The band’s trademark fashion consists in wearing rather formal attire during live events and a use of orchestral instruments. When asked about the rumour that the band's name refers to a fire in an arcade, Win Butler replied: "It's not a rumour, it's based on a story that someone told me. It's not an actual event, but one that I took to be real. I would say that it's probably something that the kid made up, but at the time I believed him." Win Butler and his brother Will grew up in Texas.
Band formation
Arcade Fire formed around the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Joining together as recently as mid-2003, the current line-up solidified in late 2003/early 2004, when their first full-length album Funeral was recorded. Before this an eponymous EP (often referred to by fans as the Us Kids Know EP) had been sold at early shows. The EP was subsequently remastered and given a full release once the band started becoming more prominent. Arcade Fire are known for their enthralling live performances, as well as its use of a large number of musical instruments. In addition to mainstays guitar, drums, and bass guitar, members play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, and harp. With several able musicians, the band take most of their instrumental diversity on tour and members switch instrumental duties throughout their shows. The number of instruments, along with a wide set of musical influences has provided a substantial number of resources on which to draw from during the recording process. The promise showed by the band in its live shows allowed it to land a record contract with Chapel Hill-based independent record label Merge Records.
Funeral
Without a major label backing, the success of the band and the album Funeral has been acclaimed as an Internet phenomenon. After a 9.7 rating from Pitchfork, Merge Records sold out their inventory of Funeral and it became the label's first album in the Billboard 200 chart. An early tip from David Bowie was also influential. The band booked small clubs for their 2004 tour but growing interest forced many venue changes, far beyond the band's expectations, and continued internationally into mid-2005. The MTV2 2005 Review hosted by Zane Lowe named Funeral Album of the Year, and NME named Funeral Number 2 in their list of 2005's best albums and "Rebellion (Lies)" the best track. By November 2005, Funeral had gone gold in both Canada and the UK and sold in excess of half a million copies worldwide, a phenomenal number for an independent release with minimal television or radio exposure. It has also surpassed Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea as the biggest selling Merge Records album to date.
Arcade Fire were featured on the April 4, 2005 cover of Time Magazine's Canadian edition, and hailed as a band who "helped put Canadian music on the world map". On April 2, 2006, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they received the Juno Award for Songwriters Of The Year for three songs from Funeral: "Wake Up", "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)". Arcade Fire then planned to begin recording a follow up to Funeral in the winter of 2005-2006, having bought an old church forty minutes from central Montreal which they converted into a studio.
Neon Bible
In mid-December 2006 www.neonbible.com went live containing nothing more than a phone number, 1-866-NEONBIBLE where people can listen to a new track called Intervention. Built in the style of customer support lines, the number has other features including a contest and a chance to talk to a live person at a specific time each week.
Then in January 2007, they finally announced that the new album Neon Bible would be released March 5th in UK, March 6th in US. The announcement was made with a video in the album's website, with guitarist Richard Reed Parry using a gramophone and a paper mask of Parry's own face, and sitting on Win Butler´s chair. After the announcement of the album´s release, the website was updated with a streaming version of "Black Mirror", new art and a few phone messages sounding like the band´s members.
The Suburbs
The band released their third album "The Suburbs" on August 2, 2010 in the UK and August 3, 2010 in the United States. It debuted at #1 in both countries. On February 13, 2011, the album won Album of the Year at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Arcade Fire recorded a song for The Hunger Games soundtrack (The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond), called "Abraham's Daughter". The song is featured in the movie's end credits. The soundtrack was released on March 20, 2012, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. It sold more than 175,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the first theatrical film soundtrack to top the chart since Michael Jackson's "This Is It" debuted at No. 1 on the list. It is also only the 16th soundtrack to debut at No. 1 in the history of the Billboard 200 chart (those soundtracks include film, television, and straight-to-video efforts).
Reflektor
Arcade Fire and Mercury Records confirmed that they would release a fourth album in late 2013. In December 2012, the band's manager Scott Rodger confirmed that Arcade Fire was in the studio working with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. The official Arcade Fire pre-order website sets the release date on October 28, 2013. The band announced on January 18, 2013 that they were selling the church they had been using as a studio due to a collapsed roof. Throughout 2013, the band worked on the album in several different recording studios - including Murphy's DFA Records studio in New York. On June 22, 2013, Rolling Stone reported that new material from the album would be released on September 9, 2013.
Everything Now
Arcade Fire's first announced its fifth record, "Everything Now," on May 31, 2017 when it released the record's title track and lead single. The album's release came July 27, 2017. In the weeks leading up to the album's release, the band released three additional lead singles, "Creature Comfort," "Signs of Life," and "Electric Blue." Upon the week of its release, "Everything Now" reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the band's third-straight and third overall #1 record.
WE
On October 21, 2020, Butler was interviewed for the Broken Record podcast, where he commented about Arcade Fire's sixth album. The band had been writing for a year before the COVID-19 lockdown. In March 2022, fans received postcards marked with the band's logo; the postcards included the note "We missed you", musical notations, as well as an image of an eye with the word "Unsubscribe" written below. Those same images began to appear in signage around London as well as on the band's social media pages, indicating the earliest signs of a new album. On March 14, the band announced a new song titled "The Lightning I, II" would be released on March 17.
On March 17, 2022, Arcade Fire announced that the album would be titled WE and be released on May 6, 2022. Later that week, Will Butler announced he had amicably left the band in 2021 shortly after the completion of WE.
Following the release of WE on May 6, 2022, Arcade Fire announced the group’s first world tour since 2018, starting in August 2022. They again appeared on Saturday Night Live on May 7, 2022, playing "Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)", "The Lightning I, II", and "End of The Empire II" over the closing credits.
Modern Man
Arcade Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the people behind me, they can't understand
Makes me feel like
Makes me feel like
So I wait in line, I'm a modern man
And the people behind me, they can't understand
Makes me feel like
Like a record that's skipping
I'm a modern man
And the clock keeps ticking
I'm a modern man
Makes me feel like
Makes me feel like
In my dream I was almost there
And you pulled me aside and said you're going nowhere
They say we are the chosen few
But we're wasted
And that's why we're still waiting
On a number from the modern man
Maybe when you're older you will understand
Why you don't feel right
Why you can't sleep at night now
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
Oh I had a dream I was dreaming
And I feel I'm losing the feeling
Makes me feel like
Like something don't feel right
I erase the number of the modern man
Want to break the mirror of the modern man
Makes me feel like
Makes me feel like
In my dream I was almost there
But you pulled me aside and said you're going nowhere
I know we are the chosen few
But we're wasted
And that's why we're still waiting
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
And you feel so right
But how come you can't sleep at night?
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
I'm a modern man
I'm a modern man
I'm a modern man
I'm a modern man
The lyrics of Arcade Fire's "Modern Man" reflect on the struggles and alienation of modern society. The singer is waiting in line, feeling like a cog in the machine, surrounded by other people who he believes do not understand him. The phrase "I'm a modern man" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that the struggles he is experiencing are shared by others living in the same society.
The singer also describes a dream where he was almost there, perhaps meaning he was close to achieving something important, but was told by someone that he was going nowhere. This may suggest that despite the struggles of modern life, there are still goals and aspirations that seem almost within reach, but are ultimately unattainable due to societal constraints.
The song ends with a sense of frustration and a desire to break free from the limitations of modern life. The repeated lyric "in line for a number but you don't understand" reflects the feeling of being trapped in a system that does not value individuality or creativity.
Overall, "Modern Man" is a reflection on the struggles of living in a modern, capitalist society, where people often feel disconnected and unfulfilled.
Line by Line Meaning
So I wait my turn, I'm a modern man
I understand that patience is key, as everyone is trying to get their needs met. However, it is hard for people behind me to digest this fact because they want everything instantly. I know I am a modern man who has to wait his turn.
And the people behind me, they can't understand
I'm aware that my decision to wait my turn might look absurd to some people, who can't seem to comprehend why someone will wait while others are getting what they want without waiting.
Makes me feel like
My decision to wait is leading me to have this weird feeling.
Makes me feel like
My decision to wait is leading me to have this weird feeling.
Like a record that's skipping
The feeling I'm having is similar to the one you get when a record is faulty, and it starts repeating itself over and over again.
I'm a modern man
I'm a man who knows that sometimes waiting your turn is the only way to get things done.
And the clock keeps ticking
The clock is ticking away, time is passing by, and I'm still in the queue, waiting for my turn.
Something don't feel right
I'm feeling uneasy about waiting in line, and it's starting to feel like something is wrong.
In my dream I was almost there
I had a dream where I was close to my destination, but something held me back.
And you pulled me aside and said you're going nowhere
You then intervened and said no matter how close I am to reaching my destination, I won't get there, and it's like I'm stuck in one place.
They say we are the chosen few
There's this common belief that we were destined to achieve something significant in our lives.
But we're wasted
However, due to past wrong choices and procrastination, we have wasted the time given to us, and we currently aren't making any progress.
And that's why we're still waiting
That's why we are still waiting in line while others are getting what they want.
On a number from the modern man
I'm still waiting, probably for my turn to receive a number from someone who knows how a modern man operates.
Maybe when you're older you will understand
Perhaps you don't quite get why I have to wait in line, and it's okay since you might understand later when you're more experienced and mature.
Why you don't feel right
You might be feeling just like I do, but you can't seem to pinpoint where the issue is originating from.
Why you can't sleep at night now
You've been having sleepless nights because of a feeling that's lingering in your heart, but you can't seem to attribute it to anything specific.
In line for a number but you don't understand
You are watching me wait for my turn in line, but you aren't entirely sure why I have to wait.
In line for a number but you don't understand
You are watching me wait for my turn in line, but you aren't entirely sure why I have to wait.
Oh I had a dream I was dreaming
I once had a dream where I was dreaming.
And I feel I'm losing the feeling
In the dream, I felt like I was on the verge of something great, but I'm slowly losing the feeling.
Makes me feel like
The thought of losing that feeling is causing me to doubt myself and feel uneasy.
Like something don't feel right
It's like there's something I'm meant to do, but I can't figure what it is, and it's causing me to feel uneasy.
I erase the number of the modern man
To break free from the feeling of uneasiness, I must let go of the number given to me as a modern man.
Want to break the mirror of the modern man
I need to destroy the reflection of modern man and be my kind of man.
Makes me feel like
Breaking free from the image and mindset of a modern man will bring me inner peace and fulfillment.
Makes me feel like
Breaking free from the image and mindset of a modern man will bring me inner peace and fulfillment.
In my dream I was almost there
In the dream, I was almost at the end of the queue, and it looked like I was going to receive what I came for.
But you pulled me aside and said you're going nowhere
But someone cut fast in the line or something else happened, and it looked like I was going nowhere.
I know we are the chosen few
I realize that we are the ones that can bring something new to the table, and everybody is waiting for us.
But we're wasted
Despite the fact that we have the potential to do great things, the situation and current mindset have wasted most of our time, and we have not lived up to the expectation.
And that's why we're still waiting
That's the major reason why we are still waiting for our turn and haven't achieved our goals.
And you feel so right
You might feel confident and be doing things that you believe are appropriate, but it doesn't take that feeling of uneasiness away.
But how come you can't sleep at night?
Despite feeling confident about your actions, you are still struggling to find inner peace or sleep at night.
In line for a number but you don't understand
You can't seem to follow through why I and others are waiting in line for things, and it makes no sense to you.
Like a modern man
Like a man who understands the need to wait, I'm waiting in line for my turn to achieve my goals.
Like a modern man
Like a man who understands the need to wait, I'm waiting in line for my turn to achieve my goals.
I'm a modern man
I don't mind waiting patiently in line to get what I want, and I understand the need to do so.
I'm a modern man
I don't mind waiting patiently in line to get what I want, and I understand the need to do so.
I'm a modern man
I don't mind waiting patiently in line to get what I want, and I understand the need to do so.
I'm a modern man
I don't mind waiting patiently in line to get what I want, and I understand the need to do so.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeremy Gara, Regine Chassagne, Richard R Parry, Tim Kingsbury, William Butler, Win Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scrye-craft9274
I take a more literal interpretation.
"Dream" being either waking or not, but if "you can't sleep"...that aligns with my experience & how I feel this. I WAS "almost there" and was sabotaged quite on purpose from more than 1 angle, as was my partner, as so many have been now, a few years later. We've been aware our undoing has been mounted again and again but couldn't see just how dire would the situation overall be 'allowed to go'.
Unspeakable.
It's not stopping.
I'm 50 & can see back to the 70's enough to have an idea...and always also sense what's gone wrong/going wrong ahead, at the same time quite possibly very unnecessary - as there def have been ways to stop participating/pave way/make outcomes more to our own design.
The blurry line of those unrealized potentials cannot now be known
& holy sh*t is it too late for so many ppl so many things.
Looking back,
If I could have just known 1 thing, in my youth (9 yo - teen)
the truth that I actually had it right, had the correct pov/assessment
what may I have done instead!??!
But I had kids so had to (sortof) wait for them to grow up...yet that could only work to a point. I still had to make choices no one would sign up for.
The Purpose of a System IS What It Does.
The brilliance of Arcade Fire includes songs like this that capture the essential AND most salient aspects of what our collective human condition is like, our suffering manufactured to feed those who benefit most from it, as we somehow also refuse to grasp the whole operation.
The music crafts an expression of the emotional levels - that I'm afraid of, while precisely naming the intellectual sides I prefer to retreat into and reside in, as if to postpone the truth of feeling and experiencing all together, in the moment, of each moment.
I learn that lesson every time I listen to their music.
@lyricsfyt
So I wait my turn, I'm a modern man
And the people behind me, they can't understand
Makes me feel like
Makes me feel like
So I wait in line, I'm a modern man
And the people behind me, they can't understand
Makes me feel like
Something don't feel right
Like a record that's skipping
I'm a modern man
And the clock keeps ticking
I'm a modern man
Makes me feel like
Makes me feel like
In my dream I was almost there
And you pulled me aside and said you're going nowhere
They say we are the chosen few
But we're wasted
And that's why we're still waiting
On a number from the modern man
Maybe when you're older you will understand
Why you don't feel right
Why you can't sleep at night now
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
Oh I had a dream I was dreaming
And I feel I'm losing the feeling
Makes me feel like
Like something don't feel right
I erase the number of the modern man
Want to break the mirror of the modern man
Makes me feel like
Makes me feel like
In my dream I was almost there
But you pulled me aside and said you're going nowhere
I know we are the chosen few
But we're wasted
And that's why we're still waiting
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
And you feel so right
But how come you can't sleep at night?
In line for a number but you don't understand
Like a modern man
I'm a modern man
I'm a modern man
I'm a modern man
I'm a modern man
@juanmanueltorress
this songs hits the spot, you really don't know the role of being a man when you're young, and you have to kind of figure it out on your own. The role of the modern man is not knowing where you're going or what to do. Like the songs says, “If it's so right, how come you can't sleep at night”, it's the uncertainty of being young and anxious to get to something better right away.
@donald984
welp i guess im a modern man even though im still a kid
@willswan7714
Spot on
@plastictree5783
My favorite arcade fire song. I used to play it on my way back home after spending a long night studying at the library and feeling depressed as hell. I have graduated already and I am a doctor now. Thanks Arcade Fire for making such a good music that someone like me who lives on the other side of the world could relate to and enjoy.
@Martinator897
I can relate to this so much, now it's my turn for learning to be a doctor on the other side of the world and be depressed, hope it gets better when I graduate
@plastictree5783
@@Martinator897 Do your best it's worth in the end trust me. Good luck and I wish you a happy life my friend.
@Martinator897
@@plastictree5783 Thank you for your words, it poured hope in my heart. I wish you exactly the same my friend
@reck0n3r
How's life as a modern man?
@TheLegender
https://youtu.be/cB_daVBH_Is
@imrebroce1
So is some Suburbs 10th anniversary thing happening or something? Lots of Suburbs era (the best AF era imo) posts here and on Twitter.