Before the release of 3D, the band released an EP titled Green Light, Go! and a self titled compilation of demos before being signed to Sumerian Records, where they've since remained. They also released a few Pre-Production demos of songs that would later be featured on 3D. Shortly after the albums release, Zack Johnson would leave the band and temporarily be replaced by Chris Moore, who was also featured on the bands music videos for 3-D and What This Means To Me. Johnson returned after Moore left the band due to "artistic differences" and joined the band on Warped Tour 2010.
The band released their second full-length album The End of the World Party on February 22, 2011. The album is noticeably different from 3D as it's a lot less heavy and more pop punk sounding. They played Soundwave 2011 in Australia, supported We the Kings alongside VersaEmerge in the United Kingdom, and played on the 2011 AP Tour along with Conditions, VersaEmerge, Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, and Black Veil Brides. The band also made its national TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live performing "Glow" and "What This Means to Me."
I See Stars joined the 2011 Scream It Like You Mean It tour supporting its headliners Breathe Carolina and Chiodos, and also featuring Mod Sun, The Color Morale, and The Air I Breathe.
I See Stars released their third full-length album, Digital Renegade, on March 13, 2012. They took a heavier, more hardcore route with this release, but they still retained that electronic feel, with synthesized clean and screamed vocals. It also features guest vocals by Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria on the track "Endless Sky," as well as guest vocals by Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday fame on the track "Electric Forest."
Before the release of their fourth album, New Demons, which released on October 22, 2013, the band exclusively premiered their first single for the album, Violent Bounce [People Like ¥øµ] on Alternative Press and played Ten Thousand Feet live during Warped Tour 2013. On August 27, 2013, the band announced their North American headlining tour Started From The Bottom Now We Here with The Word Alive, Crown the Empire, and guests Dayshell, Get Scared, and Palisades, which started on October 29 and ended on November 24.
On July 31, 2015, the band released an acoustic album titled Phases, which featured many of their older songs reimagined as acoustic songs along with a few cover songs that were also acoustic. Jimmy Gregerson would be kicked from the band due to unknown reasons and Zach Johnson was kicked from the band as well. Devin would replace Zach as the unclean vocalist and Andrew Oliver would be moved from drums to keyboards and synth. The bands fifth album, Treehouse , was released on June 17, 2016. This album, unlike their previous two, isn't very heavy and is more chill. Acoustic versions of some songs from the album were released on April 6, 2018.
After a 5 year hiatus and Instagram account wipe, the band finally teased that they'd be releasing new material soon. According to the band on Twitter, the highly anticipated sixth album will feature more than 12 songs.
I Am Jacks Smirking Revenge
I See Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hands come from the ground
Don't fear life
We came and saw
This has no meaning
I touch the sky
As it's burning
Cause your glass is half way full
Can you please go without me
I swear that everything's alright
(It's not my money he owes)
And you say
The way we go
It's just as terrible
I can't turn around
Yeah!
Beware, before I allow them running away
Can you run
O whoa o, o whoa o, o wha-ah-oh-o-ah-o
Can't stop while the rhythm is going
Just say the first words that come along to your head
One touch and it's already over
I'm not ready, I'm barley sober
I just can't forget you,
I'd do anything to get you
I don't want to get you,
I just want to forget you.
We can't go back
(And we can't go back)
Take a deep breath
And go for her
And two weeks have past
(I've haven't seen you since)
In spreaded letters
Just forget her
One thing remains
Save the cheerleader,
Save the world!
The lyrics of "I Am Jacks Smirking Revenge" by I See Stars are quite enigmatic, with no clear message or narrative. The song begins with a repetition of the line "the hands come from the ground," which can be interpreted in a variety of ways. It could represent a feeling of being trapped or buried, or it could be a reference to zombies or monsters clawing their way up from under the earth. The next few lines - "don't fear life/we came and saw/this has no meaning" - suggest a nihilistic attitude toward existence, as if the singer believes life is pointless and meaningless.
The chorus introduces a new voice, with a cryptic message about a debt owed to someone who isn't present. There's a sense of detachment and resignation in the way the singer addresses this person: "Can you please go without me/I swear that everything's alright/It's not my money he owes." This detachment is reflected in the repetition of the line "just as terrible" - nothing seems to matter, and everything is equally pointless and unimportant. The final line, "beware before I allow them running away/can you run," is a threat of some kind, although it's not clear who is being threatened or why.
Line by Line Meaning
The hands come from the ground
Strange, disembodied hands are mysteriously emerging from the earth
The hands come from the ground
Emphasizing the eeriness and oddity of the hands rising up
Don't fear life
Be brave and face all of the joys and difficulties of existence
We came and saw
We arrived on the scene and surveyed the area
This has no meaning
What we are observing is senseless and without significance
I touch the sky
I feel limitless and invincible, like I can reach great heights
As it's burning
Perhaps there is something destructive or chaotic happening in the background
This bottles half way empty
The artist has consumed around half of their drink
Cause your glass is half way full
The other person has not yet finished their drink
Can you please go without me
I'm not in the mood to be around others right now
I swear that everything's alright
Despite appearances, I'm telling you that I'm okay
(It's not my money he owes)
Perhaps a reference to a disagreement or strange situation that is not the artist's problem
And you say
The other person is speaking or sharing an opinion
The way we go
The path ahead is challenging and maybe even terrible
It's just as terrible
Agreeing with the other person's described scenario
I can't turn around
The artist feels trapped and unable to escape their situation
Yeah!
An exclamation of sorts, perhaps meant to emphasize a certain point with conviction
Beware, before I allow them running away
I won't let others avoid confronting their problems or fears
Can you run
Are you brave enough to face whatever is ahead of us?
O whoa o, o whoa o, o wha-ah-oh-o-ah-o
Nonsensical vocalizations, perhaps meant to add to the energy and strange atmosphere of the song
Can't stop while the rhythm is going
There's no time to stop or take a break from the pace of life
Just say the first words that come along to your head
Don't worry about perfection or premeditation, just speak your mind
One touch and it's already over
A brief moment or interaction can sometimes be enough to change everything
I'm not ready, I'm barley sober
Perhaps the artist is hesitant or uncertain, or they could be literally feeling a little buzzed
I just can't forget you,
The other person is on their mind in a constant, intrusive manner
I'd do anything to get you
Perhaps expressing desperation or intense longing
I don't want to get you,
Despite the previous line, the singer is conflicted about actually pursuing the other person
I just want to forget you.
Ultimately, the artist knows that forgetting the other person would be better for them
We can't go back
There's no way to undo past actions or choices
(And we can't go back)
Repetition of the previous sentiment, perhaps for emphasis
Take a deep breath
Calm down and center yourself
And go for her
Pursue the person that you desire, even if it's scary or daunting
And two weeks have past
An amount of time has gone by
(I've haven't seen you since)
The artist hasn't seen the other person in this span of time
In spreaded letters
Perhaps receiving a message or communication of some kind
Just forget her
Repeating a mantra or reminder to oneself to move on from the past
One thing remains
Despite everything else that has transpired, there is still one defining factor
Save the cheerleader,
Making an allusion to the television show Heroes
Save the world!
Expressing the belief that one individual can make a significant difference
Contributed by Muhammad D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.