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.
Numbness For Sound
Howie Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My feet on the ground
A pale windless city
A numbness for sound
I'll wait, back here
or will you notice
A moment in time
Since you were mine
I'll wait back here
or should I start pushing my way back
Yeah...
Should I start pushing my way back
I walk past your room
A deep silhouette
You're tired of racing
I don't understand
I'll wait, back here
Cold and beneath me
A soaked cigarette
I'm asleep on a shoulder that I've never met
I'll wait back here
Or should I, start pushing my way back
Yeah...
Should I start pushing my way
home
And I'm with all these women
And I'm on the edge of my breath
Ohh...
And I'm thinking of leaving
I could just lay down
Lay down and freeze to death.
Yeah.....Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Ohhh....
Cold in the Sun
My feet on the ground
A pale windless city
A numbness for sound
The lyrics of Howie Day's song, Numbness For Sound, describe a feeling of loneliness, numbness, detachment and disassociation. The singer feels cold in the sun, as if the warmth of it cannot reach him, and has a numbness for sound, implying that he is emotionally disconnected and cannot connect to the sounds around him. He is waiting in the background, hoping to be noticed by someone, perhaps a lover or a friend, but is unsure if he should actively pursue them. The image of a "photograph lost here since you were mine" suggests that he is looking back at a past relationship that he longs for but is unable to retrieve.
Throughout the song, the singer is depicted as someone who is lost and forlorn, struggling to make sense of a world and relationships that he cannot seem to connect with. The line "I'm asleep on a shoulder that I've never met" highlights this feeling of detachment, as he is unable to connect with even the physical presence of another person. Similarly, the line "And I'm with all these women, and I'm on the edge of my breath" suggests that despite being surrounded by people, he feels lonely and disconnected, and is contemplating leaving or even "laying down and freezing to death".
Overall, Numbness For Sound is a poignant and haunting song that captures the feelings of loneliness, detachment and disassociation that many people experience at some point in their lives. The lyrics are evocative and poetic, painting a vivid picture of a person struggling to connect with the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold in the Sun
Despite the sunshine, I feel cold inside and alone.
My feet on the ground
I am physically present in this place, but emotionally detached.
A pale windless city
The city is lifeless and dull, lacking the energy and vibrancy it once had.
A numbness for sound
I am so disconnected that I cannot even hear the sounds around me; I am deaf to the world.
I'll wait, back here
I am waiting for something or someone to notice me, but I am too afraid to step forward and take action.
Or will you notice
I am hoping that someone will see me and reach out, but I am not sure if that will happen.
A moment in time
This is a fleeting moment that I want to hold onto forever, but I know that is impossible.
A photograph lost here
This moment feels like a memory that I have already forgotten and can never get back.
Since you were mine
I miss someone who used to bring me happiness and now I feel lost without them.
Or should I start pushing my way back
Maybe I need to take control of my situation and start fighting to get what I want instead of waiting for it to come to me.
I walk past your room
I see a reminder of someone I care about, but they are not there anymore.
A deep silhouette
The silhouette symbolizes the person who used to be there, but now they are just a shadow of their former self.
You're tired of racing
The person I care about is exhausted and wants to slow down, but I am not sure how to help them.
I don't understand
I feel helpless because I cannot figure out how to make things better for them or myself.
Cold and beneath me
I am on the ground and the surroundings are harsh, making me feel small and insignificant.
A soaked cigarette
I am indulging in something that is slowly destroying me.
I'm asleep on a shoulder that I've never met
I am putting my trust in something or someone new, but I am not sure if it is safe to do so.
Or should I, start pushing my way back
I am considering taking control of my life and the situation, but I am still unsure about how to proceed.
And I'm with all these women
I am with other people but I still feel alone and disconnected from everything around me.
And I'm on the edge of my breath
I am holding back so much, afraid to take the next step because I do not know what will happen.
And I'm thinking of leaving
I am considering running away from my life and the situation, hoping to find something better.
I could just lay down
I am so tired of struggling that I just want to give up and stop trying.
Lay down and freeze to death.
I am willing to risk everything and give up on life completely because I am in so much pain and feel so disconnected from everything around me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWIE DAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind