Their music is a mix of hard rock styles. The band cites influences such as Rage Against The Machine, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana.
Early on, vocalist Lacey Mosley began playing music with drummer James Culpepper. Later on guitarists Jared Hartmann and Sameer Bhattacharya were recruited. "Sameer and Jared are really experimental with melodies and pedals, and we all had different influences that were all blending together with the same passionate and hopeful heart, and that brought out this beautiful feeling. It was magical," said Mosley. When they were still playing as Listen, they played with bassists Josh C. and Jonathan B.. The bassist was replaced by Kirkpatrick Seals in 2002 after he left his previous band The Grove.
All five members of the band are of the Christian faith. This faith in Jesus influences their music, but lead singer Lacey Mosley doesn't necessarily believe that makes Flyleaf a strictly Christian band. "We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?'" Mosley said. "I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding Christ saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that".
Flyleaf released a song "Cassie" that was about the shooting of Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott. They were shot in the head after admiting they were Christian. This is just one example of how Flyleaf are touched by events and touch others through their music.
Flyleaf released their first full-length studio album, "Flyleaf", in October 2005. The album was re-released in United States in October 2007 along with their latest digital EP, "Much Like Falling", that was released onto the iTunes store. The re-released version of "Flyleaf" contains additional acoustic tracks.
On the 10th of November 2009, Flyleaf released their second album, called "Memento Mori". The album is a little less heavy than their debut album. Two songs that were released before the official release are "Beautiful Bride" and "Again".
Songfacts reports that their third album will be called "New Horizons". The title track premiered on 89X Radio on August 1, 2012, and will be released on iTunes on August 21, 2012.
On October the 22nd 2012, Lacey Sturm/Mosley declared that she was leaving Flyleaf and that the band was splitting up. This was only a week before their new album was due to be released (New Horizons - 30th October 2012).
On November 7, 2022, it was announced by Flyleaf that Sturm had returned to the band, with the band now calling themselves "Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm".
Official site: www.flyleafmusic.com
This Close
Flyleaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we pretended that we still lived.
With no regrets we never bled and we took everything life could give
And came up broken empty handed in the end
In the hearts of the blind,
Something you'll never find is a vision of light
With the voice of the dead, I'm screaming
Not once in life have I been real but I never felt this close before
I've been looking in your window I've been dressing in your clothes
I've been walking dead, watching you, long enough to know I can't go on.
Had a dream that fire fell from an opening in the sky
Someone warned me of this hell,
And I spit in his naive eye
And left him crying for my soul he said would die
In the hearts of the blind something you'll never find is a vision of light
With the voice of the dead I'm screaming
I don't know who I am anymore
Not once in life have I been real,
But I've never felt this close before
I've been looking in your window,
Been dressing in your clothes,
I've been walking dead, watching you long enough to know I can't go on.
In the hearts of the blind, something you'll never find is a vision of light
With the voice of the dead, I'm screaming
I don't know who I am anymore.
Not once in life have I been real,
But I've never felt this close before
I've been looking in your window,
Been dressing in your clothes,
I've been walking dead, watching you long enough to know I can't go on.
I've been looking in your window I've been dressing in your clothes
I've been walking dead, watching you, long enough to know I can't go on.
Flyleaf's song "This Close" is a haunting exploration of identity and purpose. The lyrics begin with a surreal and eerie dream, in which the singer and their loved ones pretend to be alive even though they are dead. They took everything that life could give, but it left them broken and empty. The singer seems to be addressing the blind, those who cannot see the beauty and light in the world, and who are unable to understand the pain of the dead.
Then the lyrics shift to the singer's own feelings of uncertainty and disconnect. They don't know who they are anymore and have never felt real in their life. The repetition of the line "I've been looking in your window, been dressing in your clothes" suggests a sense of invasion, as if the singer is trying to become someone else in order to find themselves. But even after watching and following someone else long enough to know they can't go on like that, the singer remains lost and unsure.
The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "I've been looking in your window, been dressing in your clothes," which leaves the listener with the sense that the singer is trapped, unable to escape their feelings of emptiness and confusion.
Overall, "This Close" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that forces listeners to confront their own struggles with identity and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Had a dream that we were dead,
Dreamt about dying but still pretended to be alive.
But we pretended that we still lived.
Decided to continue pretending to be alive despite dreaming about dying.
With no regrets we never bled and we took everything life could give
Lived life to the fullest with no regrets and accepted whatever life had to offer.
And came up broken empty handed in the end
Ended up with nothing and feeling defeated after living a full life.
In the hearts of the blind, Something you'll never find is a vision of light
People who are blind to the truth will never understand the right path.
With the voice of the dead, I'm screaming
Feeling dead inside and screaming to be heard.
I don't know who I am anymore
Feeling lost and unsure of one's identity.
Not once in life have I been real but I never felt this close before
Despite never being true to oneself, feeling a close connection to someone or something for the first time.
I've been looking in your window I've been dressing in your clothes
Stalking someone and trying to be like them.
I've been walking dead, watching you, long enough to know I can't go on.
Feeling like a zombie, watching and following someone but realizing it's not sustainable.
Had a dream that fire fell from an opening in the sky
Dreamt of experiencing destruction and chaos.
Someone warned me of this hell, And I spit in his naive eye
Rejected someone's warning about negative consequences and acted recklessly.
And left him crying for my soul he said would die
Ignored someone's plea to change and ultimately caused them pain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JAMES CULPEPPER, JARED HARTMANN, KIRKPATRICK SEALS, LACEY NICOLE STURM, SAMEER BHATTACHARYA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind