The band achieved mainstream success with their debut self-titled studio album The All-American Rejects released in 2003 by Dreamworks Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and spawned the single "Swing, Swing".The band's second album Move Along brought the band further mainstream success in 2005, producing the hit singles, "Dirty Little Secret", "Move Along" and "It Ends Tonight", all of which charted in the top fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while Move Along was certified double platinum by the RIAA.Their third studio album When the World Comes Down was released in 2008 and was later certified gold by the RIAA.[6] Its lead single "Gives You Hell" became The All-American Rejects' most successful song to date, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the top 5 in many other countries. "Gives You Hell" was certified 4× multi-platinum for sales of over 4 million in the United States by the RIAA. Kids in the Street, the band's fourth studio album, was released March 26, 2012 and debuted at #18 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Since the start of their career, The All-American Rejects have sold over 10 million albums worldwide[11][12] and were ranked No. 73 on the "Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s"[13] and No. 183 on Billboard magazine's "Billboard 200 Artists of the Decade" list.
It Ends Tonight
The All-American Rejects Lyrics
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They strangle me
I can't explain myself at all
And all the wants
And all the needs
All I don't want to need at all
The walls start breathing
My mind's un-weaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone
A weight is lifted
On this evening
I give the final blow
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight
It ends tonight
A falling star
Least I fall alone
I can't explain what you can't explain
Your finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain
The walls start breathing
My mind's un-weaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone
A weight is lifted
On this evening
I give the final blow
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight
It ends tonight
Just a little insight will make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight
It ends tonight
Now I'm on my own side
It's better than being on your side
It's my fault when you're blind
It's better that I see it through your eyes
All these thoughts locked inside
Now you're the first to know
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight
It ends tonight
Just a little insight will make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight
It ends
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight
It ends tonight
Just a little insight will make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight
It ends tonight
Tonight
Insight
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight
The All-American Rejects' "It Ends Tonight" is a powerful emotional song that explores the feelings of a relationship ending. The lyrics center around the singer grappling with their partner's subtleties that are slowly choking them, and their inability to explain themselves. They mention the wants and needs of the relationship that they do not want but are forced to have. They also reveal that they are falling apart mentally and emotionally, and their partner leaving would be for the best.
The singer feels liberated when their partner leaves and mentions that they were the problem rather than their partner, and they are better off alone. The heavy feeling of the song is emphasized by the line, "When darkness turns to light, it ends tonight." The overall theme of this song seems to be about acceptance, letting go, and moving on to a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Your subtleties
Your hidden messages
They strangle me
They confuse and frustrate me
I can't explain myself at all
I'm unable to articulate my feelings
And all the wants
All the desires
And all the needs
All the necessities
All I don't want to need at all
All the things I wish I didn't have to depend on
The walls start breathing
I feel overwhelmed and trapped
My mind's un-weaving
My thoughts are unraveling and confusing
Maybe it's best you leave me alone
Perhaps it's better for us to be apart
A weight is lifted
I feel relieved
On this evening
At this moment
I give the final blow
I make a final decision
When darkness turns to light
When things become clear
It ends tonight
Our relationship ends tonight
A falling star
A symbol of hope or loss
Least I fall alone
At least I won't bring anyone down with me
I can't explain what you can't explain
I can't make sense of what you're feeling either
Your finding things that you didn't know
You're discovering new things about yourself
I look at you with such disdain
I'm disappointed in you
Just a little insight will make this right
If we understood each other better, we could fix things
It's too late to fight
It's not worth arguing anymore
Now I'm on my own side
I'm standing up for myself
It's better than being on your side
I'm better off without you than with you
It's my fault when you're blind
I take responsibility for the things you can't see
It's better that I see it through your eyes
I need to understand your perspective
All these thoughts locked inside
All these feelings I've kept to myself
Now you're the first to know
Now you finally understand
Tonight
This night is significant
Insight
Understanding
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Nick Wheeler, Tyson Ritter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind