Ben Jorgensen created Armor for Sleep in 2001 and Nash Breen and PJ DeCicco later joined the band after leaving fellow New Jersey band Prevent Falls. He stated that the name of the band comes from his early experiences of writing music and not being able to sleep. After distributing demos Albany, New York-based indie label Equal Vision signed the band and released their first two concept albums: Dream to Make Believe, released in 2003, and What to Do When You Are Dead, released in 2005.
What to Do When You Are Dead spawned the popular singles "Car Underwater" and "The Truth About Heaven," receiving lots of airplay with their music videos. Each song on the album tells the story of the protagonist's suicide as well as his journey through the afterlife. The story goes through moments of personal introspection at the positive and negative aspects of his life while he quietly visits important locations of his past life without disturbing anyone. Analyzing the lyrics of each track, you can see him progress through the Kübler-Ross 5-stage model of grief management as he initially denies his situation, then wishes for a reversal, and finally accepts his fate. The album ends with the character finally coming to grips with his decision, and his spirit continues on, having completed his business in this life. Initial copies of the CD came with a bonus DVD that featured live footage of the band as well as the music videos for "My Town" and "Dream to Make Believe," both from Dream to Make Believe. It also included a making-of documentary and a small booklet titled "What to Do When You Are Dead: A Comprehensive Guide to The Afterlife" which featured satirical ways to cope with death should you unexpectedly perish. A remix by Machine Shop of "Remember to Feel Real" was featured on Snakes on a Plane: The Album in August 2006. A new song, "End of the World," was featured on Transformers - The Album. That song would be on their third and final album, Smile for Them, released through their new label Sire/Warner Bros..
Armor for Sleep released their first single from Smile for Them, "Williamsburg," on September 18, 2007, through iTunes. "Hold the Door" also received indie radio airplay. They played on Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution tour in 2008 on the US leg Revolution Stage to promote the album.
The band's final release, The Way Out Is Broken, was an EP released digitally on September 5, 2008. Fans were able to purchase download cards during the band's run on Projekt Revolution to use to download the EP on the release date.
On October 28, 2009, it was officially announced that Armor for Sleep would disband. Ben Jorgensen wrote a statement on AltPress.com informing fans of the inevitable, after the band had been inactive and not performing for over a year. Ben Jorgensen has since taken on a solo project and was associated with God Loves a Challenge with Sierra Shardae. PJ DeCicco has also moved on playing in Love Automatic with former Senses Fail bassist Mike Glita.
The band has embarked on multiple reunion tours, and played multiple reunion shows, the first of these being at Bamboozle 2012. They played three more shows following the festival appearance and then disbanded again. The band then announced an eight city tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their album What To Do When You Are Dead. On February 24, 2020, the band announced they would be reuniting for a summer tour with nineteen tour dates to celebrate the 15th anniversary of What To Do When You Are Dead. The tour was later postponed due to COVID-19, and later in year postponed dates for 2021 were announced.
Armor For Sleep officially returned with their new single How Far Apart on July 7, 2022. The band has signed back on to Equal Vision Records and are set to release their fourth full length album The Rain Museum in early September 2022.
Hold the Door
Armor for Sleep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can move all your things around.
Was standing alone on the side of the road 'til I saw your headlights catch me.
I keep to myself on the right,
Trying hard to hide all the dirt that covers me.
You only can hide who you are if you don't care where you're going anyway.
I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar. (Hold the door for me.)
I set them on fire back there,
They didn't know what hit them.
It's always the ones you never suspect.
Don't want to accept what I've become.
I don't wanna be who I was back then. (I almost lost you again.)
I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar. (Hold the door for me.)
I don't wanna be who I was back then. (I almost lost you again)
I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar. (Hold the door for me, for me.)
Don't wanna take the wheel from you, just keep on driving, keep on driving.
Just tell me what you want me to do, just keep on driving, keep on driving.
I don't wanna be who I was back then. I almost lost you.
I don't wanna be who I was back then. I almost lost you.
I don't wanna be who I was back then. (I almost lost you again.)
I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar. (Hold the door for me.)
I don't wanna be who I was back then. (I almost lost you again.)
I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar. (Hold the door for me.)
I don't wanna be who I was back then. (I almost lost you again.)
I don't wanna see through the eyes of a liar. (Hold the door for me.)
Hold the door for me, for me.
The song "Hold The Door" by Armor for Sleep is a melancholic yet powerful song about self-reflection and trying to overcome past mistakes. The lyrics are written in a very introspective tone and it seems to be addressed to someone who the singer cares deeply about. The song looks back at a dark past where the singer was struggling and hiding who he was. He was on the side of the road, alone, until he saw the headlights of someone who he trusted, who then gave him a lift in their car. In that car, he feels safe, but he still has a lot of emotional baggage that he needs to deal with. The lyrics "I can move all your things around" seem to be a metaphor for the singer wanting to help the person in the car, to make a positive impact, to show that he's not a burden but rather a useful addition.
The singer acknowledges that he has made mistakes in the past and doesn't want to go back to that person he used to be. He doesn't want to be a liar anymore, someone who hides the truth and covers up their flaws. There's a sense of urgency in his voice when he says "Hold the door for me", as if he's asking for help to keep moving forward, to not let him fall back into his old ways. He doesn't want to lose the trust and respect of the person in the car, who he almost lost before. Despite the pain and regret that he feels inside, he doesn't want to let it consume him. He's ready to face his demons, but he needs someone to accompany him on that journey.
Overall, "Hold The Door" is a compelling and emotional song that speaks to the human condition of struggling with personal demons and trying to overcome past mistakes. It's a song that reminds us that we all need someone to hold the door for us at times, to help us move forward and not give up on ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
There's plenty of space for me in the back of your car, I can move all your things around.
I am asking for a place to go and I am willing to help you in any way I can.
Was standing alone on the side of the road 'til I saw your headlights catch me.
I was stranded and alone until you came to rescue me.
I keep to myself on the right, Trying hard to hide all the dirt that covers me.
I try to keep my problems to myself and hide my flaws and mistakes from others.
You only can hide who you are if you don't care where you're going anyway.
You can only continue to hide your true self if you have no sense of purpose or direction in your life.
I set them on fire back there, They didn't know what hit them. It's always the ones you never suspect. Don't want to accept what I've become.
I have caused harm to others in the past and it is difficult for me to come to terms with the person I have become.
Don't wanna take the wheel from you, just keep on driving, keep on driving. Just tell me what you want me to do, just keep on driving, keep on driving.
I don't want to take control of the situation, I just want to keep moving forward and do whatever you ask of me.
Hold the door for me.
I am asking for help and support in my journey to become a better person.
Contributed by Brody G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.