Day eventually signed a recording contract with major label Epic Records in 2002 and has since re-released his debut as well as producing a follow up, Stop All The World Now. Despite initially sluggish sales, Stop All The World Now was certified gold in early 2005 and has produced a number of singles, including "Collide", Day's most successful to date, and the hit "She Says". The track became Epic Records’ first platinum single, eventually selling 1.5 million downloads.
After a five year tour before the release of Stop All The World Now followed by a three year tour, Day took some time off and focused on writing music. Since then Day released his Be There EP in May 2009 which will be followed by Sound The Alarm in September 2009.
Stop All the World Now (2003–2008)
After the EP's release, Day relocated to London, England to record Australia's follow up, which was provisionally titled From a Northern Sky. The album, which would eventually become Stop All The World Now, was recorded in London's famous Olympic Studios with Martin "Youth" Glover, the bassist for British band Killing Joke, whose previous production credits included The Verve's Urban Hymns, one of Howie's favorite albums.
While certain tracks on Australia had featured session musicians, Stop All The World Now saw Howie joined for the first time by a permanent backing band, consisting of multi-instrumentalist Les Hall, drummer Laurie Jenkins and ex-Verve bassist Simon Jones. In addition, the majority of the album's songs were co-written with either Better than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin or Jump Little Children's Jay Clifford.
A full band tour to promote Stop All the World Now began on September 27, 2003. Due to other commitments, Simon Jones was unable to tour with the group and was replaced by Jeremy Curtis. The album was released one week and three days later on October 7 to tepid critical reactions. Rolling Stone's Pat Blashill referred to Stop as "not bad" but "indistinct", but Popmatters' Devon Powers noted that though Australia had been an album one falls for passionately, "Stop All the World Now is an album you have a crush on, not one you fall deeply, complexly, and foolishly in love with. And crushes have a way of disappearing suddenly, without a trace."Stop
Sales of Stop were initially sluggish, but slowly began to rise beginning in late 2004 with the single release of ballad "Collide", which became a popular radio hit and was featured on TV shows such as Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and One Tree Hill as well as soundtracking a promotional trailer for the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Stop was finally certified gold in early 2005. Fan favourite "She Says", which was first released on 1998's White EP, was released as a follow-up to "Collide", although as of 2006 it has not achieved the same success, it became a mid-level hit.
Boosted by the slow burning success of Stop All the World Now, Epic released the Live From... EP on December 6, 2005. The 7-track EP contains live renditions of songs from Australia and Stop All the World Now as well as a cover of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over". The EP has not been widely reviewed, though Allmusic referred to the release as "holiday market product," "tepid", and "directionless".
Sound The Alarm (2009)
Howie Day released his third full length, "Sound The Alarm", under the Epic music label on September 8, 2009. After an extensive tour schedule following the release of "Stop All The World Now", Day decided to take some time off, during which he sorted through his emotions by writing songs, many of which have made their way onto Sound the Alarm. “I toured for five years straight before Stop All The World Now came out, then for three years non-stop after it was released," Day says.
To get his desired range of sounds and moods, Day recorded in a variety of locations, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Minneapolis, and Bloomington, Indiana, between the spring of 2006 and fall of 2008. He also collaborated with several musicians and producers, including Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, KT Tunstall), Mike Denneen (Aimee Mann, Fountains of Wayne), Mike Flynn (The Fray, Augustana), Warren Huart (The Fray, Augustana, Better Than Ezra]) and Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin — each one of them an expert in pulling superlative performances out of the artists they work with.
Collide
Howie Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again
Even the best fall down sometime
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
I'm quiet you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find
You and I collide
Don't stop here
I lost my place
I'm close behind
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find
You and I collide
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
Finally find
You and I collide
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
You finally find
You and I collide
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do do)
(Do do do)
The song "Collide" by Howie Day is an emotional and introspective ballad about a relationship that may be struggling, yet the two parties involved are hesitant to let go. The lyrics express the singer's fears and doubts about the relationship, but also his strong desire to hold on and to make it work. The opening lines, "The dawn is breaking, a light shining through, you're barely waking, and I'm tangled up in you" evoke a sense of vulnerability and intimacy between the two characters. The singer is so entangled in the relationship that he feels like he can't extricate himself from it, no matter how hard he tries.
The chorus of the song reinforces this theme of resilience in the face of uncertainty; "Even the best fall down sometime, even the stars refuse to shine, out of the back you fall in time, I somehow find, you and I collide." Despite the challenges that the characters face, they keep coming back to each other, finding a way to make things work. However, this is tinged with a sense of insecurity, as the singer worries about losing the other person and their relationship falling apart. This is highlighted in the line "I worry I won't see your face light up again."
Throughout the song, there is a sense of tension between the two characters, with the singer feeling like he is more invested in the relationship than the other person. He remarks that "I'm open, you're closed, where I follow, you'll go," indicating that he is more willing to put in the effort to make the relationship work. Despite this, he still feels drawn to the other person, finding their initial attraction hard to ignore, as he states that "Even the wrong words seem to rhyme, out of the doubt that fills my mind, I somehow find, you and I collide."
Overall, "Collide" is a powerful and emotional song about the complexities of relationships and the struggles of trying to hold on to someone when things are tough.
Line by Line Meaning
The dawn is breaking
The sun is rising and starting a new day
A light shining through
The sun's light is breaking through the darkness
You're barely waking
You're just starting to wake up from sleeping
And I'm tangled up in you
I'm wrapped up in your presence and emotions
I'm open, you're closed
I'm open and express my feelings, while you keep yours to yourself
Where I follow, you'll go
You'll go wherever I take you or ask you to go
I worry I won't see your face
I'm concerned that I might lose you or you'll be gone from my sight
Light up again
To see you happy and vibrant again
Even the best fall down sometime
Everybody makes mistakes, regardless of their perceived abilities
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Even when what we say is incorrect, it seems to fit together in a strange way
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I have a lot of uncertainty and insecurity that can lead to confusion
I somehow find
I still manage to discover or uncover something important
You and I collide
We're drawn together in spite of our differences or uncertainties
I'm quiet you know
I'm reserved and not overly talkative
You make a first impression
You come across as strong and confident right from the start
I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind
I'm uncertain or fearful to hear that you're constantly thinking about and focused on me
Even the stars refuse to shine
Even things that are normally reliable or constant can sometimes fail
Out of the back you fall in time
You may stumble or struggle sometimes, but you'll always bounce back eventually
Don't stop here
We need to keep moving forward and not give up
I lost my place
I've lost my sense of direction or lost my way
I'm close behind
I'm following you closely and we're in this together
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
Uncertainty and insecurity are also affecting you
You finally find
You reach a conclusion or realization about something important
Finally find
After all this time, we've come to this moment or discovery
You and I collide
We're meant to be together and are drawn to each other
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Howard Day, Kevin Griffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind