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.
We're Not In Kansas Anymore
I See Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way the night stretches over the sun
And we're up to no good
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
Will you release me, my friend
There's nowhere to run or hide
Again and again
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
And this cell can't hold back
My dangerous thoughts
959 miles away is where you'll find me
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Throw out the key
I'm afraid I've been locked away
We are dark
The way the night stretches over the sun
And we're up to no good
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
Will you release me my friend?
There's no where to run or hide
Again and again
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
And this cell can't hold back
My dangerous thoughts
There's no where to run or hide
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
959 miles away is where you'll find me
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Throw out the key
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Don't look back
Don't look back
Get me the hell away from here
You don't know you're free, until you're locked away
Even just for a day
I tell you I'm not the man I used to be
The song "We're Not in Kansas Anymore" by I See Stars introduces us to the darkness of life, the idea that things are not always as they seem, and that we are often up to no good. The lyrics depict a complexity of emotions, reminiscing the danger in living recklessly while struggling with the feeling of imprisonment. The opening line, "We are dark, The way the night stretches over the sun," sets the tone of the song, which is eerie and foreboding.
As the song progresses, we come to understand that the singer is imprisoned and locked away, portraying an internal prison, a prison of the mind. Though there is no excuse for the way they live, they won't go down without a fight. They feel isolated and dominated in their mind. The line "Again and again, getting lost in the depths of my mind, And this cell can't hold back my dangerous thoughts" re-emphasizes the sense of imprisonment, as the character recognizes the fact that they are trapped in their mind, and their dangerous thoughts cannot be contained.
The song's lyrics give us an insight into the mental state of someone suffering from a mental health issue, and how isolating it can feel, leading to an internal prison without any escape. Overall, the song tells a powerful story that people can relate to when dealing with struggles of the mind, and it serves as a reminder that there is always hope for recovery.
Line by Line Meaning
We are dark
We are heavily burdened by our state of mind
The way the night stretches over the sun
The darkness of our thoughts overshadows any light in our lives
And we're up to no good
Our actions are dangerous and unpredictable
No we won't go peaceful
We will never surrender and give up our current lifestyle
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Our behavior is inexcusable despite any reasoning we may have
Will you release me, my friend
Asking for help to escape the negative state of mind
There's nowhere to run or hide
No matter what we do, we cannot escape our inner turmoil
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
Feeling trapped in a mental state that we cannot control
And this cell can't hold back my dangerous thoughts
Our negative thoughts and actions cannot be contained
959 miles away is where you'll find me
We are mentally and emotionally distant from anyone else
I'm afraid I've been locked away
We feel trapped in our own thoughts and unable to escape
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Asking for a release from this mental imprisonment
Don't look back
Moving on from the past and focusing on the present and future
Get me the hell away from here
Wanting to escape the negative mental space
You don't know you're free, until you're locked away
Only by experiencing confinement can we realize the value of freedom
Even just for a day
Even a temporary escape from our negative thoughts and actions would be relieving
I tell you I'm not the man I used to be
Acknowledging that our behavior has changed and that it is not for the better
Lyrics © KILLPHONIC
Written by: Jimmy Gregerson, Brent Allen, Devin Oliver, Zach Johnson, Andrew Oliver, Jeff Valentine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jordan Holman
We are dark
The way the night stretches over the sun
And we're up to no good
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
Will you release me, my friend
There's nowhere to run or hide
Again and again
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
And this cell can't hold back
My dangerous thoughts
959 miles away is where you'll find me
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Throw out the key
I'm afraid I've been locked away
We are dark
The way the night stretches over the sun
And we're up to no good
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
Will you release me my friend?
There's no where to run or hide
Again and again
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
And this cell can't hold back
My dangerous thoughts
There's no where to run or hide
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
959 miles away is where you'll find me
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Throw out the key
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Don't look back
Don't look back
Get me the hell away from here
You don't know you're free, until you're locked away
Even just for a day
I tell you I'm not the man I used to be
Songwriters: Jimmy Gregerson / Brent Alle
derp derpin
People love this breakdown but the intro riff is what does it for me. It's so god damn groovy and melodic.
Ambrose Donth
3:47 One of the best breakdowns I've heard from these guys
Fairy C Rat
It's absolutely insane. Basically a metalcore breakdown and a dubstep drop played at the same time
Jordan Holman
We are dark
The way the night stretches over the sun
And we're up to no good
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
Will you release me, my friend
There's nowhere to run or hide
Again and again
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
And this cell can't hold back
My dangerous thoughts
959 miles away is where you'll find me
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Throw out the key
I'm afraid I've been locked away
We are dark
The way the night stretches over the sun
And we're up to no good
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
There is no excuse for the way that we live
Yeah we're up to no good
No we won't go peaceful
Will you release me my friend?
There's no where to run or hide
Again and again
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
And this cell can't hold back
My dangerous thoughts
There's no where to run or hide
Getting lost in the depths of my mind
959 miles away is where you'll find me
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Throw out the key (Throw out the key)
Throw out the key
I'm afraid I've been locked away
Don't look back
Don't look back
Get me the hell away from here
You don't know you're free, until you're locked away
Even just for a day
I tell you I'm not the man I used to be
Songwriters: Jimmy Gregerson / Brent Alle
Molly Jade
Thank you!!!
CautiousMeat
From green light go to new demons, ive genuinely loved EVERY song from you, ISS. Thank you for the eargasms you give me daily.
M
Seriously. Go out and buy this CD. It's like 9 bucks, the amount of work that must've been put into this is insane, and the quality is much better on the disc anyway.
SFxTAGG3
Loving this new album haha. I love I See Stars. These guys are so badass.
Nuno Valente
BAD ASS BAND AMERICA IS GREAT
Johnny_roots
Totally underrated song