For fans of Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab fo… Read Full Bio ↴[Press Release - 5.11.2010]
For fans of Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab for Cutie
The debut full-length album from Los Angeles based indie/rock group Act As If, entitled “There’s a Light,” is now available on iTunes, Amazon mp3, Lala, and Zune.
The band’s singer/songwriter Peter Verdell wrote and produced the 11-song album, and also performed all drums, guitars, piano, synths and vocals. The album was mixed by Nick Baumhardt (of The Class of 98 [The Militia Group], Thousand Foot Krutch [Tooth and Nail], and FM Static [Tooth and Nail]), and mastered by Troy Glessner (Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion).
The band is currently unsigned.
[Full Bio]
After self-recording and releasing Act As If’s first EP in 2006, frontman Peter Verdell spent some time running the gamut of singer/songwriter ups and downs.
Needing new breath, he quit his job as A&R assistant at Drive-Thru Records in 2007, began retaking music classes at a community college, and temporarily traded Los Angeles for Chicago in 2008 to drum and tour with friend/musician Andrew Ripp. In the fall of that year, Verdell made the decision to move back to LA and refocus on Act As If.
By the spring of 2009, the band had recorded and self-released a limited edition 5-song EP (“More Birds with Fewer Stones”) for a west coast acoustic tour with Stacy Clark (Shangri-La/Vanguard Records). In June, Act As If began tracking 11 new songs that would become their debut full-length album, “There’s a Light”.
The sonic result of “There’s a Light” is most easily described as a mix of Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Eat World. Verdell performed all the drums, guitars, pianos, synths, and vocals, while band mate Derrick Wong performed bass. The album was self-produced, mixed by Nick Baumhardt (of The Class of 98 [The Militia Group], Thousand Foot Krutch [Tooth and Nail], and FM Static [Tooth and Nail]), and mastered by Troy Glessner (Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion).
Recent activity has found Act As If playing such notable LA venues as The Troubadour, and with esteemed bands including The Daylights [Epic/Sony], Everybody Else [The Militia Group], The Higher [Epitaph], Barcelona [Universal], and Stacy Clark [Shangri-La/Vanguard]. A song from their self-titled EP, “Please Catch Up,” was licensed for a primetime ABC reality show entitled “Greg Behrendt’s Wake Up Call.”
Keep Me By Your Side
Act As If Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
where the sun sets and all the girls I've loved.
I've been taking my time.
Oh heaven knows I've taken too much.
The good die young, and I ain't done enough wrong.
So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights.
With our eyes wide race into the night.
The narrow road, where I've been all my life, will take me home and keep me by your side.
Ever then I've got something real.
Something in my bones that I have always known.
You take all you can find, heaven knows you've taken too much.
The rich live long, but they ain't got our charm.
So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights.
With our eyes wide, we race into the night.
The narrow road, where I've been all my life.
Will take me home, and keep me by your side.
It will take me home, and I'll be by your side.
So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights.
With our lights wide, we race into the night.
The narrow road, I've been all my life.
Will take me home, and keep me by your side.
It will take me home, and keep me by your side.
The lyrics of Act As If's song "Keep Me By Your Side" seem to be a reflection of the singer's journey through the Pacific Coast in search of love and purpose. The first paragraph draws a picture of the character traveling up and down the coast, chasing after love, and taking too much time to find it. The second paragraph suggests that the character has finally found what they're looking for and has made a deal to keep it by their side. The overall sense in the lyrics is that the character has come to realize the importance of love and connection, even if it means leaving behind the material things in life.
The lyrics also emphasize the idea that life is fleeting, and it's essential to enjoy the moment while it lasts. The line, "The good die young, and I ain't done enough wrong, So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights, With our eyes wide race into the night." shows how the character is aware of the fleeting nature of life and is looking to experience all that life has to offer.
The second paragraph contrasts the character's search for love with the idea that those who have everything, don't understand the value of true love. The line "The rich live long, but they ain't got our charm" suggests that charm comes from living a life that is connected to others and having love by their side. The song ends on an optimistic note, with the idea that the narrow road this person has been following is taking them home to the one they love, who will keep them by their side.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been spinning my wheels up and down this goddamn Pacific Coast.
I have been aimlessly wandering along the Pacific coast for some time now without a clear purpose or plan.
where the sun sets and all the girls I've loved.
I have been in this place where the sun sets and all the women I have loved are also here with me.
I've been taking my time.
I have been proceeding at a leisurely pace and not in a rush to move on.
Oh heaven knows I've taken too much.
I am aware that I have taken more than my fair share of things and experiences in life.
The good die young, and I ain't done enough wrong.
I am not a bad person, but it seems that only the bad people die young.
So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights.
I want to make sure I experience the sights and sounds of the city before I leave this place.
With our eyes wide race into the night.
We are going to race off into the night with our eyes wide open, taking everything in.
The narrow road, where I've been all my life, will take me home and keep me by your side.
Even though the road I have been on has been narrow and difficult, it will lead me home to be with you and keep me by your side.
I've been making a deal.
I have been making a bargain or promise to myself or someone else.
Ever then I've got something real.
I have something tangible and authentic in my possession now.
Something in my bones that I have always known.
I have an innate sense or feeling that has been with me my whole life.
You take all you can find, heaven knows you've taken too much.
You have taken everything you can get your hands on, and it is clear that you have taken too much.
The rich live long, but they ain't got our charm.
Although wealthy people may live longer, they do not possess the same charisma and attractiveness that we do.
So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights.
Again, I want to make sure I experience the city before I depart.
With our eyes wide, we race into the night.
Once more, we are racing off into the night, this time with our eyes wide open.
The narrow road, where I've been all my life.
This difficult, narrow road is the only thing I have known my entire life.
Will take me home, and keep me by your side.
But this challenging path will lead me back home to be with you and keep us together.
It will take me home, and I'll be by your side.
This narrow road that has been a part of my life will lead me back to you, and I will be by your side.
So before I go, I'm gonna see those city lights.
This final repetition reinforces my desire to see the city before I leave.
With our lights wide, we race into the night.
And once more, we are racing with our eyes wide open into the night.
The narrow road, I've been all my life.
The narrow road has been an integral part of my life and journey.
Will take me home, and keep me by your side.
But it will ultimately lead me back to you and keep me by your side, where I belong.
It will take me home, and keep me by your side.
In the end, this challenging but familiar road will bring me home to you and ensure that we remain together.
Contributed by Emma N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lethalprincess2087
Daughter of the hero: *hears it for the first time, disappointment is a death sentence*
Daughter of the villain: *hears it every day, and it's getting really frkn old*
@urfavethiopian
yesss
@kei-1204
true
@TheFrigidHashira
yeah
@spshsh7828
It’s like me and my sister she sticks up to them but I hate to disappoint them because like I never do that I try to be my best for them but for my sister she doesn’t care
@Certified_A_Hole
sometimes, villains are a bit too relatable 😂
@Fidhhh0
Maturity is when you started to understand the villian✨
@charlottegolden1
Yep I feel that
@vivianisahottie
yup
@lucybackupx
ghostface is screaming rn