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 Checkered Demon
AFI Lyrics
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So many images persist to shade my mind
Will I ever come around or will I just hit the ground?
Will I still be standing when it all comes down?
Why can't I seem to sort it out?
Why am I always filled with doubt
So self-absorbed without a care of their viral lives
I'd like to bleed them all, when all is drained who shall hold?
When mindless bodies screw tortured souls
Will somebody be there to catch me when I fall?
Why can't I seem to sort it out
Why am I always filled with doubt
How could I always be so blind?
Why can't I?
Why can't I figure it out?
I could always hope for change
Could always hope to rearrange
But why not just abandon hope
And tear it all apart, now?
Too much to find, so much so little time
So many images persist to my mind
Will I ever come around or will I just hit the ground?
Will I still be standing when it all comes down?
The Checkered Demon by AFI is a song that deals with the inner turmoil and confusion faced by the singer. The song begins with the lines "Too much to find, so much so little time / So many images persist to shade my mind", which suggests that the singer is overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of information and experiences that life presents to him. He is struggling to make sense of it all and is plagued by doubts about his ability to navigate through it. The line "Will I ever come around or will I just hit the ground?" seems to suggest that he is afraid of failing, of not being able to handle the challenges that life throws his way.
The second verse of the song introduces the theme of isolation and disconnection from the world around him. The singer observes that "So many people everywhere / So self-absorbed without a care of their viral lives". The use of the word 'viral' here suggests that he sees others as being caught up in their own cycle of self-promotion and social media validation. He feels alienated from this world of mindless consumption and longs for someone to understand and support him. The repeated refrain, "Why can't I seem to sort it out / Why am I always filled with doubt" reinforces his feelings of confusion and insecurity.
In the final verse, the singer muses on the possibility of change and transformation. He realizes that he can choose to tear his world apart and start over again. The lines "But why not just abandon hope / And tear it all apart, now?" suggests that he has lost faith in the world as it is and wants to create something new. However, it is unclear whether this will lead to a positive or negative outcome - the final lines suggest that the singer is still uncertain about the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Too much to find, so much so little time
There are too many things to discover and too little time to do it all.
So many images persist to shade my mind
Many different thoughts are clouding my mind and I can't seem to shake them.
Will I ever come around or will I just hit the ground?
Am I going to be able to face my problems or will they knock me down?
Will I still be standing when it all comes down?
Even when everything falls apart, will I still have the strength to stand tall?
Why can't I seem to sort it out?
Why can't I figure out my problems and solve them?
Why am I always filled with doubt
Why do I constantly question myself and my abilities?
So many people everywhere
There are countless individuals in the world.
So self-absorbed without a care of their viral lives
Many are too focused on themselves and do not care about others or the world around them.
I'd like to bleed them all, when all is drained who shall hold?
I wish I could make them suffer for their self-centeredness, but who will be left to pick up the pieces once they are gone?
When mindless bodies screw tortured souls
When people who are not in touch with their emotions hurt those who are suffering.
Will somebody be there to catch me when I fall?
Will there be someone to support me when I am at my lowest point?
How could I always be so blind?
How can I constantly miss the obvious and important details in life?
Why can't I?
Why can't I seem to do anything right, no matter how hard I try?
Why can't I figure it out?
Why can't I solve my problems and understand what's going on in my life?
I could always hope for change
I could try to believe that things will get better.
Could always hope to rearrange
I could try to change things around in my life.
But why not just abandon hope
Instead, I could give up on hoping for good things to happen.
And tear it all apart, now?
Should I destroy everything in my life, just because I feel lost and stuck?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
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