Indie punk pioneer Jeff Rosenstock is a must-know name in the Long Island p… Read Full Bio ↴Indie punk pioneer Jeff Rosenstock is a must-know name in the Long Island punk scene. Hailing from Baldwin NY, he fronted the iconic ska-punk band The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, he toured the world with his critically acclaimed anti-capitalist punk collective Bomb The Music Industry!, carrying t-shirt stencils and spray paint to all-ages venues and house show basements in lieu of merch. He started the first donation-based record label, Quote Unquote Records, a full 2 years before Radiohead popularized the idea of pay-what-you-want music.

And through decades of solid output, rigorous touring, and unyielding punk ethos, he cemented himself as one of the most influential heroes of the DIY scene.

Rosenstock is a self-made artist who's built a bridge between enraged, angst-ridden political catharsis and hard-hitting depressive emotional introspection. His voice is loud, raspy, and on the cusp of anger, but underneath that lies enough nuance and subtlety to make his music fun and arresting all at once.

In just a couple of years, Jeff Rosenstock has gone from beloved underground punk mainstay to a DIY legend and one of the most acclaimed figures in modern punk.

All This Useless Energy
Jeff Rosenstock Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Darkness holds
Begging me to lose control
We wrestle it back and forth 'til urban silence
Cuts through night
With a scalpel for the light
That bleeds through the margins
And leaves me semi-conscious

I haven't found the rhythm yet
To anchor down my life
I didn't know I needed one
To hold me through the night

Ain't it great
Smashing through the interstate
Where we guess the futures of
Our concurrent strangers?
They're on their way to the doctor or to raise
Grandkids of young twenty-somethings
And teenagers

I'm worried of abandoning
The joys that framed my life
But all this useless energy
Won't hold me through the night

Oh please
You're not fooling anyone
When you say you tried your best
'Cause you can't be your best anything
When you can't get any rest

Oh please
You're not fooling anyone
When you say you tried your best
'Cause you can't be your best anything
When you can't get any rest

I am worried of abandoning
The joys that framed my life
But all this useless energy
Won't hold me through the night
Won't hold me through the night

Won't hold me through
Won't hold me through the night

Overall Meaning

"All This Useless Energy" by Jeff Rosenstock explores themes of restlessness, dissatisfaction, and the struggle to find stability and purpose in life. The lyrics depict a constant battle against darkness and a yearning for control. The opening lines suggest a tussle with internal demons that threaten to overwhelm the singer. The urban silence represents a state of numbness, as the light of hope and clarity pierces through the margins, leaving the singer only partially conscious.

The song delves into the search for rhythm and stability in life. The singer expresses a sense of not yet having found the anchor that can steady their existence. They acknowledge their unawareness of needing one until now and the struggles faced in traversing the uncertainties of existence without it.

The second verse introduces the idea of smashing through the interstate, a metaphor for recklessly navigating life with little regard for the future or the people around. The concurrent strangers represent the diverse paths people take, whether it be going to the doctor or becoming parents or grandparents. There is a tangible worry that abandoning the joys and experiences that have shaped the singer's life will leave them feeling unfulfilled. The chorus, repeated twice, emphasizes the futility of claiming to have tried one's best without the ability to find rest, suggesting that true effort and self-improvement cannot be sustained without a sense of peace and rejuvenation.

In summary, "All This Useless Energy" reflects the constant battle against internal darkness, the longing for stability and purpose, and the fear of abandoning the joys that give life meaning. It highlights the necessity of rest and finding one's rhythm in order to navigate through life's uncertainties.

Line by Line Meaning

Darkness holds
The overwhelming feeling of darkness and despair takes hold of me.

Begging me to lose control
It tempts me to give in and let go of my self-control.

We wrestle it back and forth 'til urban silence
We struggle with this darkness, continuously battling against the quietness and emptiness of the urban environment.

Cuts through night
The silence becomes piercing, cutting through the darkness of the night.

With a scalpel for the light
Using a metaphorical scalpel, the silence reveals a glimmer of hope and illumination.

That bleeds through the margins
This light of hope seeps through the edges, pushing against the boundaries of despair.

And leaves me semi-conscious
It leaves me in a state of half-awareness, partially awake to the possibilities.

I haven't found the rhythm yet
I haven't discovered the pattern or stability in life.

To anchor down my life
Something that can secure and stabilize my existence.

I didn't know I needed one
I didn't realize how essential it is to have that anchor in my life.

To hold me through the night
To provide support and comfort during the times of darkness and uncertainty.

Ain't it great
Isn't it amazing or ironic?

Smashing through the interstate
Moving rapidly through life and breaking free from societal expectations.

Where we guess the futures of
Where we speculate and predict the destinies of

Our concurrent strangers?
The strangers who are existing alongside us in this journey called life.

They're on their way to the doctor or to raise
They have their own priorities and responsibilities to attend to, whether it's seeking medical attention or nurturing their family.

Grandkids of young twenty-somethings
Revealing the generational cycles where those in their twenties are becoming grandparents.

And teenagers
Even teenagers are entering into the roles of parents and caregivers.

I'm worried of abandoning
I'm anxious about leaving behind

The joys that framed my life
The happiness and positive experiences that have shaped and defined my existence.

But all this useless energy
Despite having a lot of energy and drive,

Won't hold me through the night
It's not enough to sustain me during the difficult times.

Oh please
A plea or request for understanding or empathy.

You're not fooling anyone
Your actions aren't deceiving or tricking anyone.

When you say you tried your best
Your claims of giving your utmost effort are not convincing.

'Cause you can't be your best anything
Because you can't achieve your true potential or excel in any aspect

When you can't get any rest
When you're unable to find peace and relaxation.

I am worried of abandoning
I am fearful of leaving behind

The joys that framed my life
The happiness and positive experiences that have provided structure and meaning to my existence.

But all this useless energy
Despite having a lot of energy and drive,

Won't hold me through the night
It's not sufficient to sustain me during the difficult times.

Won't hold me through
It won't support or keep me going during

Won't hold me through the night
The energy and drive I possess won't be enough to carry me through the challenging moments of darkness and uncertainty.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeff Rosenstock

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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