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.
This Secret Ninja
AFI Lyrics
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You try to cling so tight to me
Your attempts in vain
You've less sincerity than the plastic
Paper in the rain
The print appears so bright to me
The words remain
So eager to say, "Hello" but you don't know me
You just know what you see
Pay the price to see the show but you don't own me
Before you knew would you have felt the same?
Just when I'm inspired
You drain the drive right outta me
Even when I'm tired
You push me to perform for your amusement
Like raging fire
You burn what's left inside of me
To fulfill your desire
I'd give you light till I burned out
So eager to say "Hello" but you don't know me
You just know what you see
Pay the price to see the show but you don't own me
Before you knew would you have felt the same? No
Just when you start to smile
I look into your eyes and see
Your veiled denial
To express any real emotion
Wait around awhile
You'll lose what you once had for me
I'll be out of style
I'll be discarded with the warmth you once feigned
So eager to say, "Hello" but you don't know me
You just know what you see
Pay the price to see the show but you don't own me
Before you knew would you have felt the same?
The lyrics to AFI's song "This Secret Ninja" speak about the struggles of trying to connect with someone who only sees and values you for what you can offer them. The use of metaphorical language helps to convey this message in a way that is both poetic and relatable. The first verse describes the subject's attempts to cling onto the singer, despite having less sincerity than plastic. The second verse talks about how the subject drains the singer's inspiration and drive and only values them for their entertainment. The final verse warns the subject that they will eventually lose the respect and warmth they once had from the singer.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that the subject doesn't truly know the singer and only sees them for what they are willing to offer. The lines "Pay the price to see the show but you don't own me / Before you knew would you have felt the same?" question the notion that someone can truly appreciate and value someone else without understanding their true nature and worth. Ultimately, the song expresses the frustration of being viewed as disposable and replaceable by someone who only sees value in one's physical or creative abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like cellophane
You try to make yourself transparent and cling to me
You try to cling so tight to me
You attempt to hold on to me with all your might
Your attempts in vain
Your efforts are unsuccessful
You've less sincerity than the plastic
You lack sincerity and honesty like plastic
Paper in the rain
In the midst of hardship, something may appear more valuable
The print appears so bright to me
It shows up when nothing else does
The words remain
The message still persists
I hold it to the light, I see right through
I can easily see what's true and what's fake
So eager to say, "Hello" but you don't know me
You're quick to introduce yourself, but you have no real understanding of who I am
You just know what you see
You only know the surface-level image presented to you
Pay the price to see the show but you don't own me
You may have paid to see me, but that doesn't give you ownership or control over me
Before you knew would you have felt the same?
If you had known the true me from the beginning, would you feel the same way?
Just when I'm inspired
At the very moment when I feel motivated and creative
You drain the drive right outta me
You make me feel drained and uninspired
Even when I'm tired
Even when I'm exhausted and worn out
You push me to perform for your amusement
You force me to entertain you, to make you happy
Like raging fire
Similar to a wildfire, you are destructive and all-consuming
You burn what's left inside of me
You destroy the little bit of hope and passion that remains within me
To fulfill your desire
To satisfy your own wants and needs
I'd give you light till I burned out
I would give you everything I have until I have nothing left to give
Just when you start to smile
When you seem happy and content
I look into your eyes and see
I see through your veil and facade, and recognize that you're not really happy
Your veiled denial
You're hiding the fact that you're not really happy or content
To express any real emotion
You can't truly express how you feel
Wait around awhile
If you stick around for long enough
You'll lose what you once had for me
You'll realize that your feelings for me have faded over time
I'll be out of style
I won't be popular or trendy anymore
I'll be discarded with the warmth you once feigned
You'll abandon me, along with the love and affection you once pretended to show me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ADAM A. CARSON, DAVID MARCHAND, HUNTER L. BURGAN, JADE E. PUGET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind