Prior to its release, the band promoted the album by releasing a track per week on their Purevolume and Myspace website accounts, as well as on their own website. So far, two radio singles have been released from the album: A Day Late and Paperthin Hymn. Both have been quite successful on alternative rock radio. A video for A Day Late has been released and the video for Paperthin Hymn released on March 17, 2006.
Furthermore, Anberlin recorded covers of the Bob Dylan song Like a Rolling Stone, the Depeche Mode song Enjoy the Silence, The Cure's Love Song, and the popular Christmas song Baby Please Come Home, included on the compilation album Lost Songs in 2007.
Singer Stephen Christian is also working on some solo music under the name of Anchor & Braille with Aaron Marsh of Copeland, which is expected to take the form of a full length album sometime in 2008.
The band performed on G4's Attack of the Show on March 23, 2006
Anberlin's third album, Cities, was released on Feburary 20, 2007. There are two different versions: a regular version and a special edition containing three extra songs and a documentary on DVD. So far music videos have been released for Godspeed and The Unwinding Cable Car.
The singles Godspeed and The Haunting were available as of December 28, 2006 from the iTunes music store and may still be purchased.
Anberlin's final album with Tooth and Nail records, Lost Songs, was released November 20, 2007. It features many of its original hits, as well as live recordings and unreleased tracks.
They are now signed with Universal Republic and released their fourth LP, New Surrender, September 30, 2008.
They released their fifth LP, Dark is the Way, Light is a Place on September 9, 2010.
Songfacts reports that, Self-Starter, the first release from Vital, Anberlin's sixth album, was the band's first ever song to feature female vocals.
On July 22, 2014 they released what would be their final album - Lowborn. It was announced that after a final tour following the release of Lowborn the band would be parting ways.
The end of Anberlin is not sad but hopeful. There is no animosity or drama, but rather a celebration of what these five musicians have achieved both in the studio and onstage. “Usually breakups happen quickly and suddenly, an implosion of sorts,” McAlhaney says.
“What is unique about the end of Anberlin is that we discussed where people were at in their lives, what that meant for the band, and then made plans for the end on our own terms.”
Runaways
Anberlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know your desire is to be desired
Steal a kiss and, and call us friends
Distance is a thief in which you conspire
Turn and time and time will tell
Time will tell or tear us apart
You're miles and miles and miles away
You only stayed to break my heart
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
Runaway girl
You only stayed to break my heart
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
Runaway girl
Runaway, runaway girl
It's clearer now
You're nowhere into giving
Giving into, giving into me
It's your fault
You're like a rare disease
I know you're in love
With love I believe
Turn and time and time will tell
Time will tell or tear us apart
You're miles and miles and miles away
Silence reveals where we really are
You only stayed to break my heart
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
Runaway girl
You only stayed to break my heart
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
Runaway girl
Runaway, runaway girl
Do you expect me to wait here?
(All alone in my thoughts and fears)
My whole life could flash before your eyes
(Hope one day that you realize)
This isn't the way it's supposed to be
(This is who I crown, now without me)
Your regrets from us built up inside
(Great space for you, love buried alive)
Buried alive
You only stayed to break my heart
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
Runaway girl
You only stayed to break my heart
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
Runaway girl
Runaway, runaway girl
I only stayed to break your heart
You can tell it by the way I walk away,
Runaway girl
I only stayed to break your heart
You can tell it by the way I run away,
Runaway girl
The lyrics of Anberlin's "The Runaways" seem to be about a relationship where the singer feels used and unappreciated. It appears that the singer was drawn in by the other person's desire to be desired, but they only wanted to be friends and keep their distance. The theme of distance runs throughout the song, with the singer feeling that it is tearing them apart. The chorus suggests that the other person only stayed around to break the singer's heart, and this is confirmed by the way they have run away. In the bridge, the singer questions whether they should wait for the other person or move on with their life, and suggests that the other person may one day regret what they have done.
The lyrics themselves are quite simple, but they evoke a sense of melancholy and loneliness that is familiar to anyone who has felt used or undervalued in a relationship. The use of repetition and the way that the same phrases are repeated with different inflections emphasises this feeling of being stuck in a cycle of pain and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Come closer now
The singer requests the listener to come closer.
I know your desire is to be desired
The singer understands the listener's desire to be wanted by someone.
Steal a kiss and, and call us friends
The singer suggests the listener to start by being friends and then move forward to a kiss.
Distance is a thief in which you conspire
The singer believes that distance creates a negative impact on a relationship.
Turn and time and time will tell
The singer believes that time will show the outcome of their relationship.
Time will tell or tear us apart
Time will either reveal whether they will stay together or break apart.
You're miles and miles and miles away
The singer refers to the physical distance between them.
Silence reveals where we really are
The lack of communication signifies their real relationship status.
You only stayed to break my heart
The singer accuses the listener of being in the relationship only to cause heartbreak in the end.
I can tell it by the way you runaway,
The listener's actions reveal their true intentions.
Runaway girl
The singer addresses the listener as a girl who runs away from relationships.
It's clearer now
The singer now has a clearer understanding of the listener's true intentions.
You're nowhere into giving
The listener does not care about giving in the relationship.
Giving into, giving into me
The singer wants the listener to give into the relationship with them.
It's your fault
The singer blames the listener for the issues in the relationship.
You're like a rare disease
The listener's presence is causing harm to the relationship.
I know you're in love
The singer believes the listener is in love.
With love I believe
The singer believes the listener is in love with the idea of love itself.
Do you expect me to wait here?
The singer questions whether the listener expects them to wait for them.
(All alone in my thoughts and fears)
The singer feels isolated and worries about the relationship.
My whole life could flash before your eyes
The singer believes that their entire life and relationship could end in a flash.
(Hope one day that you realize)
The singer hopes the listener realizes the truth someday.
This isn't the way it's supposed to be
The singer believes that this is not how their relationship was meant to be.
(This is who I crown, now without me)
The singer was the listener's support system and now they have to face things alone.
Your regrets from us built up inside
The singer believes that the listener will regret their actions in the future.
(Great space for you, love buried alive)
The singer feels that the listener has created a great distance in their relationship that has buried their love alive.
Buried alive
The singer emphasizes that their love has been buried and is lifeless now.
I only stayed to break your heart
The singer reveals that they too only stayed in the relationship to cause heartbreak in the end.
You can tell it by the way I walk away,
The listener can tell the singer's intentions from the way they walk away from the relationship.
Runaway girl
The singer again addresses the listener as a girl who runs away from relationships.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: MARTI FREDERIKSEN, PAT MC GEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind