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.
Morningstar / Battled
AFI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who will be the first to begin their fall?
Or will we become one?
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Am I a ghost upon the stage?
Am I your anything?
I saw a star beneath the stairs glowing bright before descent
and in the morning there is nothing left but what's inside of me.
And I don't want to fall into the light.
Will you wish upon?
Will you walk upon me?
I don't want to die tonight.
Will you.
The lyrics to AFI's song "Morningstar" evoke feelings of loneliness, desperation, and confusion. The opening line, "I saw a star beneath the stairs glowing through the melting walls," paints a vivid picture of a lone, flickering light in an otherwise dark and decayed setting. The singer then poses two questions that seem to reflect their own uncertain state: "Who will be the first to begin their fall? Or will we become one?"
The next stanza deepens this sense of uncertainty and self-doubt. The singer wonders whether they themselves might be the "star beneath the stairs" or a "ghost upon the stage," suggesting a feeling of invisibility or insignificance. The repetition of the question "Am I your anything?" further emphasizes this sense of not knowing one's place in the world.
As the song progresses, the imagery becomes darker and more ominous. The star that was previously glowing bright now descends, and in the morning there is "nothing left but what's inside of me." The singer pleads, "And I don't want to die tonight; will you believe in me? And I don't want to fall into the light. Will you wish upon? Will you walk upon me?" These lines suggest a desperation for connection and validation, perhaps even at the cost of one's own identity or agency.
In essence, "Morningstar" portrays a sense of existential crisis, with the singer grappling with questions of identity, purpose, and mortality. The haunting imagery and pleading tone create a powerful emotional resonance, tapping into universal feelings of uncertainty and fear.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a star beneath the stairs glowing through the melting walls.
I noticed a light shining beneath the staircase emerging from the walls that appear to be softening due to the heat generated by the star's radiance.
Who will be the first to begin their fall?
Who among us will be the first to stumble and succumb to the difficulties that we are facing?
Or will we become one?
Perhaps we will unite and support each other to overcome our struggles.
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Could it be that I am the one responsible for the light shining beneath the staircase?
Am I a ghost upon the stage?
Do I feel unnoticed, invisible and unimportant, like a ghost performing on a stage?
Am I your anything?
Do I hold any significance or relevance to you or anyone?
I saw a star beneath the stairs glowing bright before descent
The star was shining vividly before it gradually diminished and disappeared.
and in the morning there is nothing left but what's inside of me.
The star is gone in the morning, leaving only the emptiness within me.
And I don't want to die tonight; will you believe in me?
I have no wish to perish tonight, and I hope you can have faith in me to pull through.
And I don't want to fall into the light.
I don't want to be consumed by the brightness, which may indicate death or loss of self.
Will you wish upon?
Do you have any hopes, dreams or aspirations that you want to pursue?
Will you walk upon me?
Will you trample over me and disregard my existence?
I don't want to die tonight.
Once again, I reiterate that I do not want to perish tonight.
Contributed by Lily M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@issamari9734
When I was 13 a boy gave me this CD.. I fell in love with both.
@grapejelly3685
Same.. 32 now and still listening 💙
@chronicbullscat289
Hopefully he treated you right becuase your fuckin bueatiful and im sure you hear that all the time but i couldn't help myself and I'm sorry for that.
@patrickwilliams9971
I was that boy.. And she has yet to go anywhere.. These men made muzak for our hearts..
@mercutiomurphy2743
when i was 13 i bought this CD at best buy
@alexhuntley3810
this isnt a cd. its a video on youtube
@MathMith
This song just hits me like a train. I'm 30 now, quite accomplished man I thought but this song just made me realized I'm only the shadow of what I once was. As a teenager, emotions are so fucking real, love means the world and friendship is the priority. Now, it's all gone.
@yamel91
totally feel ya
@daphne1065
I feel you too. It all feels so bland rn. Why cant we keep some intensity? :(
@ethanjones3864
MathMith well said my man