Tom DeLonge began working new material during the blink-182's final tour in 2004 and shortly after they began their hiatus in February 2005. For half a year he worked alone in his home studio before gathering musicians to form the band. Upon fiddling randomly for several weeks with the band's logo, Tom suddenly realized that if he were to invert the middle "A" of the band 's acronym into what appeared to be a "V", he would have the name of his daughter, Ava. As rumors were floating around about the band's "break-up", DeLonge chose to abstain for half a year from any interviews surrounding the issue and his future plans; instead he concentrated on writing and recording in his home-based studio. In September 2005, he finally spoke publicly in Kerrang! magazine, where he unveiled the name of his new band, "Angels & Airwaves". The band included former Hazen Street guitarist and high-school friend David Kennedy, former Rocket from the Crypt drummer Adam Willard and former The Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn.
The band released their first single, "The Adventure" on May 18, 2006 and their debut album, "We Don't Need to Whisper", on May 23, 2006. Recorded and produced at DeLonge's Never Pants Ranch, the album is a mix of huge production values and anthemic songwriting sounding nothing like the pop-punk sound that earned DeLonge huge amounts of credit for his work with Blink-182
The band released new album "I-Empire" On 5th November, 2007 which gained fast popularity, climbing to the number one spot on iTunes almost overnight. The first single from the new album, "Everything's Magic", was leaked onto the internet, and on August 25, 2007 it was the most requested song on California radio station KROQ. Angels & Airwaves began streaming the song on their myspace profile on August 28, 2007. I-Empire debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at No.9 with sales of 66,000 in its first week. On November 16, 2007, Tom announced on Modlife.com that "Breathe" will be the next single/music video off of the I-Empire album. A documentary by the band entitled Start The Machine has also been released.
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Tom Delonge tradmarked the name "Angels and Airwaves" on June 24, 2005. The name apparently occured to him whilst driving in his car. Realizing this would be frequently abbreviated to "AAA", he decided to move the middle letter upside down for a more unique and personally meaningful "AVA" as his daughter is named Ava. This was amongst the lingering confusion of Blink-182's "indefinite hiatus" which later led to a confirmed split and the beginning of the band.
In an interview with British magazine Kerrang!, DeLonge commented about the band's beginning:
"Just before all the blink-182 stuff happened when we were in Europe, I had a really weird epiphany. My heart was beating about a hundred miles a minute for three weeks straight and it had never happened to me before in my life. I really felt like I'd been touched by something and I felt I was meant to do something massive."
Originally, "Valkyrie Missile" was stated for release via iTunes on December 13, 2005, DeLonge's 30th birthday. However, due to discussions with their record label, Geffen, the band decided to push the release date back to a later date. Instead, the Angels & Airwaves website produced the first ever glimpse at the movie currently in production, a 1-and-a-half minute long trailer featuring portions of the delayed song.
Angels and Airwaves released both a music video and a short film for their first single, "The Adventure"; the band also released a short film for "It Hurts" via the band's official website. Both are short sci-fi films and together form the first part of a proposed ten-part series, following the cast's struggle through an unfamiliar world. On October 3, 2006, the band released the third installment in the series, "The Gift".
"Do It for Me Now" was released in the US as the second single and "It Hurts" was released in the UK as the second single at the same time. The music video for "It Hurts" is in fact the short-film released on April 18th and was available to select on the UK music television channel Kerrang!.
In 2006, the band embarked on their first full-length tour, which was headlined by Taking Back Sunday and supported by Head Automatica and The Subways. Numerous one-stop dates at the Give It A Name 2006 festival were played with the likes of My Chemical Romance, Lostprophets, We Are Scientists, Hundred Reasons, Panic! at the Disco, The Bled, Thrice, Billy Talent, Goldfinger, Underoath, Paramore, The Ataris, Aiden and Atreyu. The band also played on The Late Show with David Letterman on May 15, 2006. The band headlined a tour in the US, supported by The Sounds, which ended with a stop in Mexico City, Mexico. After that tour, the band went to perform in Japan and Australia.
They also performed at two shows at London's Hyde Park and in Manchester supporting the Foo Fighters on their successful In Your Honor tour. Over 100,000 people over both days. Other bands they played with over the two days included The Strokes, Eagles of Death Metal, Motorhead, Queens of the Stone Age, Juliette and the Licks, and Brian May and Roger Meddows-Taylor from Queen.
Among the plans for a big future, AVA have announced they are planning on releasing a film involving their music. The World War II-based movie is being created primarily through the use of CGI. This "story" is apparently based upon Tom's life and will give viewers insight into the hiatus of blink-182. Currently, the only known cast member is Michael Ostman.
Tom DeLonge stated in his PR Editorial Review:
"So preachy, I know. And I don't mean for it to be. I wanted it to be the recording of an emotional event in my life. I love the idea of an album doing that, because I knew that if I could get 150,000 people in an arena to have the same feeling at the exact same moment, it would end up feeling like a religious event. I really want the room to be dark, with black light or a candle. People should have headphones on, and they should be really comfortable, maybe sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed. I spent a year and a half working on this record, trying my hardest to give people a moment of escapism. All I ask is 50 minutes of a lowered heart rate."
On 16 July 2007, the Angels & Airwaves website was updated to feature a teaser trailer in the startup. The trailer features the song Star Of Bethlehem playing over concert footage, quotes from critics about "We Don't Need To Whisper", and members of the band riding on motorcycles and riding in a truck.
Heaven
Angels & Airwaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will touch the rain with all I have
I will breathe the air, just scream it loud
My feet will never touch the ground
Because the days they feel like ancient clocks
Like when kids grow up and learn to walk
Because your life is full of pure desire
A place so gloriously wired
The lights and sounds
Oh God this is such a mess
And it's like our world
But we're the last ones left
And the hair it stands
On the back of our necks
And I swear it shows
Heaven must be just like this
Do you see the hills beneath the clouds?
The stars and its to lead you out
Can you sense the pain? It's everywhere
And if you try you'll never care
And the love you had
When you were young
Is right outside for all to come
Because your life is full of pure desire
A place so gloriously wired
The lights and sounds
Oh God this is such a mess
And it's like our world
But we're the last ones left
And the hair it stands
On the back of our necks
And I swear it shows
Heaven must be just like this
If you see the light break through the clouds
And fire up the distant towns
Now the world will be begin
Exactly how it ends
When you call for help when you are lost
For evermore or what ever it costs
And the world will begin
Exactly how it ends
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Now, yeah eh eh
Yeah oh
Yeah ah ah
Yeah oh
Here I am
The song "Heaven" by Angels & Airwaves is a track that highlights a world that is both beautiful and chaotic at the same time. The singer expresses his desire to live life to the fullest and experience everything that the world has to offer, including the pain and emotions that come with it. He talks about running the streets and hostile lands, touching the rain with all he has, and breathing the air while screaming it loud. The singer believes that his feet will never touch the ground because life is full of pure desire and a place so gloriously wired.
The chorus of the song describes a world that is full of chaos, but there is a sense of beauty in it. The lights and sounds are a mess, but it is the world we live in, and we are the last ones left. The hair stands on the back of our necks, and it shows that heaven must be just like this. The singer talks about the hills beneath the clouds, the stars and its lead to lead you out, and the pain, which is everywhere. However, he feels that if you try, you will never care, and the love you had when you were young is right outside for all to come.
The bridge of the song talks about the light breaking through the clouds and firing up the distant towns, and now the world will begin exactly how it ends. The singer calls for help when he is lost forevermore, whatever it costs. The song ends with a plea for the listener to stay and be curious.
Line by Line Meaning
I will run the streets and hostile lands
I will fearlessly venture through difficult situations and landscapes
I will touch the rain with all I have
I will experience life's challenges with determination and enthusiasm
I will breathe the air, just scream it loud
I will enjoy the world and express my joy to the fullest
My feet will never touch the ground
I will keep moving forward, never giving up or losing my passion
Because the days they feel like ancient clocks
Time feels endless and unchanging
Like when kids grow up and learn to walk
Life is a continuous journey of growth and development
Because your life is full of pure desire
Life is filled with passion and longing
A place so gloriously wired
The world is full of wonders and beauty
The lights and sounds
The constant activity and excitement of the world
Oh God this is such a mess
The world can be chaotic and overwhelming
And it's like our world
The world we live in is all we have
But we're the last ones left
We are the only ones who can save the world and make it better
And the hair it stands
The world and its beauty can be overwhelming and emotional
On the back of our necks
We feel it deep in our souls
And I swear it shows
The beauty and greatness of the world is evident in our emotions
Heaven must be just like this
The world, when it is at its best, is like heaven on earth
Do you see the hills beneath the clouds?
Do you notice the beauty in the world, even when it may be obscured?
The stars and its to lead you out
The beauty of the stars can inspire and guide us
Can you sense the pain? It's everywhere
There is much pain and suffering in the world
And if you try you'll never care
Even if we try to ignore the pain, it always affects us
And the love you had
The love we experienced in our youth
When you were young
In our innocent and naïve youth
Is right outside for all to come
That love is still available to us, if we seek it out
If you see the light break through the clouds
If you notice a glimmer of hope or beauty during difficult times
And fire up the distant towns
And see the beauty and activity of the world beyond our immediate surroundings
Now the world will begin
This can be the start of an awakening or renewed appreciation of the world around us
Exactly how it ends
It may not be what we expected, but we must accept and work with what we are given
When you call for help when you are lost
When we need assistance or guidance in life
For evermore or what ever it costs
Regardless of the consequences, we must seek help when we are lost
Please stay
Don't leave me or give up
Don't go
Stay with me through the difficulties
I've got you now
I am here for you and will support you
Are you curious?
Are you still interested in exploring the world and all it has to offer?
Please stay
Stay with me and continue to experience the world together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Thomas DeLonge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paperfish
I will run the streets and hostile lands
I will touch the rain with all I have
I will breathe the air, just scream it loud
My feet will never touch the ground
Because the days they feel like ancient clocks
Like when kids grow up and learn to walk
Because your life is full of pure desire
A place so gloriously wired
The lights and sounds
Oh God this is such a mess
And it's like our world
But we're the last ones left
And the hair it stands
On the back of our necks
And I swear it shows
Heaven must be just like this
Do you see the hills beneath the clouds?
The stars and its to lead you out
Can you sense the pain? It's everywhere
And if you try you'll never care
And the love you had
When you were young
Is right outside for all to come
Because your life is full of pure desire
A place so gloriously wired
The lights and sounds
Oh God this is such a mess
And it's like our world
But we're the last ones left
And the hair it stands
On the back of our necks
And I swear it shows
Heaven must be just like this
If you see the light break through the clouds
And fire up the distant towns
Now the world will be begin
Exactly how it ends
When you call for help when you are lost
For evermore or what ever it costs
And the world will begin
Exactly how it ends
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
Kat Yanesh
God all their songs have the most magical way of making you look forward to life. They will live forever in this 43 year old.
Craig Sullivan
Far and away the best musical composition recorded by a human being.
dillongarner1
💯 the writing and production on this song is unparalleled
Jon Rooney
Agreed. The new stuffs pretty uplifting to this Depressed Soul too. Awesome Tom.
Damdemon
Absolutely my favorite Angels And Airwaves song! Not even close. And I love most of them.
Dereck Brock
Up they go !!!!
Dereck Brock
Come up here!
Luis Zapiola
By far THE BEST Angels and Airwaves song...how the song goes in crescendo, the lyrics , guitarwork synths ,drums,epic ending...amazing definitely in my top 10 favorite songs ever
Resident Evil 1996 Ver.
yup i agree
MartyMcFly
It is really amazing. I love the “please staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy don’t gooooo I’ve got you now” part towards the end