The band consists of Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller on guitar and vocals and Brian Rosenworcel on percussion. Multi-instrumentalist and backup vocalist Joe Pisapia played with the band from 2003-2010. Luke Reynolds took Pisapia's place to tour with the band for their 2010 album, Easy Wonderful, and has remained with the band since. The band is noted for its catchy, poppy melodies, and the distinctive hand-drumming on percussion. They are also known for their humor, including a joke album released in 2003, The Meowstro Sings: Guster's Keep It Together, wherein the lyrics are replaced with (off-melody) meowing.
The band has released eight studio albums which are, in chronological order, Parachute, Goldfly, Lost and Gone Forever, Keep It Together, Ganging Up On the Sun, Easy Wonderful, Evermotion, and their most recent, Look Alive, which was released on January 18th, 2019. In addition, they have released a total of eleven live albums, spanning the years 2003-2015.
Hang On
Guster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for an end
We don't know the authors of the book
Maybe someone's writing chapters
For us while we sleep
From a million miles away
Stuck without a captain or a chart
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on
If we fell inside a forest
Would it make a sound
It doesn't seem there's anyone around
Days are long we carry on
But still don't understand
We're a million miles away
Stuck without a captain or a chart
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on
Hang on
Hang on
When all is shattered
When all your hope is gone
Who knows
How long
There is a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
We break
We bend
With hand in hand
When hope is gone
Just hang on
Hang on
Guster's song "Hang On" is a contemplative and introspective work that questions the purpose of human existence and the nature of our reality. The song opens with the image of being "inside a novel," waiting for an end that is unknown. The characters in the book - the "authors" - are not known and may be writing the story even as the characters sleep, from "a million miles away." This image suggests a sense of powerlessness and uncertainty, that perhaps life is not in our control and we are merely subjects of someone else's will.
The second verse introduces another metaphor, that of being lost at sea without a captain or chart. The characters are adrift, with no direction or guidance, and the people around them are equally lost. The chorus of the song - "Hang on...there's a twilight, a nighttime and a dawn" - suggests that even in moments of darkness and confusion, hope can be found in the progression of time. The song concludes with a message of perseverance, that even when "all is shattered" and "hope is gone," we can still hold on and find strength in one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we are inside a novel
Life can feel like a story that we don't have control over
Waiting for an end
We're not sure what's going to happen or when it's going to happen.
We don't know the authors of the book
We don't know who's in charge of our lives, if anyone.
Maybe someone's writing chapters
Maybe there's a greater power directing our lives.
For us while we sleep
This power may be working behind the scenes without us knowing.
From a million miles away
It's a distant and mysterious force.
If we fell inside a forest
Our plight may not even register with anyone else or the world at large.
Would it make a sound
Would anyone notice or care?
It doesn't seem there's anyone around
We may feel alone even in a crowded world.
Days are long we carry on
Life can feel like a struggle, a marathon we're forced to run.
But still don't understand
Despite our efforts, life can still feel like a mystery with no clear answers.
Stuck without a captain or a chart
We may feel lost or without direction.
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
The traditional paths and sources of guidance may not work for us.
Hang on
In the midst of all this uncertainty, we should hold on to hope and persevere.
There's a twilight
There will be different stages and phases of life that will come and go.
A nighttime and a dawn
There will be dark times, but also bright times ahead as well.
Who knows
No one can predict with certainty what will happen in the future.
How long
The tough times may last for an indeterminate amount of time.
When all is shattered
When everything feels like it's falling apart around us.
When all your hope is gone
When it seems like there's nothing to look forward to or to work towards.
We break
Sometimes we may fall apart and lose our way.
We bend
We may have to adapt and adjust to new situations and challenges.
With hand in hand
We should rely on each other for support and comfort.
Just hang on
No matter how tough it seems, there's always a reason to hold on and keep going.
Hang on
Even when things seem bleak, there is always hope to be found.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Adam Gardner, Brian Rosenworcel, Joseph Pisapia, Ryan Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@diegocruz3053
Here we are inside a novel
Waiting for an end
We don't know the authors of the book
Maybe someone's writing chapters
For us while we sleep
From a million miles away
Stuck without a captain or a chart
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on
If we fell inside a forest
Would it make a sound
It doesn't seem there's anyone around
Days are long we carry on
But still don't understand
We're a million miles away
Stuck without a captain or a chart
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on
Hang on
Hang on
When all is shattered
When all your hope is gone
Who knows
How long
There is a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
We break
We bend
With hand in hand
When hope is gone
Just hang on
Hang on
@charliegardner5064
This band is really underrated
@justakosmicgirllove4252
+Charlie Gardner Yes it is, but highly appreciated by maybe the best people :)
@jennabeeg
yet oh so loved by so many of us.
@janawachsler1560
They are not only the most amazing musicians, but also the nicest guys in person!
@diegocruz3053
Here we are inside a novel
Waiting for an end
We don't know the authors of the book
Maybe someone's writing chapters
For us while we sleep
From a million miles away
Stuck without a captain or a chart
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on
If we fell inside a forest
Would it make a sound
It doesn't seem there's anyone around
Days are long we carry on
But still don't understand
We're a million miles away
Stuck without a captain or a chart
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on
Hang on
Hang on
When all is shattered
When all your hope is gone
Who knows
How long
There is a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
We break
We bend
With hand in hand
When hope is gone
Just hang on
Hang on
@MosesRabuka
My favorite ❤
@theopacalypse
one of my favourite songs of all time......
@EddValdez
Oh man. This song got me through rough times. Love this song
@matthewcook1771
im sad that i didnt find this album a long time ago, but im happy i found it now.
@shellyreed2373
After 10 years of not listening to these guys bc my ex didn't like them I'm back and it feels SO good!!!!