Five Iron Frenzy started as a local side-project of Reese, Keith, Micah, and Scott's band Exhumator. Although the original intent was for the band to stay local and help support the local music scene, Five Iron Frenzy (FIF, or Five Iron) signed to Frank Tate's 5 Minute Walk records in 1995 and was touring nationally within a year. They reached the peak of their fame around 2000, with the release of All The Hype That Money Can Buy. They were known for dressing up in wacky costumes and fundraising for social causes. In December 2002, they announced that they would be breaking up after a final tour. They played the final show of the tour on November 22, 2003 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, which was recorded for The End Is Here (disc 2) (this disc features that show in its entirety and was sold with the band's album, The End is Near). This show had an attendance of over 4,000 people.
On November 22, 2011, they announced via social media outlets and a week-long online scavenger hunt that they were recording a new album. The entire project was crowd funded in under an hour and met with a reunion show and touring. The results of the endeavor, Engine of a Million Plots, was released on November 26th, 2013. All members of the 2003 lineup participated in the project, with the exception of bassist Keith Hoerig, who was replaced by original guitarist Scott Kerr (who had left the band in 1998).
Ugly Day
Five Iron Frenzy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't think it ever could,
I'm the author of sappy love songs,
Trading in my bachelorhood.
Something snapped deep inside me,
Something that somebody said,
I felt the brush of angels wings then,
Your voice echoed in my head.
[Chorus:]
Ugly day the sun is shining,
Every cloud's got a silver lining.
Ugly day the skies are blue,
Now every day is ugly without you.
Are the one pure thing,
That I've always prayed for.
Scales are falling from my eyes,
I must have been so blind before.
I would lie down on the street,
To keep the dust off of your feet,
I would kneel each time I kissed you,
Anything Christie I miss you.
Today was an ugly one,
Just like all the others.
All the flowers and the birds,
Making me feel smothered.
I would lie down on the street,
To keep the dust off your feet,
I would kneel each time I kissed you,
Anything Christie I miss you.
The lyrics of Five Iron Frenzy's song "Ugly Day" describes the singer's change of heart towards love that he previously considered as insipid. The first verse of the song tells that he wrote love songs despite being a bachelor, but his life changed when somebody said something that touched him deeply. Something in him snapped, and he felt like he heard the brush of angel's wings while someone's voice echoed inside his head. He realized that he has fallen in love with Christie and everything has changed for him from that moment onwards.
In the chorus, they sing about an "ugly day" preceded by "every cloud's got a silver lining" which suggests that despite the setbacks and challenges of life, there is always hope for something better. The sunny day's beauty doesn't conceal its ugliness, and so the singer admits that he can't enjoy any day anymore without the presence of Christie. In the following verse, he again confesses that Christie is the only pure thing he's ever wanted in his life, and his eyes have opened up to the fact that he was blind before.
The last verse repeats the first verse with words unchanged, except for the starting line, which reads, "today was an ugly one, just like all the others." The final lines reveal his deep love and admiration for Christie, as he would do anything for her, even lie down on the street to keep the dust off her feet, and he misses her every day.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't believe this ever happened,
The singer is surprised that the events have unfolded in the way they have.
I didn't think it ever could,
The unexpected turn of events wasn't something the singer thought was possible.
I'm the author of sappy love songs,
The singer writes emotionally expressive love songs.
Trading in my bachelorhood.
The singer has committed to a serious relationship.
Something snapped deep inside me,
The singer has had a significant emotional realization.
Something that somebody said,
A comment from someone triggered this emotional realization.
I felt the brush of angels wings then,
The emotional realization brought a feeling of divine or supernatural presence.
Your voice echoed in my head.
The person the singer is addressing became the central focus of their thoughts and emotions.
Ugly day the sun is shining,
Despite the external appearance of a pleasant day, the singer is feeling the opposite.
Every cloud's got a silver lining.
Even in difficult circumstances, there is something positive to be found.
Ugly day the skies are blue,
Again, despite the blue skies associating with pleasing weather, the singer is having a distressing day.
Now every day is ugly without you.
The presence of the person the singer is addressing was a source of happiness, and now in their absence, every day feels unpleasant.
Are the one pure thing,
The person the song is addressing is an exceptional source of goodness, happiness, and positivity for the singer.
That I've always prayed for.
The person has been a deeply-felt desire of the singer's, for a long time.
Scales are falling from my eyes,
The singer is having a sobering realization about reality.
I must have been so blind before.
The singer is saying that they only now realize something to be true, which they were previously too naive to see.
I would lie down on the street,
The singer would go to any lengths to make the person happy.
To keep the dust off of your feet,
The singer wants the person's feet to stay clean and be protected.
I would kneel each time I kissed you,
The singer would show respect and admiration for the person with every kiss.
Anything Christie I miss you.
The person's absence is deeply felt, and the singer's emotions are overwhelming.
Today was an ugly one,
Like other days, today was not a good day for the singer.
Just like all the others.
The singer's distressing days have been consistent.
All the flowers and the birds,
The singer feels that nature is overbearing and is compounding their negative emotions.
Making me feel smothered.
The singer feels trapped and emotionally suffocated by their surroundings.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind