AFI has released eleven studio albums, ten EPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album, The Art of Drowning (2000), which peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200. They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth, Sing the Sorrow (2003), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart. Sing the Sorrow was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.
AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground (2006), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Love Like Winter", reached number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.[6] Decemberunderground was followed three years later by Crash Love (2009), and then four years later by Burials (2013); both albums were also successful, peaking at number twelve and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard 200. The band's tenth and latest album, AFI (The Blood Album), was released in 2017, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, making it their second-highest chart position.
4. Summer Shudder
AFI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I say it's real
Real life goes undefined
Why must you be so miserable?
Everything you take
Makes me more unreal
Real lines are undefined
How can this be so miserable?
Under the summer rain
I burnt away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
You turned away
(Under the summer rain)
Listen I can't make
Make a sound or feel
Feel fine, I kissed the lies
Why must they be so distant? Whoa
Listen as I break
Break the four wall seal
Gorgeous eyes shine suicide
When will we be invisible?
Under the summer rain
I burnt away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
We burned away
Under the summer rain
I burnt away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
You turned away
This is the fall
This is the long way down
And our lives look smaller now
And our lives look so small
(Willingly crying)
This is the fall
This is the long way down
And our lives look smaller now
And our lives look so small
Under the summer rain
I burnt away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
We burned away
Under the summer rain
I burnt away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
We burned away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
I burnt away
Under the summer rain
(Burn!)
You turned away
The lyrics to AFI's song "Summer Shudder" describe the feeling of being disconnected from oneself and from reality. The singer describes real life as being undefined and the things they take only make them feel more unreal. They express frustration at the misery they feel and the distance between themselves and others. The metaphor of burning away under the summer rain and turning away from one another highlights the feeling of extinguishing oneself or being extinguished by others.
The chorus repeats the image of burning away under the summer rain, emphasizing the intensity of feeling and the desire for escape. The lines "this is the fall, this is the long way down" suggest a sense of inevitability and possibly even despair. The repeated emphasis on smallness also contributes to a feeling of powerlessness.
Overall, this song expresses a deep sense of disconnection and isolation even in the midst of external experiences like summer rain. The burning away imagery also suggests a sense of sacrifice or even self-destructiveness. The lyrics leave open the question of whether this is a personal struggle or a commentary on society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen when I say
Pay attention to my words
When I say it's real
Believe that what I'm saying is true
Real life goes undefined
The complexity of life is difficult to define
Why must you be so miserable?
Why do you choose to be unhappy?
Everything you take
Every action you make
Makes me more unreal
Causes me to feel less authentic
Real lines are undefined
Defining what is truly real is complicated
How can this be so miserable?
Why is life so unhappy?
Under the summer rain
A metaphorical representation of sadness
I burnt away
I was consumed by pain
You turned away
You ignored my pain and moved on
Listen I can't make
I don't have the ability to
Make a sound or feel
Express myself audibly or emotionally
Feel fine, I kissed the lies
I pretended that everything was okay by lying to myself
Why must they be so distant? Whoa
Why do my emotions seem so unreachable?
Listen as I break
Hear my emotions shattering
Break the four wall seal
Break down the barriers that keep emotions hidden
Gorgeous eyes shine suicide
Even beauty hides the possibility of sadness and pain
When will we be invisible?
When can we escape our pain and blend into nothingness?
This is the fall
This is the metaphorical decline
This is the long way down
The path to decline and hopelessness is long
And our lives look smaller now
Our problems seem more insignificant
And our lives look so small
Our problems seem more insignificant
(Willingly crying)
Crying without restraint
Under the summer rain
An emotional experience
We burned away
Our emotions and connection were destroyed
Under the summer rain
An emotional experience
I burnt away
I was consumed by pain
(Burn!)
A passionate expression of pain
You turned away
You ignored my pain and moved on
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Adam A Carson, David Paden Marchand, Hunter Lawrence Burgan, Jade Errol Puget
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lit 90
I've noticed Davey's singing being alot more accurate/good live on the Crash Love & Bright Black Heaven performances. I hope I get to see them one day, ridiculous that I still haven't.
Domino Lexington
I feel like, at the beginning of the video, Jade went over to ask Davey if he was okay, lol. They played "Death of Seasons" just before this, and Davey really went all out.
Sirinwara
yeah
it is weird that so many people complain about his voice down below but it is very demanding to go full crazy in Death of Seasons then sing like this
melanie rosé
sooo good
Raven Crowner
Absolutly Agreed AFI 4 life Straight Edge for life XX
Jose Ochoa
Best song in madden 2007
Armando Luna
I stopped listening to them after decemberunderground, this sounds really rough. Compared to everything before that
Discordia Cosplay
Jade to the rescue what a good friend.
B Dub
Davey is such a diva lol
Samuel
What year was it feels like it wasnt that long ago