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.
Pink Eyes
AFI Lyrics
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Afraid of the morning
I'd awake and feel like someone is here
But I'm laying right out
Going darker and darker
When my skin peels away roses appear
And I'll turn over
Reaching into dawn to find night blooms
(Oh oh!)
Beauty, how you blind!
Give me a reason
Without sight
I will ever find
You and how you blind!
I know the reason
I can't stop
Touching my eyes
(Oh oh, oh!)
I'm allied to the night
And warring the morning
I retreat into the dark if someone is near
You can lay me right out
With the right kind of flower
When my senses slip away lilies appear
In the hot house you'll find me
Staring at the end, again, in rapture
(Oh oh!)
Beauty, how you blind!
Give me a reason
Without sight
I will ever find
You and how you blind!
I know the reason
I can't stop
I lick my fingers (lick my fingers)
Make my tongue go numb (make my tongue go numb)
I chew you from beneath my nails (make my tongue go numb)
Put your petals in my mouth
Put your petals in my mouth
(Oh oh!)
Beauty, how you blind!
Give me a reason
Without sight
I will ever find
You and how you blind!
I know the reason
I can't stop
Touching my eyes
The lyrics of "Pink Eyes" by AFI explore themes of addiction, obsession, and the destructive nature of beauty. The singer seems to have a complex relationship with the night and the morning, using darkness as an escape from reality. They feel a constant presence, a sense that someone is always with them, and this awareness intensifies as they delve deeper into their own darkness.
The lyrics use vivid imagery of peeling skin to symbolize transformation and reveal a paradoxical beauty. As the singer "turns over," they find themselves in a corner of a round room, a metaphor for being stuck in a cycle and struggling to break free. They reach into the dawn, searching for solace, but can only find "night blooms," implying that they can only find comfort in darkness and the unknown.
The lyrics address beauty as something that blinds and consumes the singer, rendering them senseless. They acknowledge their addiction to this blindness and how it prevents them from truly understanding the reason behind their obsession. The lines "I lick my fingers, make my tongue go numb" suggest a desperate attempt to feel something and find pleasure through taste, reinforcing the idea of this unhealthy obsession.
In summary, "Pink Eyes" delves into the internal struggle of an individual caught in the grips of addiction and the allure of beauty, ultimately unable to escape its hold or understand its true nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Not addicted to nights
I don't crave the darkness and escapism of nighttime
Afraid of the morning
I fear facing the reality and responsibilities of the day
I'd awake and feel like someone is here
Upon waking up, I sense a presence or feel a sense of unease
But I'm laying right out
I am lying exposed and vulnerable
Going darker and darker
My emotions and thoughts are becoming increasingly negative
When my skin peels away roses appear
As I shed my outer layer, symbols of beauty and love emerge
And I'll turn over
I will try to escape or avoid facing my inner struggles
Find me in the corner of the round room
You can locate me in a secluded place, hidden away from others
Reaching into dawn to find night blooms
I search for comfort and solace in the darkness, even amid the rising sun
(Oh oh!) Beauty, how you blind!
The allure and attractiveness of certain things can blind us to their negative consequences
Give me a reason
Provide me with justification or motivation
Without sight
Even without clear perception or understanding
I will ever find
I will always seek
You and how you blind!
You and your ability to blind me to the truth
I know the reason
I am aware of the cause
I can't stop
I am unable to control
Touching my eyes
Engaging in self-destructive behavior or refusing to see the truth
I'm allied to the night
I align myself with the darkness and its allure
And warring the morning
I resist and fight against facing the day and its challenges
I retreat into the dark if someone is near
I withdraw into shadows and isolation when someone is around
You can lay me right out
You can expose and vulnerable me
With the right kind of flower
Using certain symbols of beauty as a means of manipulation or control
When my senses slip away lilies appear
As I lose touch with reality, symbols of purity and innocence emerge
In the hot house you'll find me
You will discover me in an oppressive and suffocating environment
Staring at the end, again, in rapture
I fixate on the inevitable conclusion or outcome, experiencing mixed feelings of delight and fascination
I lick my fingers (lick my fingers)
I indulge in self-destructive habits
Make my tongue go numb (make my tongue go numb)
Engage in actions that temporarily distract from emotional pain
I chew you from beneath my nails (make my tongue go numb)
I consume the remnants or traces of something, trying to eradicate its influence
Put your petals in my mouth
I embrace and ingest the symbols of beauty and love, seeking their effects
(Oh oh!) Beauty, how you blind!
The allure and attractiveness of certain things can blind us to their negative consequences
Give me a reason
Provide me with justification or motivation
Without sight
Even without clear perception or understanding
I will ever find
I will always seek
You and how you blind!
You and your ability to blind me to the truth
I know the reason
I am aware of the cause
I can't stop
I am unable to control
Touching my eyes
Engaging in self-destructive behavior or refusing to see the truth
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Adam Carson, Davey Havok, Hunter Burgan, Jade Puget
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind