Both as a band and as individuals, Awake At Last continue to stand for positivity, spirituality, self-help and making an impact every single day. After the successful release of their debut full-length, The Change, they have returned with a brand new single THIS MEANS WAR featuring lead singer Rick DeJesus of band Adelitas Way. Released on June 26th, the song originally was written about a post-apocalyptic world that can be seen reflected in the track's artwork. However with everything happening in the world, the song took on a double meaning. "To stand up and use your voice to fight for what you believe in, to be the change you want to see reflected in the world." says lead singer Vincent Torres. The lyric video shows imagery of both the recent Black Lives Matter protests as well as the viral footage of Flint, Michigan police sergeant Chris Swanson and his men marching together in unity with the protestors and allowing their voices to be heard.
The collaboration came about after having done dates together with Adelitas Way in May 2019, which sparked a friendship between the two bands. Awake At Last and Rick hung out together in Las Vegas on an off day of the Octane Accelerator Tour in Las Vegas and the idea was sparked. Rick Dejesus commented "I loved the song the second I heard the original demo! Awake At Last is a hard working band and I believe they are capable of having a long bright future. I always love teaming up with friends and This Means War is a hit song that I was excited to be a part of!"
The band's debut full length album The Change. was a massive success - earning some impressive first week chart placings - #2 on the Heatseeker Chart, #3 Hard Music Album, #8 Independent Album and #27 Top Billboard Albums, after selling a combined 3700 units week 1 alone. The response from fans has been βastronomical and amazingβ, and has only served to make them more intent to get their message out there. βWe pushed ourselves to our limits as songwriters,β states guitarist Imran Xhelili. βThere is more variety on this record and there are songs that lean in a heavier rock/metal direction with other songs being a lot lighter and more dynamic. All of the choruses on this album have huge hooks, and there are more sections that are less guitar heavy and carried by different elements, like pianos and orchestral instruments. The lyrics are also more direct in how they carry across the messages we have always had at the forefront of our music.β While making waves with their previous output, this combination is the sound of a band who have truly come into their own, and this has been borne out in the critical reception, with Devolution magazine writing βDriven by a βnothing worth having comes easyβ spirit, full of anthems for self-belief, and a resource for self-help, Awake At Lastβs solid soul-baring gem sounds young and fresh β and is full of encouragement to live, love and follow your dreams.β From front to back, every song carries a message of hope. Having commenced writing for it even before the release of their Life/Death/Rebirth EP in 2017, the finished result is not something that came easily. βWe all had demons we had to battle mentally and physically,β explains vocalist Vincent Torres. βYou wouldn't believe the pressure that comes down on you when you begin the process for a full length record. After we pushed through the turmoil and embraced the wonderful things that came as a reward it became pretty clear that what we had made should be called The Change. I think this is a perfect name, because it represents the spiritual evolution that we all went through.β
The band went on to achieve a lot in 2019 after the initial successful charting of the album on Billboard - going out to support From Ashes To New and Palisades immediately upon its release, and performing mainstage on massive rock festivals such as InkCarceration Fest and ROCK USA that summer. They then went on to open the Octane Accelerator Tour in the fall alongside Ice Nine Kills, Fit For A King and Light The Torch. Sirius Octane went out to play four songs off of the album to help champion the band - rounded out by guitarist Eric Blackway and drummer Jon Finney - giving four tracks from The Change extensive airplay, helping to get their core message of positivity out to the masses as they continue to place their fans first, and wanting to do all that they can to help improve their quality of life. βI want people to understand the symbiotic relationship between a band and its fanbase and I want them to feel like they're along for the ride with us,β Torres states. βWe are a band that is built on the foundation of endurance and perseverance, and nothing we've accomplished has been easily accessed. I want our fans to know that the reason we are able to live this dream is because they continue to support us and allow us to do so, but most of all I want them to understand that whatever it is that nurtures their soul can also be obtainable if they strive for it and believe in themselves.β Xhelili expounds on this, noting βAs individuals, it can feel hard at times to find our own identity and our individual greater purpose. It all may feel rather heavy and bog us down constantly. However, we are here to take a stand and try to rise above all of that and be a respite for all of the darkness around us, as a shining light.β The casual listener also might be unaware of the interconnectedness of Awake At Lastβs releases, with Torres explaining that thereβs a deep-rooted storyline following a character on their journey through multiple lives. The Change in fact serves as a direct sequel to Life/Death/Rebirth.
Congratulations
Awake At Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mama called, seen you on TV,
Said shit done changed ever since we was on
I dreamed it all ever since I was young
They said I wouldnβ²t be nothing
Now they always say congratulations
Worked so hard, forgot how to vacation
People hatinβ², say we changed and look we made it
Yeah, we made it
They was never friendly,
Now I'm jumping out the Bentley,
And I know I sound dramatic,
But I knew I had to have it,
For the money, I'm a savage,
Got me itching like a habit,
Iβ²m surrounded twenty bad chicks,
But they didnβ²t know me last year, yeah,
Everyone wanna act like they important
But all that mean nothing when I saw my dog
(Yeah-yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)
Everyone counting on me drop the ball
(Yeah-yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)
Everything custom like I'm at the border.
If you fuck with winning, put your lighters to the sky
How could I make sense when I got millions on my mind?
Coming with that nonsense, I just put it to the side
Balling since a baby, they could see it in my eyes.
PRE CHORUS
My mama called, seen you on TV, son
Said shit done changed ever since we was on.
I dreamed it all ever since I was young
They said I wouldnβ²t be nothing
Now they always say congratulations
Worked so hard, forgot how to vacation
They ain't never had the dedication
People hatinβ², say we changed and look we made it
Yeah, we made it
Patient,
I was patient,
Now I can scream that we made it
Now everyone, everywhere I go, they say 'gratulations,
Gratulations,
My life is all rock and I roll, baby
Iβ²m looking for some one to call, baby
But right now, I got a situation,
The dreams is turned into desperation,
Whiskey, champagne,
It's time now, to play the game,
I take from the safe though,
But I haven't scored,
If you fuck with winning, put your lighters to the sky
How could I make sense when I got millions on my mind?
Coming with that nonsense, I just put it to the side
Balling since a baby, they could see it in my eyes.
Now they always say congratulations
PRECHORUS/ CHORUS
My mama called, seen you on TV,
Said shit done changed ever since we was on.
I dreamed it all ever since I was young
They said I wouldnβ²t be nothing-
Now they always say congratulations
Worked so hard, forgot how to vacation
They ainβ²t never had the dedication
They say we changed,
But look, we made it,
Yeah, we made it
(Hey ay, hey ay)
END
The lyrics to "Congratulations" by Awake At Last are about the singer's journey from being told he would never succeed to reaching the pinnacle of success. He describes how his mother called him after seeing him on TV and how his life changed since they were poor. Despite being told he would be nothing, he never let go of his dreams of making it big in the music industry. Now that he has made it, people who used to hate are congratulating him, but he can see through their insincerity. He reflects on how he had to put in a lot of hard work, forgot how to vacation and dedicated himself to achieving his dream.
Throughout the song, the singer also talks about the challenges he faced when he was struggling to make it. He had to deal with people who were never friendly and didn't believe in him. But he knew he had to have it all, for the money, and was itching like a habit. However, now that he has achieved his dream, he realizes that the people who used to hate him still act like they are important. Despite this, none of it holds meaning because he remembers the people who have always been there for him, like his dog, and how he has made it because of his dedication, hard work, and talent.
Line by Line Meaning
My mama called, seen you on TV,
My mother called and told me she saw you on television
Said shit done changed ever since we was on.
She noticed that things have changed for us since we became famous
I dreamed it all ever since I was young
I have been dreaming of achieving success since I was young
They said I wouldn't be nothing
People doubted my ability to succeed
Now they always say congratulations
Now people are congratulating me on my success
Worked so hard, forgot how to vacation
I worked so hard that I forgot how to relax and take a vacation
They ain't never had the dedication
The people who doubted me never had the same level of dedication as I did
People hatin', say we changed and look we made it
Some people are jealous and think I have changed, but I have still achieved my dreams
Yeah, we made it
Yes, we have achieved our goals
They was never friendly,
Some people were never kind or supportive
Now I'm jumping out the Bentley,
Now I have a luxury car that I am proud of
And I know I sound dramatic,
I am aware that I may come across as overly emotional
But I knew I had to have it,
But I knew that I wanted the luxury car no matter what
For the money, I'm a savage,
I am willing to do whatever it takes to make money and succeed
Got me itching like a habit,
My drive to succeed is almost like an addiction
I'm surrounded twenty bad chicks,
I am surrounded by many attractive women
But they didn't know me last year, yeah,
But these same women did not know me before I became successful
Everyone wanna act like they important
Many people want to act like they are important, but their opinions do not matter to me
But all that mean nothing when I saw my dog
Seeing my dog is more important and meaningful to me than impressing others
Everyone counting on me drop the ball
Many people are expecting me to fail or make a mistake
Everything custom like I'm at the border.
Everything I have is customized to my liking, almost as if I am at a border
If you fuck with winning, put your lighters to the sky
If you support success, raise your lighters in the air
How could I make sense when I got millions on my mind?
It is difficult for me to focus or make sense of things when I am thinking about my success and wealth
Coming with that nonsense, I just put it to the side
When others bring negativity or drama to me, I ignore it and focus on my success
Balling since a baby, they could see it in my eyes.
I have had the drive to succeed since I was very young, and others could see that in my eyes
Patient, I was patient,
I had to be patient to achieve my goals
Now I can scream that we made it
Now that we have succeeded, I can take pride in it and celebrate
Now everyone, everywhere I go, they say 'gratulations
Wherever I go, people congratulate me on my success
Gratulations,
Congratulations
My life is all rock and I roll, baby
My life is filled with excitement and adventure, baby
I'm looking for some one to call, baby
I am looking for someone to love and share my success with
But right now, I got a situation,
Right now, I am focusing on my current situation of success
The dreams is turned into desperation,
The dreams I had have become a desperate need for success
Whiskey, champagne,
I am indulging in alcohol to celebrate my success
It's time now, to play the game,
It is now time to enjoy the perks and benefits of my success
I take from the safe though,
I am able to take money from my safe because of my success
But I haven't scored,
But I have not found the love I am looking for
Hey ay, hey ay
Repetitive refrain used to add emphasis and energy to the song
Writer(s): Leland Tyler Wayne, Austin Richard Post, Adam King Feeney, Louis Bell, Carl Austin Rosen, Quavious Keyate Marshall
Contributed by Elena O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GhostKillerEntertainment
How the hell does this not have more views?! This cover was beautiful as hell!
@GabeKubanda
promote it!
@ErynBleedForYou
Yes Vincent! Those vocals are killer dude! π€
@stevesoo8484
Dammit, how did I go nearly one and a half years without this amazing cover?!?!
@hannahalvarez9441
Love Awake at Last! Loved is Post song but AWA's cover is amazing. Awesome vocals Vincent! Can't wait to see them live again. Saw them Octane Accelerator Tour Balasco Theater Los Angeles.
@sanduicheiche4184
Como eu adoro essa banda,ficou muito bom
@jasminechavez7653
This cover is freaky awesome banger I enjoyed this cover and music video vocals are awesome you rock way to go guys you rock love yβall π₯πβ€οΈπ€π€
@julesluv9161
Love this cover itβs incredible. I wish it were available on Spotify so I can put it on my playlist.
@IvanJonesMusic
Julesluv91 it is for me
@julesluv9161
I got an email saying new songs came out and I saved it ASAP!