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.
The Celluloid Dream
AFI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in the mirror, all midnight eyes
Oh, if I could remain, but it's just a visit
All midnight eyes read "vacancy"
Twisted, twisting
To the lovely dancing lights, I begged, "May I cut in?"
But they never stopped playing "their song"
On a freezing note, I resonate
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Just like a memory, it twists me
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Twist, twisting me
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
In the glitter, in the dark, sunk into velvet
Praying this will never end
In the shadow of a star, in static pallor
I realized I never began
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Just like a memory, it twists me
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Twist, twisting me
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
(All grey) all will turn to grey
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
(All grey) all will turn to grey, grey
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
You land as lightly as the new snow, and melt away
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
In "The Celluloid Dream," AFI's lead singer Davey Havok sings about the bliss and agony associated with the ephemeral nature of love. The song's lyrics are poetic and introspective, with a dreamlike quality that makes them difficult to interpret. The song describes the singer's infatuation with someone with "midnight eyes," whom he describes as "exquisite." The song's use of metaphors--"you land as lightly as new snow" and "bathed in your radiance"--conjure images of a romantic encounter that is both beautiful and fleeting.
Havok's repetition of the phrase "just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end" underscores the idea that the singer is caught in a cycle of lost love. The song's ambiguous ending--"all the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey"--suggests that the singer's brief connection with the person with midnight eyes is already fading into a memory. The phrase "celluloid dream" refers to an imaginary or illusory world, calling into question the singer's perception of reality and his ability to distinguish between true love and a fleeting fantasy.
Overall, "The Celluloid Dream" is a powerful reflection on the power of love to both elate and devastate the human heart. The song's dreamlike imagery and minimalist musical accompaniment reflect the fragility of love and the fleeting nature of romantic encounters.
Line by Line Meaning
Calling tears from deep inside, oh, you're so exquisite
You bring out such strong emotions in me, making me cry with your beauty.
And in the mirror, all midnight eyes
Looking in the mirror, all I see is darkness in my eyes.
Oh, if I could remain, but it's just a visit
I wish I could stay with you forever, but I know this is only temporary.
All midnight eyes read 'vacancy'
I am empty inside, desperately seeking something to fill the void.
Twisted, twisting
My emotions are twisted and tangled up inside, causing me pain and confusion.
To the lovely dancing lights, I begged, 'May I cut in?'
I want to be a part of the beauty and happiness around me, pleading to be included.
But they never stopped playing 'their song'
No matter how much I want to join in, I am an outsider and will never truly be a part of it.
Of a joyous song they sing, I've heard whispers
I have heard rumors of the wonderful life others are living, but can never fully experience it myself.
On a freezing note, I resonate
Despite the joy around me, I cannot escape the sadness and isolation I feel inside.
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
You come into my life so gently and beautifully, like a scene from a movie.
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You touch my life briefly but profoundly, leaving me forever changed once you are gone.
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Your presence is like a ray of light, illuminating everything around you and making everything seem more beautiful.
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
Being near you is overwhelming, as your beauty and presence consume me completely.
In the glitter, in the dark, sunk into velvet
In the midst of all the beauty and happiness around me, I still feel lost and trapped in darkness and sadness.
Praying this will never end
Despite my sadness, I desperately want to hold onto the beauty and happiness around me and never let it go.
In the shadow of a star, in static pallor
Even in the midst of all the brightness and light, there is still a darkness and emptiness within me.
I realized I never began
Despite all my efforts to be a part of the happiness and beauty around me, I have never truly been a part of it and never will be.
All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
Despite the beauty and happiness I have experienced, everything will eventually fade away and turn to sadness and emptiness once again.
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
Everything I have experienced, all the joy and beauty, will eventually fade away and be replaced with emptiness and sadness.
(All grey) all will turn to grey
No matter how beautiful and happy things seem now, everything will eventually fade away and turn to darkness and sadness.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ADAM A CARSON, DAVID PADEN MARCHAND, HUNTER LAWRENCE BURGAN, JADE ERROL PUGET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind