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/
Love Song
Five for Fighting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put away that bullshit, big boys they don't cry to their mommas
she'll be back soon
Put away your raincoat and make your bed
Take another bullet right to your head
Now, we're going on a picnic and we'll get there soon
And she says, maybe it's over
I say, don't go away from me
Now put away your dinner and have a snack
Tie your little brother up in a sack now
We're moving to the country and we'll get there soon (she says)
Now, pack up all the things that you don't deserve
Take another swing, well here comes a curve ball
I bet you can't hit it 'cause you'll swing to soon
And she says, maybe it's over
He says, there's plenty more fish in the sea
I say, don't go away, don't go away
Please don't go away, from me
But can you take it to hard
I'll never leave you
Take those damn pictures off of that shelf
Put away your mommy you don't need her
I found you a new one, she'll be here soon
And she says, my God it's over,
He says, I found another fish in the sea
I say, why me?
Why me?
Why me?
Why is it me?
The lyrics of Five for Fighting's Love Song present an emotionally charged message about the complexities of love and loss. The singer is attempting to console both himself and his friend over the loss of a loved one, most likely a romantic partner. The first verse suggests that the two individuals are attempting to ignore their pain and distract themselves as they wait for the return of the missing person. The second verse takes a more fatalistic tone and suggests that the loss may be permanent, and the singer warns his friend to prepare for the worst. The final verse, however, takes a more disturbing turn as the singer appears to suggest that the missing person has been replaced with another, implying that he is willing to take advantage of his friend's vulnerable emotional state to secure a new romantic partner.
Overall, the lyrics of Love Song can be interpreted as a deeply personal exploration of the destructive nature of grief and the desperation that often accompanies it. Through its powerful imagery and raw emotional intensity, the song highlights the importance of empathy and support in times of hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Put away your tears and your sleepy eyes
Stop crying and pretending to sleep; stop feeling sad about the situation.
Put away that bullshit, big boys they don't cry to their mommas
Stop pretending to be tough and hiding your emotions because real men don't cry in front of their mothers.
she'll be back soon
The woman will return shortly.
Put away your raincoat and make your bed
Take off your raincoat and organize your bed.
Take another bullet right to your head
Face another difficult task or challenge head-on, even though it may hurt like a bullet to the head.
Now, we're going on a picnic and we'll get there soon
Starting a new journey or adventure together with the hope of reaching their destination soon.
And she says, maybe it's over
The woman expresses uncertainty about their relationship being over.
He says, there's plenty more fish in the sea
The man suggests there are other potential partners out there.
I say, don't go away from me
The singer pleads for the person not to leave them.
Now put away your dinner and have a snack
Stop eating your dinner and have a small snack instead.
Tie your little brother up in a sack now
Make a funny joke and tie up your little brother in a sack.
We're moving to the country and we'll get there soon (she says)
Starting a new life together in the countryside with the expectation of reaching their destination soon.
Now, pack up all the things that you don't deserve
Pack up items that you don't feel worthy of or don't need anymore.
Take another swing, well here comes a curve ball
Face an unexpected challenge or obstacle that they have to hit head-on.
I bet you can't hit it 'cause you'll swing too soon
The challenge they are facing is difficult, and they may struggle to overcome it.
And she says, maybe it's over
The woman still expresses her uncertainty about their relationship being over.
He says, there's plenty more fish in the sea
The man reaffirms his earlier suggestion that there are other potential partners out there.
I say, don't go away, don't go away
The singer pleads once again for the person not to leave them.
Please don't go away, from me
Final plea for the person not to leave the singer.
But can you take it too hard
The singer asks if the person can handle the situation being difficult.
I'll never leave you
The reassurance from the singer that they will not give up on the relationship.
Take those damn pictures off of that shelf
The singer is clear that they would like the other person to remove pictures or memories of past relationships from their space.
Put away your mommy you don't need her
The person is fully grown and doesn't need their mother to intervene or make their decisions for them.
I found you a new one, she'll be here soon
The singer suggests that they have found someone new for the person and they will arrive soon.
And she says, my God it's over
The woman expresses that the relationship is finally over.
He says, I found another fish in the sea
The man confirms that he has moved on from the relationship and found someone new.
I say, why me?
The singer expresses their confusion and disappointment about why the relationship didn't work out.
Why me?
The question is repeated as the singer tries to understand why the relationship ended.
Why me?
The final and repeated question indicates the singer's continued struggle to find closure about the relationship ending.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN ONDRASIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Templeton
Always a band that can allow me to close my eyes and blast me back to a time that was much simpler. 90's was (to me anyways) was the last of simple times, phonebooths were still available, gas was under a $1, people made time for each other, toys r us was every kids dream toy store, although Seattle still looked grungy lol it's sorta the theme.
xXAnimexSkaterXx
This band never dissapoints :-)
Sandra Markowitz
A beautifully tragic song. I love it and it makes me so sad I don't want to listen ... but I can't stop.
thehoosierfortheUK
Funky yet affectionate. jazzy yet smooth. Five For Fighting
thewishingwell
I've never heard this song before. Beautiful, but sad.
monochromaticpurple
I love this song, but I think I like the older version of it better. I have the tape that has the older version..it's more melancholy, but i still love this song :>
VJ Abueva
i head many alot of five for fighting songs when i was 4 and i just listen the song everyday at my mom's former working place. im 13 now and i still luv five for fighting
dolceice
i luv this song veryvery much!!
Bridges to the Unknown
Superman (It's Not Easy) was on this same album...this is still my favorite song from there.
Savage01st
In the feels