The band is well known for their relatively frequent lineup changes, which, most notably, involves a fluctuating lineup of vocalists, both on tour and on record. Dance Gavin Dance incorporates many different musical genres into their palette, such as math rock, funk, and soul on top of its post-hardcore sound. Ex-vocalist Jonny Craig also received high marks for contributing to the band's unorthodox soul sound and guitarist Will Swan has been recognized for his intricate, fast-moving guitar licks and riffs.
The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, guitarists Will Swan and Andrew Wells and drummer Matthew Mingus.
To date, the band has released ten studio albums, two live albums and one EP. Their most recent album, entitled Jackpot Juicer was released in 2022.
Discography:
November 14, 2006 - Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean
May 15, 2007 - Downtown Battle Mountain
August 19, 2008 - Dance Gavin Dance
June 9, 2009 - Happiness
March 8, 2011 - Downtown Battle Mountain II
October 8, 2013 - Acceptance Speech
April 14, 2015 - Instant Gratification
October 7, 2016 - Mothership
June 8, 2018 - Artificial Selection
April 24, 2020 - Afterburner
July 29, 2022 - Jackpot Juicer
All of Dance Gavin Dance's records have been released on Rise Records.
Band Members:
Jonathan Mess - harsh vocals (2005–2008; 2010–present)
Will Swan - guitars (2005–present); harsh vocals (2008–2010), bass guitar (2022-present)
Tilian Pearson - clean vocals (2012–present)
Matt Mingus - drums, percussion (2005–present)
Andrew Wells - guitars, clean vocals, bass guitar (2021-present; touring 2015-2021)
Sergio Medina - rhythm guitar, bass guitar (touring 2021-present)
Former Members:
Jonny Craig – clean vocals (2005–2007; 2010–2012; touring 2015, 2016)
Kurt Travis – clean & harsh vocals (2007–2010; touring 2012, 2015, 2016)
Alvaro Alcala – guitar (2005-2006)
Sean O'Sullivan – guitar (2006–2007; touring 2010)
Zachary Garren – guitar (2007–2010; touring 2015)
Josh Benton - guitar (2010-2014)
Eric Lodge – bass guitar (2005–2008; 2010–2012)
Jason Ellis – bass guitar (2008–2009)
Tim Feerick – bass guitar (2009–2010; 2012–2022; died 2022)
Former touring members:
Matt Geise – clean vocals (2012)
Dan Snook – guitar (2010)
Aric Garcia - guitar (2014-2015)
Alex Whitcomb - guitar (2015)
Tony Marks – bass guitar (2010)
Jordan McCoy – bass guitar (2011–2012)
Turn Off The Lights I'm Watching Back To The Future
Dance Gavin Dance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Discard the body, pop some pills and you'll be find
Purge, then binge, restart and, insert the sutures
Turn off the lights, I'm watching back to the future
Before we go to far I wont let you take this light
Breath in all mistakes without coming clean
Into hobbling faith. no one I wanna know
Cause we laughed at assimilation
Is this surreal tonight ill go far and ill ride
Go on a brush me off. Brush me off brush me off
Waltzing right into the bank
They said that you have got a map of my insides
Purge, then binge, pop some pills and you'll be fine
Stay back from our lungs
Coming off the lie I will separate.
It only looks only looks so far well fill these holes
Now I am you
Remove the ribs if you can't lean sideways
I thought my words would have mass appeal
Costs your life, sly as always
I thought my words would have mass appeal
Cover your eyes
I've stabbed you in the back
You stop this, I can't
Please stop me
Right here
I wont do this again
I can't do this, I love you
For all of this shit
Why, why, help
The song "Turn Off The Lights I'm Watching Back To The Future" by Dance Gavin Dance is a complex song with rich lyrics that seem to touch on themes of addiction, denial, and control. The opening lines set a grim tone as they suggest the characters are involved in some kind of criminal activity, urging each other to "take the car" and "turn it into our alibis." The following lines reference purging and binging, likely alluding to some form of addiction, and the phrase "pop some pills and you'll be fine," emphasizes the idea of self-medication.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of denial and avoidance as the characters resist admitting their mistakes and coming clean. The line "Before we go too far, I won't let you take this light," suggests that someone is trying to stop the other from going too deep into a dark place, but it's not clear if this is a healthy or helpful intervention. Later in the song, there is a reference to removing ribs, perhaps alluding to the idea of changing oneself physically to fit an ideal or mask inner turmoil.
The final lines are a desperate cry for help, with the repeated phrase "why, why, help." It's unclear who is asking for help and from whom, but it seems the characters are in a place of deep pain and confusion, struggling with addiction and potentially trauma.
Overall, the lyrics of "Turn Off The Lights I'm Watching Back To The Future" are disorienting and challenging, evoking a sense of discomfort and unease as they explore difficult themes.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the car, and turn it into our alibis
Let's use the car as an excuse for our deeds
Discard the body, pop some pills and you'll be fine
Get rid of the evidence and use drugs to numb the guilt
Purge, then binge, restart and, insert the sutures
Cycle through self-destructive behavior and patch up the wounds
Turn off the lights, I'm watching back to the future
Let's reminisce on the past while avoiding the present
Before we go too far I won't let you take this light
I won't let you ruin the good thing we have going
Breathe in all mistakes without coming clean
Accept the faults without taking responsibility
Into hobbling faith. no one I wanna know
My beliefs are shaky and I don't want any involvement
Cause we laughed at assimilation
We rejected conforming to societal norms and values
Is this surreal tonight? Well go for all these wins
Let's make the most of this surreal moment and succeed
Is this surreal tonight ill go far and ill ride
I'm going to take advantage of this unreal experience and live it up
Go on a brush me off. Brush me off brush me off
Dismiss me, I can handle it
Waltzing right into the bank
Walking into the place of wealth and success with ease
They said that you have got a map of my insides
You know me so well, like a map of my inner self
Stay back from our lungs
Don't get too involved, give us space to breathe
Coming off the lie I will separate.
Breaking free from the lie, I will distance myself
It only looks only looks so far well fill these holes
Things appear better than they actually are, but we still need to patch up the flaws
Now I am you
We are the same now, we understand each other
Remove the ribs if you can't lean sideways
Make sacrifices if you need to adapt to the situation
I thought my words would have mass appeal
I thought my words would resonate with many people
Costs your life, sly as always
Even if it costs your life, you'll find a way to be sneaky
Cover your eyes, I've stabbed you in the back
Don't face reality, I've betrayed you
You stop this, I can't
I can't handle the situation, please take over
Please stop me
Help me restrain myself
Right here, I won't do this again
I'll stop here, I won't repeat this mistake
I can't do this, I love you
I can't continue with this destructive behavior, I care about you too much
For all of this shit, why, why, help
Why is there so much suffering, why won't someone help?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jonathan Mess, Jonny Craig, Matthew Mingus, William Swan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
s0urP0wer
This album has got to be one of the most innovative and evolutionary works of music. Its from 2007 and sounds like a recent album. Seriously good work
S
January 2007 which means they recorded it in 2006. Seriously ahead of their time.
Dalton Cooper
Craig's vocals when he first comes in are some of his best in my opinion. Pretty darn awesome song, like most of DGD's music.
ThaName'sLee
I love DGD no matter the singer. the group has been flawless since the start of their miraculous career. keep on keepin' on Dance Gavin Dance.
ThaName'sLee
+Chris Michael For real tho, his voice is like too good to say it's bad
Hhhh Hhhh
Hahahahaha, have you heard mothership?
s0urP0wer
Flawless? Have you HEARD Instant Gratification
Lightning6475
Diego Escobar Carrera Mothership is DGD best album m, tf you mean?
Tom Guerrero
3:07 gets me every time. Such a powerful moment idk why I feel that shit so hard.
OfTheDevilToRemember
Wow, I think this song contains Jonny's HIGHEST notes EVER sung, around the first minute mark - like, insane.