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.
Come Lay Down
Howie Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come lay down at the broken edge
Come lay down at the feet of angels
Eyeing you in a northern sky
Come lay down at the end
Come lay down where the times suspended
Come lay down and hear the voices
Follow me and don't look down
You're alright
Come with me forget you're high
It's alright in all
Your eyes are open and singing
Your eyes are open
and not quite breathing
Your eyes are open
You're seeing things
That I can't see as hard as I try
Follow me and don't look down
You're alright
Come with me forget you're high
It's all right
and alright
Don't look down
Keep your eyes off the ground
So afraid
These days will fall
Like tears down your face
Fallow me and don't look down
You're alright
Come with me forget you're high
It's alright
And alright,
Follow me don't look down
You're alright
Come with me forget you're high
It's alright, alright
The lyrics to Howie Day's "Come Lay Down" describe an invitation to enter a place that’s suspended in time and located at the edge of the world. The singer encourages the listener to come join him and lay down at the edge, where a northern sky is watching over them. The broken edge is a place that feels both sacred and dangerous, a vantage point from which to simultaneously see what lies beyond and appreciate what they have. There's a sense of urgency in the invitation, with the singer encouraging the listener not to look down, but to trust him and follow him to this magical place. The song has a dreamy quality, with the imagery of angels, voice-hearing, and floating/flying threading throughout the lyrics.
The line about forgetting you're high has been given various interpretations and explanations. Some have suggested that it’s a reference to drug use or addiction, implying that the magical place the singer is trying to lead the listener to is a sober-minded haven. Others have suggested that it's more of a metaphorical reminder to stay focused, stay present, and not let yourself get lost in distractions - either good or bad. The purpose of the song is to reassure the listener that they are not alone, and that there is a place waiting for them where they can be safe, away from their troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
come lay down at the edge
Lie down at the precipice
come lay down at the broken edge
Lie down at the crumbled ledge
come lay down at the feet of angels
Lie down at the toes of divine beings
Eyeing you in a northern sky
Observing you under the Northern Lights
Come lay down at the end
Lie down at the conclusion
Come lay down where the times suspended
Rest where the clock has stopped ticking
Come lay down and hear the voices
Lie down and listen to the sounds
Calling you from a northern sky
Summoning you from beneath the Aurora Borealis
Follow me and don't look down
Come with me and avert your gaze downward
You're alright
You're doing well
Come with me forget you're high
Accompany me and disregard your elevated state
It's alright in all
Everything's fine
Your eyes are open and singing
Your eyes are open and emitting sounds
Your eyes are open and not quite breathing
Your eyes can see even if your breath is shallow
Your eyes are open
Your vision is clear
You're seeing things
You're observing phenomena
That I can't see as hard as I try
That I can't perceive no matter how much I struggle
Don't look down
Don't glance downward
Keep your eyes off the ground
Focus your eyes on other things
So afraid
Afraid
These days will fall
These days will pass
Like tears down your face
Like tears streaming down your cheek
Fallow me and don't look down
Accompany me and avoid looking downward
It's alright and alright
Everything's fine and it's all okay
Follow me don't look down
Come with me and avert your gaze downward
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWIE DAY, JAY CLIFFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jimbo ReadDABible
This song has a (devastating movie scene in slow motion) eeriness sound to it....love it!
nattydread
I found this song on 8tracks, and it made me stop what I was doing so I could focus on it that much more. Just beautiful.
Jim Jurena
Um, sounds like Radiohead ???
Must've Been The Wind
Kinda and I'm Tom Yorke