Messersmith is not only a musician is half-truth, but also a storyteller. His first full-length release The Alcatraz Kid is a moving collection of acoustic-driven lullabies with titles like “Novocain” and “Beautiful Children” that innocently question the purpose of things to come. The integrity of these delicate songs immediately struck a chord with critics and fans alike, and captured the attention of Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, who offered to produce Messersmith’s follow-up album, The Silver City.
The Silver City was a natural progression in sound and reflection: the compositions grew fuller and more dynamic with a classic-pop feel inspired by the Beach Boys and Beatles: While the topics focused on midlife struggles with tracks like “Dead End Job” and “Miracles.” Local and national attention soon followed with NPR and college stations around the country, followed by U.S. tours and sold-out shows in New York, Chicago and Minneapolis.
The Reluctant Graveyard bookends this trilogy of lifelong (ahem, literary) observations with songs like “Lazy Bones” and “Organ Donor,” and sonically continues on the ’60s chamber pop path Messersmith set out with his sophomore release. He continues to share stages with notables such as Sondre Lechre and The Watson Twins, and has been featured on MTV and Ugly Betty.
Toussaint Grey First in Life and Death
Jeremy Messersmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Footsteps echo off the walls
Summertime is here again
I'm not thinking of the friends
I'll leave behind
No one wants to be the last one home
I fly out of the starting block
I may be small but I've got speed
Trail of sparks behind my feet
No one wants to be the last one home
Racing up and down the halls
Footsteps echo of the walls
Summertime is here again
I'm not thinking of the friends
I left behind
The first verse of Jeremy Messersmith's Toussaint Grey First in Life and Death paints a picture of someone who is caught up in a race. They are racing up and down the halls, with their footsteps echoing off the walls. However, the summertime is here again and the singer is not thinking of the friends they will have to leave behind. This suggests that the singer is caught up in a race that they are determined to win, even if it means leaving their friends behind.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of not being the last one home. The singer is racing against time, and they don't want to be late for anything. They are flying out of the starting block and leaving a trail of sparks behind their feet to show just how fast they are moving. This creates an image of someone who is determined to win, someone who is pushing themselves to their limit.
The second verse of the song repeats the first verse, emphasizing the idea of a race. The singer is still racing up and down the halls, with their footsteps echoing off the walls. However, this time they are thinking about the friends they have left behind. This suggests that the singer has finally realized that they cannot win this race on their own, and they need their friends by their side if they are going to succeed.
Overall, Toussaint Grey First in Life and Death seems to be a song about the importance of friendship and the dangers of being caught up in the race of life. The singer initially believed that they could win this race on their own, but they eventually realized that they needed their friends to help them get to the finish line.
Line by Line Meaning
Racing up and down the halls
I am running quickly and energetically through the corridors
Footsteps echo off the walls
The sound of my movement is bouncing off the surfaces of the walls
Summertime is here again
The season of summer has returned once more
I'm not thinking of the friends
I am not considering my companions
I'll leave behind
I will abandon them
No one wants to be the last one home
Everyone wishes to be among the first to arrive at their destination
Bell rings out at 3 o' clock
The sound of a bell marks the hour of three o'clock
I fly out of the starting block
I dash forth with great energy from my starting position
I may be small but I've got speed
Although I am not large in size, I possess a great velocity
Trail of sparks behind my feet
My rapid motion creates a fiery trail in my wake
Racing up and down the halls
I continue to run quickly and energetically through the corridors
Footsteps echo of the walls
The sound of my movement still reverberates off the surfaces of the walls
Summertime is here again
The season of summer has returned once more
I'm not thinking of the friends
I am still not considering my companions
I left behind
I have already abandoned them
Writer(s): Jeremy Matthew Messersmith Copyright: Inkompetent Kosmonaut Publishing, Universal Music Corp.
Contributed by Jason M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.