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/
The Day I Died
Five for Fighting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You next to me
You said Good Morning
Are you Free
The sun crept in
For one last time
I was alive the day I died
But did not care
I saw a child
In my old chair
A shadow fell across your face
But all the years
Could not erase
I was alive, I was alive
You pulled me close
I held you tight
Though my smiles told a few lies
I was alive the day I died
I was the first to see a star
It seemed so close
It was so far
Wind started to roar
Screamed time to go
You know all you need
You need all you know
I was alive, I was alive
You pulled me close
I held you tight
And though our smiles told a few lies
I was alive the day I died
Oh Sweet Angel you call
Oh Sweet Angel you call
Oh Sweet Angel
White went black
Black went white
Universe cracked
I saw the light
You called my name
I did not respond
But I heard you well
Carried you on
Midnight came and I was gone
The planet shrugged and moved along
A few people noticed and sang my songs
I was alive the day I died
I was alive the day I died
The Day I Died by Five for Fighting is a contemplative ballad that reflects on life, death, and love. The first verse begins with the singer waking up with their loved one beside them, asking if they are free. The use of the words "free" implies a sense of liberation or freedom, and it could indicate the start of a new beginning. In the second and third lines, the singer acknowledges the sun creeping in, which contrasts with the inevitability of death. It implies that the time has come for the singer to seize the day and make the most of it.
The second verse begins with the clock striking noon but not caring, which captures the fleeting nature of time. This is followed by a child in the singer's old chair, which highlights the passage of time and the idea that nothing is permanent. The use of the word 'shadow' indicates something vague or uncertain, and the next line suggests that it's something that cannot be undone. The chorus is repeated, and the singer is still alive- despite the foreboding ending.
The third verse talks about the singer seeing a star that seems close but is far away, which is a metaphor for life. The following line references the wind, which could represent the changes that come with life, and the need to seize the moment. This is followed by another chorus that repeats itself, emphasizing that the singer is still alive, despite the fact that death is imminent.
The bridge of the song introduces a Sweet Angel, perhaps a representation of death. It's possible that the singer is calling out to death, and it's elaborated further through the use of colors. The use of white and black contrasts with the universe cracking and the singer seeing the light. The final line implies that the Sweet Angel carries the singer on into the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up
I became conscious after a period of being unconscious
You next to me
You were lying beside me
You said Good Morning
You greeted me with a good morning
Are you Free
You asked me if I had any prior engagements
The sun crept in
Sunlight entered the room slowly
For one last time
For the final occasion
I was alive the day I died
I felt alive despite the fact that I would soon pass away
The clock struck noon
The time was twelve in the afternoon
But did not care
I didn't worry too much about the exact time
I saw a child
I observed a young human
In my old chair
The child was sitting in the chair I used to sit in
A shadow fell across your face
Your facial expression became shaded or obscured for a moment
But all the years
Despite all the time that has passed
Could not erase
The memories and feelings remained intact and unchanged
You pulled me close
You brought me in close proximity to you
I held you tight
I embraced you firmly
Though my smiles told a few lies
Despite my seeming happiness, I was not completely truthful about my emotional state
I was the first to see a star
I spotted a celestial object in the sky before anyone else did
It seemed so close
The star appeared to be nearby
It was so far
In reality, the star was distant
Wind started to roar
A strong gust of wind began to make a loud noise
Screamed time to go
The wind seemed to indicate that it was time to depart
You know all you need
You possess everything required
You need all you know
Your current knowledge is sufficient
Oh Sweet Angel you call
I hear you beckon me, sweet angel
White went black
Brightness transformed into darkness
Black went white
Darkness turned into lightness
Universe cracked
The universe seemed to fracture
I saw the light
I had a moment of enlightenment or transcendence
You called my name
You spoke my name aloud
I did not respond
I did not react or answer
But I heard you well
I could hear you and understood you clearly
Carried you on
I helped you to continue or advance
Midnight came and I was gone
At midnight, I had passed away
The planet shrugged and moved along
The rest of the world went about its business as usual
A few people noticed and sang my songs
Some individuals were aware of my existence and recognized my artistic work
I was alive the day I died
I felt a sense of vibrancy and vitality even in the face of my own demise
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN ONDRASIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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