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.
Stars in Your Eyes
Armor for Sleep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na, na na na, na na na.
I was swimming slowly through the pools in my head,
When I felt a cold hand wrap around my throat
And pull me out of my little day dream.
I was sailing backwards through the wind in my head
When I saw the lights turn on and you were dragging me out
Again in my little day dream.
The stars in your eyes they are burning you alive.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
I'm not gonna fall for something I made up.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
Na, na na na, na na na,
Na, na na na, na na na.
I was chasing comets with a butterfly net,
Thinking I could pull one down again
But I was just slipping into my little day dream.
California plastic melted your heart away,
And I'm never gonna go back again
Cause I was just perfect here in my little day dream.
The stars in your eyes they are burning you alive.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
I'm not gonna fall for something I made up.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
I was better off left alone.
I was better off left alone.
Stars in your eyes…they drag me away this time.
I get so bored, everything is working out just fine,
That I have to get tangled in something.
I get so bored, everything is working out just fine,
I have to get tangled in something, tangled in something.
I can't help myself.
The stars in you eyes they are… burning you alive.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
I'm not gonna fall for something I made up.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
Na, na na na, na na na. (I was better off left alone) (x4)
The lyrics of Armor for Sleep’s “Stars In Your Eyes” paints the picture of a dream world that the singer finds comfort in. They describe swimming and sailing through the pools and wind in their head, until they are dragged back to reality by the cold hand of someone. The singer seems to feel that they were better off in their own little daydream, away from the world that they are pulled back into. They talk about chasing comets with a butterfly net, which could be interpreted as going after unattainable things or dreams. However, they feel that they were just slipping into their own little daydream. The singer also mentions someone whose heart was melted away by California plastic, making them not want to return. They state that they were perfect in their little daydream.
The chorus talks about the stars in the other person’s eyes, stating that they are burning them alive. The singer feels that they were better off in their own world, alone, and not falling for something that they made up. However, they seem to be getting bored with their reality, and find themselves getting tangled in something that they can’t help. The song ends with the repetition of “Na, na na na, na na na,” and the phrase “I was better off left alone” repeated four times.
Line by Line Meaning
I was swimming slowly through the pools in my head
I was lost in my own thoughts.
When I felt a cold hand wrap around my throat
Something interrupted my thoughts and made me feel anxious.
And pull me out of my little day dream.
The interruption forced me out of my own world.
The stars in your eyes they are burning you alive.
Your intense feelings are consuming you.
I was better off all alone in my own world.
I'm happier when I'm lost in my own thoughts and not distracted by others.
I'm not gonna fall for something I made up.
I won't let my own imagination deceive me.
I was sailing backwards through the wind in my head
I was struggling with my own thoughts and emotions.
When I saw the lights turn on and you were dragging me out
Something or someone brought me back to reality and away from my own thoughts.
I was chasing comets with a butterfly net
I was pursuing something unrealistic or unattainable.
California plastic melted your heart away
You were charmed by something that was ultimately shallow or superficial.
And I'm never gonna go back again
I won't make the same mistake twice.
I was just perfect here in my little day dream.
I was happier and content in my own imagination.
I was better off left alone.
I am happier and more fulfilled by my own thoughts and alone time.
Stars in your eyes…they drag me away this time.
Your intense feelings or allure is pulling me in even though I know it's not good for me.
I get so bored, everything is working out just fine,
When things are going well, I find myself seeking out trouble or distractions.
That I have to get tangled in something.
I feel the need to get caught up in something dramatic or exciting.
I can't help myself.
I'm drawn to drama or excitement even if it's not good for me.
Na, na na na, na na na. (I was better off left alone) (x4)
Reiterating the idea that I am happier when left to my own thoughts and devices.
Contributed by Zoe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.