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.
Paper Airplanes
AFI Lyrics
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I am ever enthralled
Gaze, lie and smirk in time, your arrogance will suit you well
'Til fashion is dispelled
As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unkown)
From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
Without habitation, you'll never find a soul inside
No life, but nothing's died
No lights, but quite the show (Just as long as no one ever knows
All motion is pantomime)
As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
(These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
You're going out, going out forever unknown
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unkown)
From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Dancing on your grave, I'll see you all falling
Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling
I'd stop it, had you a heart
I'd stop it, had you a heart
From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
The lyrics to AFI's "Paper Airplanes" discuss the fleeting nature of fame and the pursuit of it. The first stanza depicts the rise and fall of celebrities and public figures who have attempted to build their legacy through the creation of towering statues that ultimately crumble and fall, leaving them forever unknown. The second stanza speaks of self-seclusion and a disdain for the superficiality of the entertainment industry, with artificial fame and lights serving as mere pantomime.
The chorus highlights the transience of fame, stating that wave upon wave of plastic (fake) fame goes out of fashion, leaving those whose legacies were built upon it unknown and forgotten forever. As the song concludes, the lyrics discuss the inevitability of time and our mortality. The singer understands the ephemeral nature of our existence and revels in it, proclaiming "dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling," a clear reference to the fact that no one is immune to time and we will all eventually fall.
Some possible interpretations of the lyrics in "Paper Airplanes" are that the song addresses the toxicity of chasing superficial success, that it promotes a healthy sense of detachment from the illusion of fame, and that it serves as a reminder that life is short and fleeting, and what really matters is finding intrinsic value within oneself and one's relationships rather than chasing external validation.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise high monolithic statues so fragile as they fall
Build up these giant, impressive monuments that will ultimately crumble and break
I am ever enthralled
I am always captivated and drawn in
Gaze, lie and smirk in time, your arrogance will suit you well
Look down on others with your dishonesty and smugness, because it will make you feel superior
'Til fashion is dispelled
Until this trend passes and is done away with
As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
As this superficial and fleeting type of notoriety loses its appeal
You're going out, going out forever unknown
You will fade away into obscurity, never to be remembered
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
This type of superficial attention is no longer popular
(These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
(I am happy to see this type of fleeting notoriety fading away)
You're going out, going out forever unknown
You will disappear into oblivion, never to be heard from again
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unknown)
(Because deep down, you crave the attention that comes with being forgotten)
From above a rain of ashes descends
Ashes fall from the sky like rain, symbolizing destruction and decay
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
I will always be an outcast, forever shunned by society
From below, in my seclusion
From my place of solitude and isolation
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
Watch as these flimsy and briefly beautiful creations, like fame itself, quickly deteriorate and are destroyed
Without habitation, you'll never find a soul inside
Without anything real, genuine or substantial beneath the surface, you won't find anything of real value or meaning
No life, but nothing's died
There is no true vitality or energy here, but also no real loss or tragedy either
No lights, but quite the show (Just as long as no one ever knows
There is no genuine creativity or originality here, just a superficial spectacle that is only effective if no one looks too closely or critically
All motion is pantomime
All movement or progress is just a shallow imitation or performance, lacking in any real depth or sincerity
Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Amidst this swirling chaos and destruction, I am still able to dance and express myself
Dancing on your grave, I'll see you all falling
I will celebrate as those who were once so haughty and grand come crashing down
Dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling
I will continue to revel in your destruction and decline
I'd stop it, had you a heart
I would try to help you and guide you, if only you had the capacity for real emotions or empathy
From above a rain of ashes descends
Ash continues to fall and signal the end of this chapter
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
I will always be an outsider, always rejected by a society that values superficiality over substance
From below, in my seclusion
From down here in my isolated refuge, I will continue to observe and comment on this ongoing decline
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
The fleeting fame and adulation that people crave is as fragile and temporary as these paper wings, which will quickly burn away and be forgotten
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ADAM A CARSON, DAVID PADEN MARCHAND, HUNTER LAWRENCE BURGAN, JADE ERROL PUGET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind