They began touring across Canada in a van, with little to eat and nothing but their dreams keeping them going. In 1997, they managed to release a self-titled debut album through the Quebec-based Stomp Records, which they would follow up with the Running Season LP two years later. During this time they also managed to film a video for their song "Sonia Bianchi", which received air time on Much Music.
By 2000, the band had established an impressive touring schedule and had added the word "Brown" to their name. They then released another self-titled album (under the new name) through Union 2112 (the new version of Stomp, which had recently merged with 2112 Records).
Midway through their 2002 tour, the band was contacted by Rob Cavallo, a man who was adored by the band members. Rob flew the band to Los Angeles, originally to record a two song demo, but this quickly turned in to a record deal with Hollywood Records. In April 2003, the band released their major label debut, My Degeneration, an album they deemed to be a "culmination of a 6 year career of living on the edge between a dream and despair". The album featured many re-recorded, old favourites along with some new material.
The band would once again go on a long tour, this time to promote their new album. They would play various popular festivals such as Warped Tour, Lollapalooza and Snow Jam.
In 2005, it was announced that they would be recording a new album with Hollywood Records called Blue. The album was completed in early 2006 and the band released two songs, "Save it for Later" and "I'm a Human", on their website. In April, the album was then released in advance on iTunes. The album's release date was then set for June 6.
Also in April 2006, it was announced by Matt Hughes on the Flashlight Brown forums that Mike Conroy would be leaving the band for personal reasons[1]. This was a sad moment for the band and its fans, but the show must go on, thus Bart Doroz, formerly of The Getaway, was brought in to replace him on guitar.
When June came around, Blue's release was delayed for undisclosed reasons. The nature of the delay has still been left to speculation, however, in early July the band's website went down and their myspace account had the following message posted:
"Hi all. Due to extreme differences of opinion, we are no longer with Hollywood Records. These circumstances have forced us to cancel all our summer touring. Apologies to all, especially to those who have been patiently waiting for the release of a record that is 3 years overdue. The record will come out soon and we will let you know when it becomes available in your country. Thanks for being there for us and we can't wait to play again in your hometown."
However, on Monday, October 30, 2006, they released news via their Myspace account that the album is to be released in wide circulation the following day, Halloween 2006.
On and On
Flashlight Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Filthy, noxious, fragrantly obnoxious
Grateful deadly lice and fungal medley.
On and on the trip goes on a touch of gray to light the bong.
Dirty, stinky, feeling kinda kinky.
Flower power, jesus take a shower.
Activist and idealist man I'd love to throw a fist
Tie dye anything
Buy another mood ring.
The lyrics to Flashlight Brown's song "On and On" seem to be a commentary on the hippie subculture and their lifestyle. The opening line, "Hey there little dirty smelly hippie dirty smelly hippie whatcha gonna do?" portrays a disdain for their unkempt appearance and lack of hygiene. The next line, "Filthy, noxious, fragrantly obnoxious, Grateful deadly lice and fungal medley," further emphasizes this disgust with the use of descriptive words such as "filthy" and "noxious."
The chorus of the song, "On and on the trip goes on a touch of gray to light the bong, dirty, stinky, feeling kinda kinky, flower power, Jesus take a shower," seems to mock the hippie lifestyle and their use of drugs, with the reference to "a touch of gray" being a nod to the Grateful Dead. The mention of "flower power" and "Jesus take a shower" suggests a criticism of the hippie movement's supposed spirituality and their lack of cleanliness.
The next verse, "Activist and idealist man I'd love to throw a fist, Tie dye anything, buy another mood ring," seems to criticize the hippie movement's political activism and idealism. The line "I'd love to throw a fist" portrays a mocking tone towards the violence that sometimes accompanied their protests, and the line "tie dye anything, buy another mood ring" suggests a shallow fixation on fashion trends and material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there little dirty smelly hippie dirty smelly hippie whatcha gonna do?
Addressing a hippie and questioning their intentions and actions.
Filthy, noxious, fragrantly obnoxious
Describing the unpleasant odor and overall uncleanliness of the hippie.
Grateful deadly lice and fungal medley.
Referring to the potentially dangerous and unsanitary conditions associated with being a dirty hippie.
On and on the trip goes on a touch of gray to light the bong.
Describing the never-ending cycle of drug use and the tendency for a hippie to constantly indulge in it.
Dirty, stinky, feeling kinda kinky.
Reiterating the negative qualities of a hippie and insinuating that they may have questionable sexual practices.
Flower power, jesus take a shower.
A play on words, mocking the common hippie phrase 'flower power' and suggesting that they could benefit from some hygiene and cleanliness.
Activist and idealist man I'd love to throw a fist
Expressing disdain for the activist and idealistic tendencies of a hippie and a desire to physically fight them.
Tie dye anything
Making fun of the ubiquitous tie-dye clothing often worn by hippies and suggesting that they will wear anything with that pattern.
Buy another mood ring.
Mocking hippie trends and consumerism by suggesting that they will continue to buy anything marketed towards them, including mood rings.
Contributed by Alyssa F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kng ssk
I was so excited when I heard this band for the first time. I never forget this song!
Lazarae
Nothing like a song that tells everyone your a gamer geek, and that you spend your friday nights with a bunch of geeks. Oh yeah. I love them.
Ella Rae
I love Flashlight Brown. ^^ they're so amazing...I wish more people knew about them.
clazo78
soy Mexicano sin embargo me gustan las bandas de rock en ingles y esta sin duda es una de las mejores q e escuchado y la cancion esta chingona =)
C K
Never has a song about wasting a friday night playing D&D been so fuckin' awesome.
mybeautifullie
love this video. amazing song...and to top it off amazing album
Scarletballader73
Thanks Flashlight Brown for telling my rpg life! For 25 years of roleplaying I'm always ready to roll!!
Michel Plays
Essa música me faz ficar louco! Grande música!
Ella Rae
omg i fuckin love them!!! :D fans, please let me know what happened and if they're on hiatus...such an amazing band should never quit!! ^-^
Paul Goodno
This song is kill! Love it!