In November 2004 Five Times August’s song “Better With You” was featured in MTV’s hit show Laguna Beach. The series’ music supervisor had found the song at random via online web portal CDBaby.com. By the end of the year that exposure had snowballed into an underground following for the one-man band, catapulting Myspace listens and iTunes sales. By Spring ’06 Five Times August was a national touring artist, performing solo acoustic shows across the country (to date FTA has performed in 43 of the 50 states). More song placements soon followed, with features on networks ranging from The CW and MTV to ABC, FOX and Lifetime, among many others. In 2007 Five Times August became the first unsigned act in history to accomplish national distribution through Wal-Mart stores.
It doesn’t stop there. Most recently you may have heard Five Times August in a national GMC commercial promoting their big summer savings event. Also, if you own any of HBO’s 2009 DVD releases, you’ll most likely be hearing the song “Do It Again” in a quick ad before the menu pops up.
“Life As A Song” is a twelve-track collection of Five Times August’s most popular songs in recent years. Based on fan favorites and the most licensed songs, Skistimas went back into the studio with Grammy Award winner Andy Zulla (Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, Rod Stewart) to polish and shine each song for more commercial success, re-recording many of the tune’s instrumentation and vocals from the ground up. “It’s an album of growth and change,” Skistimas says about the quazi “best of” album. “At the start of the album you’ll find me where I was as a songwriter, more innocent and raw. By the end you’ll see I’m not the same songwriter anymore, there’s a deeper outlook on life in the newer songs.”
The album includes new mainstream versions of underground college cult-hits like “Up To Me” and “Better With You” (the latter has sold 58,000 digital singles to date). Alongside those fan favorites, the album also includes a few new songs, one being the stand out piano ballad “Break,” which shadows influence from Nilsson’s classic hit “Without You.” Brad explains “the beauty of this album is that even though a lot of my fans may know the songs already, it’s going to be a brand new listening experience for them. They are going to hear these songs as if for the first time.” Skistimas’ mind rests knowing songs like “Wherever” and “The Lighting” finally sound like he had always envisioned.
Brad is furthering the expansion of Five Times August with a new concrete touring band. After spending the last three years touring solo, Skistimas is changing gears on the road, transitioning his intimate set list into a full on concert experience. Five Times August will be on several national tours surrounding the release of “Life As A Song,” in stores October 13th, 2009.
Mystery to Me
Five Times August Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would rather be just someone that made you proud
I just wanna be myself, rather than be someone else
I just wanna have some mystery
But I don't want to be the joke of the day
I don't you need you laughing at all the mistakes I've made
Cause you already know me, and I'm already showing
Days are passing, hours lasting, but I'll be someone soon
Call me crazy, but I'm amazing, and I will show you too
Cause I am a mystery
Don't you see anything you thought I was?
Everything I wasn't was because you never heard me
Cause I am a mystery
The song "Mystery To Me" by Five Times August tackles the idea of wanting to be seen as unique and mysterious, while also acknowledging the fear of being misunderstood or ridiculed. The opening lines express a desire to not be the center of attention or to conform to societal expectations, but rather to simply be true to oneself and earn the respect and admiration of others. The chorus repeats the phrase "I just wanna have some mystery," which can be interpreted as a desire for others to see the depth and complexity within oneself, rather than simply putting on a facade.
However, the second verse introduces the apprehension of being judged and laughed at by others, particularly if they already know the singer well. This fear stems from the fact that they feel like there is no mystery left to discover about themselves, making them vulnerable to criticism and mockery. Nonetheless, the final verse offers a glimmer of hope and confidence, as the singer declares their uniqueness and promises to impress those who doubted them.
Overall, "Mystery To Me" is a relatable anthem for anyone who has wished to be seen as special and enigmatic, but also struggled with the fear of rejection and humiliation. The song encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and not be afraid to let their true selves shine.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna be the life of the crowd
I don't want to be the center of attention amongst a group of people
I would rather be just someone that made you proud
I prefer to be someone who can make you proud of me
I just wanna be myself, rather than be someone else
I want to remain true to my own personality and not be someone else
I just wanna have some mystery
I want to have an air of enigma around me
But I don't want to be the joke of the day
However, I don't want to become the subject of ridicule
I don't you need you laughing at all the mistakes I've made
I don't want you to laugh at my mistakes
Cause you already know me, and I'm already showing
Because you already know me well and I don't need to pretend
There's no mystery to me
As a result, I am easily understood without any element of mystery
Days are passing, hours lasting, but I'll be someone soon
Time is moving but I'm still evolving as an individual
Call me crazy, but I'm amazing, and I will show you too
I may seem irrational to you, but I have the ability to accomplish great things and will demonstrate that to you
Cause I am a mystery
It's because I have a quality of being difficult to understand or explain
Don't you see anything you thought I was?
Can't you see that what you have perceived me to be is not entirely accurate?
Everything I wasn't was because you never heard me
Misconceptions about me were formed because you never gave me the opportunity to express myself
Cause I am a mystery
This lingers because I still have an element of inscrutability around me
Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Caleb Cardell
This teaching is filled with revelation! I may have to watch it twice to let it all sink in haha...are there any resources that speak about times and seasons? I'd like to learn more about this
Susan Ramirez
Caleb Cardell yes, I would love to know what the rest of the opposites meant in chapter 3. 7 were covered. 7 left.
Troy your teaching is so wonderful! This should be known by all Gods people. Thank you!
Sylvannia Young
God put on my heart to study what seasons significance were. This has helped a lot. Thank you
Marcus the Darkness
Eye-opening! Life changing, even.
Is there somewhere I can get this full teaching?
Richard Bowman
I'm just totally amazed by his teaching skills.hes truly a man of God.
R.x0
So good love the revelation! :)
Kelly McClure
I ❤️ the way he explains deep, complex things in such a simple way!! I love hearing him teach!! His subjects are very relevant.
King Terrence
WOW , MAN OF GOD I CHERISH THIS TEACHING... BEEN HAD BITS N PIECES OF DIFFERENT Of THIS REVLATION AT DIFFERENT TIMES N THE LORD HAS USED YOI TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER FOR ME. HALELUYAH... PRAISE GOD
Pee W
For years, I’ve been searching to understand why my life has a distinct pattern of 9! Eg I was born, married, born again on a 9. My daughter, mum and husband were born on a 9 and my parents and daughters have 9 year gap. There are other 9’s too but I couldn’t understand the God purpose for this design in my life.
It is amazing to finally have an answer through this video.
Katy Wolfe
Thank you much, Troy...I enjoy and learn much from you. Plz, keep the teachings coming!!