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.
Run Right Back In
Armor for Sleep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking of someone else.
I saw you praying just to pray for me.
I felt something happening.
I was just falling asleep.
But thanks for your help, thanks for your help.
Pulling me from the flames, (and stop the fire)
I'll run right back in,
I'll run right back in,
I'll run right back in.
I've got plans mostly just to hang around, hoping for a hand me down.
Staring at my bright future.
I drive around waving like a sad parade, at the kids all out to play.
I'm good; go have fun on your own.
But thanks for your help, thanks for your help.
Pulling me from the flames, (and stop the fire)
I'll just wait ‘til you leave, then run right back in.
I'll run right back in,
I'll run right back in,
I'll run right back in.
Can you see my room from there, burning, burning? [x4]
Pulling me from the flames, (can try to pull me out).
Pulling me from the flames, (can try to pull me out)
I'll run right back in, I'll run right back in, I'll run right back in.
Pulling me from the flames…
Pulling me from the flames…
Pulling me from the flames…
I'll run right back in. [x5]
The lyrics of Armor for Sleep's song "Run Right Back In" seem to touch upon the singer's struggle with addiction and feeling trapped within it. The opening lines, "I've got soul working for me half the time, only when I'm half alive, thinking of someone else" suggest that while the singer may have good intentions, they are only partially present and consumed by thoughts of someone else, potentially indicating a codependent relationship. The next two lines, "I saw you praying just to pray for me. I felt something happening" suggest that despite their issues, someone close to the singer is still supportive and trying to help them.
The chorus, "But thanks for your help, thanks for your help. Pulling me from the flames, I'll just wait ‘til you leave, then run right back in. I'll run right back in," seems to suggest that while the singer appreciates the support of those around them, they are not ready to fully commit to breaking free from their addiction. The repetition of the line "I'll run right back in" emphasizes this point, indicating that the singer feels trapped in the cycle of addiction and is unable (or unwilling) to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got soul working for me half the time, only when I'm half alive.
My soul is only with me when I feel alive, and half of the time I feel dead inside.
Thinking of someone else.
I am preoccupied with thoughts of another person.
I saw you praying just to pray for me.
I noticed you were praying for my well-being without any specific request from me.
I felt something happening.
I sensed that something was changing.
I was just falling asleep.
I was about to fall asleep.
But thanks for your help, thanks for your help.
I appreciate your assistance and support.
Pulling me from the flames, (and stop the fire)
You saved me from a dangerous situation, and prevented further harm.
I'll just wait ‘til you leave, then run right back in.
I will wait for you to leave and then return to my old ways, even though they are harmful to me.
I've got plans mostly just to hang around, hoping for a hand me down.
My plans are mostly to wait around for something good to come my way without taking active steps to achieve it.
Staring at my bright future.
I am imagining a positive outcome for my future.
I drive around waving like a sad parade, at the kids all out to play.
I drive around aimlessly feeling sorry for myself, while others are enjoying life.
I'm good; go have fun on your own.
I am fine, you can enjoy yourself without worrying about me.
Can you see my room from there, burning, burning? [x4]
Metaphorically, my life is like a room on fire, can you see it metaphorically burning?
Pulling me from the flames, (can try to pull me out).
You can attempt to save me from my self-destructive behavior.
I'll run right back in. [x5]
Despite your efforts, I will return to my harmful ways multiple times.
Contributed by Declan G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.