John Ondrasik was born in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. He grew up there in a musical family, with his mother teaching him the piano from the age of two. As a teenager, he learned how to play the guitar as well and started to write music. While he also learned to sing opera briefly, he quickly decided that he would like to be a piano playing popular musician along the lines of Elton John and Billy Joel. Ondrasik adopted the name "Five for Fighting" which is an expression in ice hockey when a player is sent from the rink by the referee for a major penalty. The name was used for the reason that it would be more memorable than his real name.
In 1997, his first album, 'Message for Albert', was released by EMI. Although not quite breaking through commercially, fans of modern singer-songwriter music provided a warm audience for Ondrasik. After the success of 'America Town', Capitol Records re-released this debut album to give it a more mainstream audience.
In 2000, Ondrasik signed with the aforementioned Columbia Records and released 'America Town' on September 26, 2000. At first, it made little impact until track "Superman (It's Not Easy)" became an American anthem after the September 11 attacks. Ondrasik performed the song at 'The Concert for New York Cit'y in late 2001.
"Superman (It's Not Easy)" started climbing the charts reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Top 40. While 'America Town' itself failed to make the top 50 of the Billboard 200 album charts, its consistent sales led to it going platinum. "Superman (It's Not Easy)" was also an international hit reaching number one on a composite adult international chart (based on performance in the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Australia). Ondrasik's second single, "Easy Tonight", would make the top 20 of the world adult chart as well as going top 20 in New Zealand.
His third album, 'The Battle for Everything', debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 in February 2004. Its first single, "100 Years", was another top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and again reached number one on the World Adult Top 40. It also was number one on a composite world airplay chart and top 10 on a composite world modern rock chart. (based on USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Canada and Australia).
The Five for Fighting song "100 Years" was used in a ubiquitous JP Morgan Chase commercial, and more recently in an episode of Scrubs. The song was also used in the last scenes of the final episode of JAG.
Lately, Ondrasik's sixth album, 2013's 'Bookmarks', came out after a four year gap between his last release. The album has received critical praise from a variety of publications such as Allmusic, where the reviewer lauded how Five for Fighting produced " sturdy tunes wrapped up neatly in a shiny, appealing gloss". Released by the label Universal, his work also hit the #54 slot on the Billboard 200, with his fans happily looking forwards to his future endeavors.
See more at: http://www.fiveforfighting.com/
Angels & Girlfriends
Five for Fighting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said I love you more
I said I love you not
And all the while I stood in line at the paint shop
She said I'll take you where you'll never go again
I'll be your only love
You'll be my only friend
Angels never come for free
If you know what I know you know what I mean
You can love 'em now, you can love em later
Girlfriends never fall for fun
They can tie you up make you come undone
You can learn to fly, but you can't create her
She led me down though a forest of wooden chairs
As she ate my lunch I looked out for bears
And in a sense you could say she snared my attention
She said I am your perfect finality
And as I got her off she got off her knees
And for my grind I got honorable mention
Everybody needs one
Everybody's bound
Everybody swings upon the merry-go-round
Girlfriends never fall for fun
They can tear you up make you come undone
So now I'm stuck in this pineapple parking lot
I had what I was now I'm what I got
And if I may, may I lend you some kind of direction
If you go you may never come back again
She's my only love
She my only friend
And for that there is no kind of protection
Everybody needs one
Everybody's bound
Everybody swings and meanwhile Mary Goes Around
Angels never come for free
If you know what I know you know what I mean
1st you hate to love and then you love to hate her
Girlfriends never fall alone
Now you know what I know you know what I've known
I'll see you now, and I'll see you later
I'll see you later
I think I can save her
I wish I could date her
Five for Fighting's song "Angels & Girlfriends" depicts the complex and often-troubled relationships between men and women. The song's lyrics begin in a seemingly mundane location, a pineapple parking lot, but quickly take a turn for the intense. The singer meets a woman who initially claims to love him more than he loves her. As they spend time together, she promises to take him to places he's never been before, but it's clear that there is a cost involved - angels never come for free. The singer then describes the challenges of having a girlfriend, who can both tie you up and make you come undone.
As the song progresses, the relationship between the singer and the woman becomes even more fraught. She takes him through a forest of wooden chairs, and as she eats his lunch, he is on the lookout for bears. Despite the danger, the woman promises him that she is the "perfect finality" for him. The song ends with the singer trapped in the pineapple parking lot, reflecting on his newfound situation - he had what he was, and now he is what he's got.
The song's lyrics are complex and layered, suggesting that love is never simple and comes with its own set of risks and rewards. The singer's relationship with the woman is complicated and fraught with tension, highlighting the idea that love can be both transformative and dangerous. Ultimately, "Angels & Girlfriends" serves as a reflection on the highs and lows of romantic relationships, and the ways in which they can shape our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I met her down at a Pineapple Parking lot
I met her at a random place
She said I love you more
She expressed her love towards me
I said I love you not
I did not reciprocate her love
And all the while I stood in line at the paint shop
I was occupied with something else
She said I'll take you where you'll never go again
She promised to show me new experiences
I'll be your only love
She promised to love only me
You'll be my only friend
She expected me to be her friend too
And for your time I'll let you dine at my office
She offered me her hospitality
Angels never come for free
Good things come with a price
If you know what I know you know what I mean
If you understand me, then you know the truth
You can love 'em now, you can love em later
You can date someone now or later
Girlfriends never fall for fun
Girls don't easily fall in love for amusement
They can tie you up make you come undone
They can confuse and hurt you
You can learn to fly, but you can't create her
You can become a better person, but you can't change her
She led me down though a forest of wooden chairs
She took me to an unexpected place
As she ate my lunch I looked out for bears
As she enjoyed her food, I was still cautious
And in a sense you could say she snared my attention
She caught and held my attention
She said I am your perfect finality
She claimed to be my perfect partner
And as I got her off she got off her knees
As we became intimate, she showed submission
And for my grind I got honorable mention
I got appreciation for my efforts
Everybody needs one
Everyone needs a companion
Everybody's bound
Everyone is destined
Everybody swings upon the merry-go-round
Everyone has ups and downs in life
So now I'm stuck in this pineapple parking lot
Now I am stuck in an unexpected situation
I had what I was now I'm what I got
I had something, but now I have nothing
And if I may, may I lend you some kind of direction
Can I guide you in some way?
If you go you may never come back again
If you leave, you may lose everything
She's my only love
She is my one and only love
She my only friend
She is also my friend
And for that there is no kind of protection
There is no protection for what we have
1st you hate to love and then you love to hate her
First you don't like her, then you fall in love, then you break up and hate her
Girlfriends never fall alone
Girls always have motives behind falling in love
Now you know what I know you know what I've known
Now you understand what I have gone through
I'll see you now, and I'll see you later
I will see you again
I think I can save her
I believe I can help her
I wish I could date her
I wish we were still together
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN ONDRASIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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