood bedroom on tour with him. He had it dismantled and rebuilt inside of a portable trailer. During May and June concerts, fans could enter the "moving, living art exhibit" and listen to the album prior to its official release. Antonoff explained in a press release, saying "when I thought about where this album was coming from and what it’s kissing goodbye I thought of this room. I wished I could play the album for people who care about Bleachers in this space that it is coming from and leaving." The band was on its Gone Now Era: Part 1 tour from September to November 2017. The tour featured Tove Stryke, Bishop Briggs, and Tangerine as openers.
In September 2017, Bleachers performed on MTV Unplugged at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The live session was later released as an album, also entitled MTV Unplugged. The album features 11 tracks from both Gone Now and Strange Desire and was released November 10, 2017. Antonoff produced the soundtrack of Love, Simon, released on March 16, 2018. He contributed five songs, with four being credited to Bleachers—"Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song)", "Rollercoaster", "Keeping a Secret", and "Wild Heart"— and one credited to his real name, a duet with MØ titled "Never Fall in Love". Throughout 2019, Bleachers released the third volume of Terrible Thrills in a series of four vinyl records, each featuring covers of songs from Gone Now by female artists as well as new demos by Bleachers.
In late 2019, Antonoff began recording the third Bleachers album. During this time the band embarked on a three-day "mini-tour" called the "I Love Making This Album but I'm Also Losing My Mind in Here & Need to Come Out and Play" Tour. On January 6, 2020, Antonoff announced on Twitter that a new Bleachers album would come within the year. In May, Bleachers was featured on Carly Rae Jepsen's song "Comeback" which was the first official release of the band in nearly two years. On the Bleachers Twitter account, a song called "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night" has been teased for months, and starting on November 14, 2020, a phone tree was set up for fans to call to hear clips from the song.
On November 16, 2020, Bleachers released the first two singles from Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, "45" and "Chinatown", the latter featuring Bruce Springsteen. The same day it was announced that the album will be released in 2021. "Stop Making This Hurt", the third single, was released on May 18, 2021. Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is scheduled for release on July 30.
Don't Take The Money
Bleachers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love was a currency
A shimmering balance act
I think that I laughed at that
And I saw your face and hands
Coloured in sun and then
I think I understand
Will I understand?
Will we fight, stay up late?
In my dreams I'm to blame
Different sides of the bed
Roll your eyes, shave my head
Now we're stuck in the storm
We were born to ignore
And all I got is a chance to just sit
(I'm in love and you've got me, runaway)
You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it
I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets
Your hand forever's all I want
Don't take the money
Don't take the money
I slept on my own those nights
Was still in my parents house
And I cut off my T-shirt sleeves
And claim a new continent
'Til I saw your face and hands
Covered in sun and then
I think I understand
Will I understand?
Will we fight, stay up late?
In my dreams I'm to blame
Different sides of the bed
Roll your eyes, shake my head
Now we're stuck in the storm
We were born to ignore
And all I got is a chance to just sit
(I'm in love and you've got me, runaway)
You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it
I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets
Your hand forever's all I want
Don't take the money
Don't take the money
You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it
I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets
Your hand forever's all I want
Don't take the money
Don't take the money
When you're looking for your shadow
Standing on the edge of yourself
Praying on the darkness
Just don't take the money
Dreaming of an easy
Waking up without weight now
And you're looking at the heartless
Just don't take the money
You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it
I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets
Your hand forever's all I want
Don't take the money
Well, don't take the money (I'm in love and you've got me, runaway)
You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it
I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets
Your hand forever's all I want
Don't take the money
Don't take the money
Just don't take the money
Just don't take the money
Just don't take the money
Just don't take the money
Bleachers's song "Don't Take The Money" captures the intricacies and complexities of love and the fears of loss that come with it. The lyrics revolve around a story of a person who had their heart broken before, but recognizing the beauty and potential of love, they take a chance on it again. Amidst the chaos, love is a currency, a balancing act, and a chance for redemption. The opening lines, "Somebody broke me once/Love was a currency/A shimmering balance act/I think that I laughed at that," showcases the singer's cynicism towards love, but at the same time, reveals how they are struggling to move on from their past.
The song also touches on the idea of wanting to hold on to love, and not wanting to lose it again. The lines "You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it/I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets/Your hand forever's all I want/Don't take the money" express the singer's fear of losing their partner and wanting to hold on to love tightly. At the same time, they understand that love is not just materialistic or transactional ("Don't take the money"), but rooted in something deeper and more profound.
The song ends with "When you're looking for your shadow/Standing on the edge of yourself/Praying on the darkness/Just don't take the money," which speaks to the fear of losing oneself in love or sacrificing one's own identity. The lyrics capture the complexities of love, the fear of loss, and the struggle to maintain one's sense of self amidst it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody broke me once
I was hurt in the past
Love was a currency
Love was valuable but also a risk
A shimmering balance act
Love required careful balancing
I think that I laughed at that
I didn't take the risk of love seriously before
And I saw your face and hands
I noticed you and was drawn to you
Coloured in sun and then
You looked radiant and happy
I think I understand
I believe I know what love can be now
Will I understand?
Will I be able to handle love?
Will we fight, stay up late?
Will we have disagreements and hard times?
In my dreams I'm to blame
I worry about messing up the relationship
Different sides of the bed
We are different but still together
Roll your eyes, shave my head
We still love and tease each other
Now we're stuck in the storm
We are going through a difficult time
We were born to ignore
Our love is different from societal norms
And all I got is a chance to just sit
I don't know what to do to fix things
You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it
You make me feel alive and passionate
I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets
I hope to regain what we lost and restore our intimacy
Your hand forever's all I want
I just want to be with you always
Don't take the money
Don't let external things ruin our love
I slept on my own those nights
I was lonely without you
Was still in my parents house
I was still figuring things out
And I cut off my T-shirt sleeves
I was trying to change and be someone new
And claim a new continent
I wanted to start fresh and pursue new things
When you're looking for your shadow
When you feel lost and unsure of yourself
Standing on the edge of yourself
At the brink of self-discovery
Just don't take the money
Don't let greed and materialism distract you
Dreaming of an easy
Wanting things to be effortless and simple
Waking up without weight now
Feeling free and unencumbered
And you're looking at the heartless
Encountering those who lack empathy or compassion
Just don't take the money
Don't let those negative forces affect our love
Just don't take the money
Reminding ourselves to stay true to what matters most
Just don't take the money
Our love is more important than any material gain
Just don't take the money
Money cannot buy happiness or love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ella Marija La Yelich O'Connor, Jack Antonoff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind