History
Formation and It's Our Time (2001–2006)
Rise or Die Trying, Explains It All (2006–2009)
The band's 2007 release Rise or Die Trying with I Surrender Records peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in its debut week. On the back of their increasing popularity, the band was signed to Decaydance Records in February 2008.
On July 21, 2009, Four Year Strong released an album of covers from the 1990s, titled Explains It All. The album features guest appearances from Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, and JR and Buddy of Less Than Jake. The band explained their reasoning behind the album in a MySpace blog, saying "It’s what we grew up listening to. Everyone has those songs that instantly transport you back to when you were younger. Whether we were in our bedrooms playing air guitar, or riding in the car to little league practice, or it was just that song that was all over the radio during that awesome summer at the Cape. These songs have impacted us in some way and we want to share that feeling with you."
Enemy of the World (2010)
The band's 3rd full-length album, Enemy of the World, was released on March 9, 2010 on Universal Motown Records. The band released the album's first single, "It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now", on December 21, 2009. The name of the song is a reference to the final sentence of a review in Alternative Press in which the magazine praised Set Your Goals' new album while remarking on the future of Four Year Strong and how their record would compare. The vinyl record was made available to pre-order on March 2, 2010. The album sold 12,400 copies in its first week, debuting at number 40 on the Billboard 200.
On April 3, 2011, it was announced that Josh Lyford would be leaving the band. Initially, it was implied that Lyford had chosen to leave in order to focus on his side project, Foxfires. However, it was later confirmed by both Lyford and Alan Day, that the band had elected to remove synthesizers from their sound leaving no room for Lyford to continue. The band has said they will continue as a four piece.
In Some Way, Shape or Form (2011–present)
On April 13, 2011, in an interview with Alternative Press, the band revealed that they had been in the middle of recording their fourth studio album with producer David Bendeth in New Jersey's House of Loud. The band is set to return to the studio, without Josh Lyford, to finish the album in June, after they finish touring with Rise Against. Vocalist Alan Day has also revealed that the new songs the band had written were very diverse, and that the new material is different than anything the band has ever written. While touring with Rise Against, they have been playing a newly recorded, yet unreleased song called "Falling on You".
On August 18, 2011, the band released "Stuck in the Middle", a new song from the upcoming album. The band announced that the new album will be titled In Some Way, Shape, or Form, and will be released on November 8, 2011. On September 8, 2011, the band released another song from the album, entitled "Falling on You." The first official single from the album, "Just Drive", is set for release on September 27, 2011
During the Fall 2011 AP Tour, the band played another new unreleased song which will be released on the upcoming album. The band dedicates it to fans who have been there "from the very beginning, and will be there till the very end." a video of the song has been leaked on YouTube. It is called "Fairweather Fan."
Touring
The band has done multiple national tours, sharing the stage with such bands as The Starting Line, Slip On It, Hellogoodbye, From First to Last, Every Time I Die, Meg & Dia, Hidden in Plain View, Alexisonfire, All Time Low, Mayday Parade, New Found Glory, Bayside and Steel Train. The band toured in February–April 2009 as part of the Taste of Chaos tour, alongside Thursday, Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil, and Cancer Bats. They undertook the Summer co-headline tour with Set Your Goals, and also Fireworks, The Swellers, Polar Bear Club, A Loss For Words, Drive A and Grave Maker from July to August 2009. Four Year Strong also performed on the Australian Soundwave festival in February and March 2010, alongside headliners Faith No More, Janes Addiction, Placebo; also playing alongside Alexisonfire, Set Your Goals, A Day To Remember, Paramore, It Dies Today, Gallows, Emarosa, A Wilhelm Scream, Anthrax, All Time Low, Escape The Fate, This Is Hell, Enter Shikari, Anti-Flag, Baroness, Comeback Kid, The Almost, Dance Gavin Dance, Architects, You Me At Six, Rolo Tomassi, Dichi Michi, Sunny Day Real Estate and many more. The band was in the lineup for Vans Warped Tour 2010 and played on the Altec Lansing stage along side Breathe Carolina, Hey Monday, and Set Your Goals.[7] They also played the first day on the Bamboozle festival. Late 2010, Four Year Strong headlined a tour with Comeback Kid, The Wonder Years, American Fangs, and Mountain Man. The tour was entitled "Tonight We Feel Alive!", and spanned the entire United States. In February 2011, Four Year Strong co-headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2011 with Good Charlotte with support from Framing Hanley and The Wonder Years, The tour began February 3rd in Dublin, Ireland. On the 15th February 2011 it was announced that they had been added to support Blink 182 on their UK tour alongside You Me At Six They will be joining Rise Against and Bad Religion on a US summer tour in 2011. They have also announced that they will come back to Australia later in the year to play Soundwave Revolution along with already announced bands The Damned Things, Story of The Year, Every Time I Die, Hellogoodbye, We Are The In Crowd and many others. They still have yet to announce an upcoming Detroit show. It is long overdue.
Musical style
The band's sound can be described as popcore a blend of pop punk, hardcore punk, and power pop. This genre is popularly referred to as "easycore" or "happycore". The band simply developed their sound off the idea of playing 'exactly what they want to hear' or music that they would listen to, but no one else was playing at the time.[8] The band has cited their influences as being Lifetime, Saves the Day, Gorilla Biscuits, Blink-182, and New Found Glory, to name a few. Though the band would primarily start out as a post-hardcore , the release of their demo in 2004 would mark a shift from post-hardcore to more synthesizer-heavy tracks, where the band would begin to embrace the styles of power pop and general hardcore punk. Prior to the release of and at times within Rise or Die Trying, the band also incorporates more facets of modern hardcore, such as double bass drums, breakdowns and screaming vocals. For their 3rd studio album, Enemy of the World, the band decided to expand upon their hardcore influences.
Influences
The band has many references to 1990's pop culture. They have been known to quote lines from '90s films in lyrics/song titles/ and in conversation. They were influenced by all the bands on their cover album Explains It All.
Beatdown in the Key of Happy
Four Year Strong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And pray that everything works out fine
She said try to have a good time and get your fill of cheap thrills
And try anything to save a dime
So let's get moving and let's get grooving
To every single word we've grown to know
Until we get car sick, play our hands quick
You're a gamble, you've got nothing left to lose
You think you got me in the back of your pocket, you do
So take a breath and try to keep it down
'cause I love these girls but I hate this town
But I'm positive that there's nothing about you to get to know
Hit the lights and get down for the best time in a long time
And try to think of every last line
She said try to have a good time, don't put up with the hard hits
They'll just hit you harder every time
That you get moving, you'll just keep losing
What little bit of mind that you have left
So try and please me and take it easy
And try to keep your thoughts above the belt
You're a gamble, you've got nothing left to lose
You think you got me in the back of your pocket, you do
Take a breath and try to keep it down
'cause I love these girls but I hate this town
But I'm positive that there's nothing about you to get to know
You're a gamble, you've got nothing left to lose
You think you got me in the back of your pocket, you do
Take a breath and try to keep it down
'cause I love these girls but I hate this town
But I'm positive that there's nothing about you to get to know
The song Beatdown in the Key of Happy by Four Year Strong talks about taking a road trip to escape the monotony of life and trying to enjoy the company of friends despite feeling lost and unsure. The opening lines paint a picture of hitting the road after a long time, hoping that things will work out fine. The singer is advised to have a good time and indulge in cheap thrills, suggesting that the trip is meant to be carefree and fun. However, there is a sense of apprehension and desperation as the singer tries to "save a dime" and "save ourselves along the way."
As the song progresses, there is a contrast between the desire to let loose and the fear of losing control. The chorus talks about being a "gamble" and having nothing left to lose, hinting at a sense of nihilism or hopelessness. The lines "take a breath and try to keep it down" and "try and please me and take it easy" suggest an attempt to maintain some semblance of control and order. The final lines of the song repeat the idea that there is nothing to know about the person they are addressing. Perhaps this is a commentary on the emptiness of superficial encounters or a reflection of the singer's own feelings of detachment and disconnection.
Overall, Beatdown in the Key of Happy is a song about attempting to escape from the mundane and finding joy in the moment. However, there is an undercurrent of anxiety and uncertainty that suggests that true happiness may be elusive.
Line by Line Meaning
Hit the pavement and drive for the first time in a long time
Start fresh and try something new after a long while
And pray that everything works out fine
Hope for the best possible outcome
She said try to have a good time and get your fill of cheap thrills
Enjoy yourself without spending too much money
And try anything to save a dime
Be resourceful and find ways to save money
So let's get moving and let's get grooving
Let's start moving and have some fun
To every single word we've grown to know
Dance to the music we love
Until we get car sick, play our hands quick
Keep the momentum going until we can no longer
And try to save ourselves along the way
Do our best to avoid any negative consequences
You're a gamble, you've got nothing left to lose
You're taking a risk and have nothing to lose
You think you got me in the back of your pocket, you do
You believe you have control over me, but you don't
So take a breath and try to keep it down
Calm down and keep your emotions in check
'cause I love these girls but I hate this town
I enjoy the company of these girls, but I don't like this town
But I'm positive that there's nothing about you to get to know
I am confident that there is nothing interesting or worthwhile about you
Hit the lights and get down for the best time in a long time
Dance and have fun without any restrictions
And try to think of every last line
Enjoy and appreciate every moment
She said try to have a good time, don't put up with the hard hits
Try to be happy and not let difficult situations bring you down
They'll just hit you harder every time
Hardship will increase if you let it affect you
That you get moving, you'll just keep losing
If you keep going without a plan, you'll just keep failing
What little bit of mind that you have left
The remaining sanity or rationality you have
So try and please me and take it easy
Attempt to make me happy and relax
And try to keep your thoughts above the belt
Keep your thoughts clean and respectful
You're a gamble, you've got nothing left to lose
You're taking a risk and nothing else can go wrong
You think you got me in the back of your pocket, you do
You believe you have control over me, but you don't
Take a breath and try to keep it down
Calm down and keep your emotions in check
'cause I love these girls but I hate this town
I enjoy the company of these girls, but I don't like this town
But I'm positive that there's nothing about you to get to know
I am confident that there is nothing interesting or worthwhile about you
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alan Clifford Day, Daniel Patrick O'Connor, Jackson Russell Massucco, Joseph Flanders Weiss, Joshua Bo Lyford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind