The band was formed by Michael Feerick in 2004, who wrote and performed their self-titled debut album entirely by himself. The band has since expanded and now write and perform as a five-piece currently composed of Michael Feerick (guitar/vocals), Daniel Knowles (guitar/production), Peter Dale (drums), Gavin Poole (bass) and Joe Hardy (keyboard).
Feerick wrote and recorded ten songs on a minimal budget with close friend Daniel Knowles engineering the sessions. These efforts formed Amusement Parks on Fire's self-titled debut album released in the UK on INVADA Records, a label run by Geoff Barrow of Portishead in 2005.
The band signed to V2 Records in 2005 and went on to record their second studio album Out of the Angeles at Sigur Rós' Sundlaugin studio in Álafoss, Iceland.
The line-up altered to its current state in summer 2006 with the addition of Gavin Poole (Bass) and Joe Hardy (Keyboards). This was followed by a co-headline tour of the UK with US noise outfit Scarling. and a headline tour across mainland Europe and Scandinavia.
The band played in Japan for the first time at the Summer Sonic Festival 2006.
In addition to the second album "Out of the Angeles", the band recorded a series of limited edition 12" EPs — the first of which, "In Flight" was released early in September 2006. This was followed by "A Star Is Born" on the 2nd of April 2007 which was supported by a UK & Ireland headlining tour.
The band recently played a short UK tour and debuted some new material, and are currently in Nottingham recording new material for a possible release in 2008. In addition, they are currently playing some small live shows across the UK and Ireland, and mostly travelling by train.
88
Amusement Parks On Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll drown in the wake
Of 2000 years of this
God awful charade
Want more things that I haven't got
Wish I could (march?) to your homes
Bring your knees to the floor
Let me see the plans
Let me see the plans
What you compromised
This year
With your moral pretence
Masquerading your fear
Let me see the plans
Let me see the plans
The lyrics to Amusement Parks On Fire's song 88 explore themes of frustration and disillusionment with society and its systems. The opening line, "At the speed of light, I'll drown in the wake," suggests a feeling of being overwhelmed by the pace of modern life and the weight of history. The following line, "Of 2000 years of this God awful charade," emphasizes the sense that society's problems are longstanding and deeply ingrained.
The chorus, "Let me see the plans / What you compromised this year / With your moral pretense / Masquerading your fear," seems to be directed at those in power who make decisions on behalf of society. The singer is demanding transparency and accountability, suggesting that these decision-makers are acting out of fear and self-interest rather than genuine concern for the common good. The line "Want more things that I haven't got" highlights the growing wealth gap and the singer's own feelings of dissatisfaction with their place in this society.
Overall, the song is a thought-provoking commentary on the current state of society and the challenges we face in attempting to make meaningful change.
Line by Line Meaning
At the speed of light
I'm moving so quickly that everything blurs together
I'll drown in the wake
I'll be consumed by the aftermath of this experience
Of 2000 years of this
The weight of history, tradition, and culture is bearing down on me
God awful charade
I'm surrounded by fakery and hypocrisy
Want more things that I haven't got
I have desires and needs that are unfulfilled
Wish I could (march?) to your homes
I long to connect with others on a deeper level
Bring your knees to the floor
I want to witness humility and vulnerability in others
Let me see the plans
I want to know what's really going on behind the scenes
What you compromised
What have you given up or sacrificed to maintain your facade?
This year
What's happened recently
With your moral pretence
Acting like you have a strong sense of right and wrong when you really don't
Masquerading your fear
Using your fake persona to hide your insecurities
Let me see the plans
I want clarity and truth in this situation
Contributed by Bailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
thisisadam
Amazing!! Relaly looking forward to the new album
Sebastian11
Even after all these years and countless replays this song still holds up and i still get goosebumps listening to it.
Mary Ragghianti
Love it makes me feel invincible so beautiful tears splinta 73
zerosoma33
I love how this band uses odd time signatures. I get sick of hearing 4/4 or 6/4 all of the time. Yeah, let's hear it for 9/8.
simcut
I've just worked out what version this is, this is a little different to the one on the album, the intro is different anyway. The one in this youtube clip is the same as the one on Venosa / Eighty Eight CD Single :)
ramnalfredsson
High class music. very good.
Jodamu
Best song by one of the best current acts around in my opinion
PLPLPL
No shit. This LP is a classic and everyone should be screaming how good it is to anyone who will listen.
Thrashputin
Kick Ass
Zach Rollins
Can anyone suggest other artists similar to this?? I already have Mogwai, Sigur Ros, M83 on my list. Gracias.