Ghost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band that hails from Bloomington, IN. G… Read Full Bio ↴Ghost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band that hails from Bloomington, IN. Ghost Mice was created from the ashes of former pop-punk bands The Devil is Electric and Operation: Cliff Clavin. Chris Johnston (aka Chris Clavin) and Hannah who played guitar and bass respectively for OP:CC and TDIE, decided to make their act acoustic so they could tour more easily and play almost anywhere. In their own words: "We play 100% acoustic. We never use amps or mics (except once at Plan-It-X Fest). We have been playing in bands together for about 7 years. We started Ghost Mice in 2002 because we tired of being restricted. We were tired of having to travel in big vans and depend on amps, PA systems and electricity. With Ghost Mice we can travel very light and we need nothing to play. We often play in back yards or on the street corner in front of the venue. We have toured the USA many times and we toured Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, France, Spain, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland) by foot. We hitch-hiked and took trains to all of our shows. It was fun and very liberating. We sing a mix of personal and political lyrics, we are anarchist, we are dedicated to the DIY ethic and the struggle to make the world a better place. We play music and travel for fun and to meet new people. Music is our lives. We love travel. We are nice and a little shy." The previous quote can be found here. Hannah dropped her bass in favor of a violin. Ghost Mice's lyrics mostly involve having a positive outlook on life; riding bikes, eating healthy food, being in love, and being punk. Ghost Mice's slogan, "Punk as Folk", is a fantastic way to describe their music, lyrics, and just about everything that is Ghost Mice.

In August 2017, several people came forward with accusations of sexual assault towards the lead singer, Chris Clavin, leading to a short hiatus until late 2019. Bands he had collaborated with condemned his actions, renouncing their work on Plan-It-X Records, and vowed to remove Clavin's work from future printings of split albums.

Fire Fighter
Ghost Mice Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What happened to what we were all fighting for?
Did we lose the war?
Or did we just grow up?
What happened to what we would all die for?
Well I'm still dying for,
Sometimes I feel like I'm giving up.
What happened to what we were all crying for?
Well I'm still crying for,

But now my eyes are running dry
What happened to what we were all singing for, screaming for
I'm singing for it still, but now my throat is getting sore.
What happened to you, my brother in arms?
Without you I would've never made it half this far.
What made you decide to close those beautiful eyes,
That once were open so wide?

What happened to the girl you were?
I was in love with her.
But now shes gone, yea, shes gone away.
I'm not complaining its just that everybody's changing but me-
I'm always staying just the same.
I'm getting sick of paying rent I thought by now wed be through with it.
I thought wed have our own world made.
Is this really all were working for?
I'm not working anymore, but still I'm feeling like a slave!

How many gallons of gasoline am I gonna need?
To get those fires all burning again.
Those fires that burned so bright in your eyes,
Back when you would say that you were just a kid
I'm not trying to bring anyone down,
No matter how it sounds,
Thats not what this songs about.

Its just how I'm feeling now, and how I'm worried
About my fires going out

Overall Meaning

The song “Fire Fighter” by Ghost Mice is an introspective piece about the confusion and disillusionment that comes with growing up and losing sight of the things one fought for in their youth. The lyrics begin with questions about what happened to the ideals that the singer and their comrades fought, cried, and sang for. The tone is one of lament and defeat, as the singer seems to have lost sight of those things and feels as if they are giving up. The chorus keeps track of the things the singer is still holding onto, such as the memories of his brother in arms, and his own personal fires, which he worries will go out if he doesn't reignite them with the gasoline of his passions.

The verses expand on the themes of loss and stagnation, with the singer pointing out how everything and everyone seems to be changing while they themselves are staying the same. The girl they loved has gone away, and they are tired of paying rent and feeling like a slave, but they haven’t found the alternative they imagined in their youth. It’s a difficult realization to come to that the world is not as perfect as one hoped, and that the fight is harder than expected when trying to make it what you want it to be. The song touches on the need for hope and perseverance, and the difficulty of holding onto those things in the face of adversity, confusion, and disillusionment.

Line by Line Meaning

What happened to what we were all fighting for?
What happened to the ideals and values we were all striving to achieve?

Did we lose the war?
Did we fail to achieve our goals?

Or did we just grow up?
Did we mature and realize that our goals may have been unrealistic or unattainable?

What happened to what we would all die for?
What happened to the values we were willing to sacrifice everything for?

Well I'm still dying for,
I still hold those values dear and would be willing to give everything for them.

Sometimes I feel like I'm giving up.
Despite my commitment, I sometimes feel discouraged and helpless.

What happened to what we were all crying for?
What happened to the causes that moved us to tears?

Well I'm still crying for,
I still feel deeply about those causes and am moved to tears.

But now my eyes are running dry
But it seems that I've cried so much that I can't cry anymore.

What happened to what we were all singing for, screaming for
What happened to the dreams and aspirations that we voiced so loudly and passionately?

I'm singing for it still, but now my throat is getting sore.
I'm still passionately committed to those dreams, but it's getting harder and harder to keep the faith.

What happened to you, my brother in arms?
What happened to the person who fought alongside me and shared my ideals?

Without you I would've never made it half this far.
I owe much of my success and perseverance to the support and camaraderie of my fellow fighters.

What made you decide to close those beautiful eyes,
What led you to abandon your cause and give up the fight?

That once were open so wide?
Eyes that were once full of hope and determination.

What happened to the girl you were?
What happened to the person I fell in love with, who shared my dreams and aspirations?

I was in love with her.
I felt a deep connection and affection towards her.

But now shes gone, yea, shes gone away.
But now she has left and moved on from our shared dreams and aspirations.

I'm not complaining its just that everybody's changing but me-
I'm not griping or whining, but it seems like everyone else has moved on or given up except for me.

I'm always staying just the same.
I'm still committed to the same dreams and beliefs I had from the beginning.

I'm getting sick of paying rent I thought by now wed be through with it.
I'm growing tired of the mundane realities of everyday life, and I thought that by now we would have achieved our dreams and no longer have to worry about paying bills.

I thought wed have our own world made.
I thought that by now we would have created our own ideal world where our dreams and aspirations could thrive.

Is this really all were working for?
Is this all that our efforts have achieved – mundane everyday life while our dreams lie dormant?

I'm not working anymore, but still I'm feeling like a slave!
I'm not working a 9-5 job anymore, yet I still feel trapped and unfulfilled, like a slave to everyday life.

How many gallons of gasoline am I gonna need?
How many fiery passions and ideals will it take to ignite change and reignite my dreams?

To get those fires all burning again.
To reignite the passion and commitment to our shared ideals.

Those fires that burned so bright in your eyes,
The passion and unwavering commitment that shone in your eyes.

Back when you would say that you were just a kid
Back when you were young and full of idealism and optimism.

I'm not trying to bring anyone down,
I'm not trying to deflate anyone's hope or spirit.

No matter how it sounds,
Even if what I'm saying sounds discouraging or negative.

Thats not what this songs about.
That's not the purpose or intended message of this song – rather, it's a lament for the loss of idealism and passion.

Its just how I'm feeling now, and how I'm worried
It's just a reflection of my current emotions and fears.

About my fires going out
About losing the fiery passions and ideals that I hold dear.

Contributed by Wyatt D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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