Jukebox the Ghost is a Washington, D.C.-born, Brooklyn-based three-piece rock band. The band consists of Ben Thornewill (vocals & piano), Tommy Siegel (vocals & guitar) and Jesse Kristin (drums). Since 2006, Jukebox the Ghost has toured extensively.
In 2003, Ben, Tommy, and Jesse met while attending George Washington University. Shortly after, they formed a band called The Sunday Mail. They took a semester's break to study abroad, and re-formed upon returning as Jukebox the Ghost. They came up with the name after combining lyrics from a Captain Beefheart song and a line from the book Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov.
In 2008, they released their first album "Let Live & Let Ghosts", and began playing new songs in concerts.
Jukebox the Ghost recorded a cover of Ace of Base's "Beautiful Life" for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2, which was released in November 2008.
Following their tour with Ben Folds in early April 2009, they began their headlining tour in the UK with Nightmare of You. They began their headlining tour with Jenny Owen Youngs back in the United States on April 30 in Chicago, IL. This tour lasted into June, at which point they temporarily stopped touring to concentrate on their next album, "Everything Under the Sun." The band began recording for the new album on September 29th, 2009 at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
In February 2010, Jukebox the Ghost toured across Europe with Adam Green of The Moldy Peaches. This was followed by a separate tour in the United States with bands Tally Hall and Skybox. They will begin touring once again in late May 2010 with the band Free Energy, and will be playing at Lollapalooza in Chicago this August.
"The Popular Thing," a song from their upcoming album, is featured in the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
The Stars
Jukebox the Ghost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could've sworn I felt the influence of an unseen hand
The ghost of someone else's dream
A forgotten god stopping by to survey the scene
And the lights were complicated and so we all just
Prayed to the spirits above and below
That the water would never reach us in time
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
And now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
On TV, they said the storms wouldn't last
But their answers didn't correlate to the questions we'd asked
They said, "A spark that's gone is not a spark to mourn
You can't resuscitate a person who was never born"
So I climbed to the tallest building in town
To see the rain rushing in, to feel my heart breaking down
And as the blue sheen drew nearer I saw a window to another world
Strange fish I'd never seen and in that moment I realized
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
Now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
I should have known this was coming, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
I should have seen this was unfolding, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
Every moment lost someone else has won
Every time you breathe there's another gone
Every passing second is a minute late
Every breath can escalate a hurricane
And do you think we'd realize just what we'd done
Tore down the canvas that held up the sun?
We ripped down the canvas hung up above
But what if we were created to gaze
What if we were created to gaze at the stars up above?
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
The song "The Stars" by Jukebox the Ghost is a commentary on the current global climate crisis and the lack of human action. The song opens with the singer watching fireworks and feeling the presence of an "unseen hand" or a higher power, which could represent the natural forces at play. As "complicated" lights shine down, the people pray that they will not be affected by the environmental disaster that seems to be coming.
Despite knowing that a "tidal wave" is coming, the people are too busy with their own lives to take action, sleeping through the "ground that was shaking." The lyrics suggest that we could have prevented the disaster, but we were too focused on the "bass" of our own lives to listen to the warning signs.
The singer then reflects on humanity's role in the disaster and the possibility that we were "created to gaze at the stars" rather than destroy our own world. Ultimately, the song suggests that it is not too late to act, as "now's as good as any as a time and place to begin" to learn to swim against the rising tides.
Line by Line Meaning
As fireworks burst over the land
The celebration was just starting and it was a beautiful sight.
I could've sworn I felt the influence of an unseen hand
There was something mystical and powerful happening that he couldn't quite explain.
The ghost of someone else's dream
He felt like he was experiencing something that wasn't really his own, like he was a spectator to someone else's dream.
A forgotten god stopping by to survey the scene
He felt like there was something more powerful and ancient watching over them, but it had been forgotten in modern times.
And the lights were complicated and so we all just
The lights and the situation were overwhelming, so they didn't know what to do.
Prayed to the spirits above and below
In their confusion and fear, they turned to the supernatural for guidance.
That the water would never reach us in time
They hoped that they wouldn't be affected by the disaster.
But I had a feeling that we'd never get to 2009
He knew that things would never be the same again after this event, and that it would change the course of history.
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
They were unprepared for what was about to happen, but it was inevitable.
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
They were unwilling to accept the situation, even though it was dire and urgent.
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
They were paralyzed by indecision and inaction, instead of taking action to save themselves.
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
The world was changing around them, and they were too overwhelmed to keep up.
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
They needed to take action to prepare for the disaster, or they would be swept away by it.
And now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
There's no better time than the present to start taking action.
On TV, they said the storms wouldn't last
The authorities were downplaying the situation on the news.
But their answers didn't correlate to the questions we'd asked
Their explanations didn't make sense or match up to what they were experiencing.
They said, "A spark that's gone is not a spark to mourn
The authorities were trying to downplay the loss of life and destruction, as if it didn't matter or wasn't worth mourning.
You can't resuscitate a person who was never born"
They were trying to rationalize the fact that some things were beyond their control or ability to fix.
So I climbed to the tallest building in town
He went to the highest point he could find to get a better view of what was happening.
To see the rain rushing in, to feel my heart breaking down
He watched as the disaster approached, but he also felt an overwhelming sadness and sense of loss.
And as the blue sheen drew nearer I saw a window to another world
As the disaster approached, he had a moment of transcendence, feeling like he was seeing something otherworldly or beyond his normal experiences.
Strange fish I'd never seen and in that moment I realized
He saw things he'd never seen before, and it made him realize that the world was changing in profound ways.
Every moment lost someone else has won
Every moment wasted is another opportunity lost to make a difference.
Every time you breathe there's another gone
Every passing moment is another missed opportunity to save someone or prevent the disaster from happening.
Every passing second is a minute late
Time is running out, and they need to act quickly.
Every breath can escalate a hurricane
Every small decision or action can have a big impact on the outcome of the disaster, for better or worse.
And do you think we'd realize just what we'd done
They were beginning to see the consequences of their actions, and how they had led to this disaster.
Tore down the canvas that held up the sun?
Had they destroyed something essential to life and the natural order of things?
We ripped down the canvas hung up above
They had disrupted the natural order of things, and there was no telling what the consequences would be.
But what if we were created to gaze
What if their purpose in life was simply to observe and appreciate the world around them, without interfering or disrupting it?
What if we were created to gaze at the stars up above?
Perhaps their true purpose was to appreciate the grandeur of the universe and the natural world, and to understand their place within it.
Contributed by Evan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheBlueSlipperss
lyrics:
As fireworks burst over the land
I could've sworn I felt the influence of an unseen hand
The ghost of someone else's dream
A forgotten god stopping by to survey the scene
And the lights were complicated and so we all just
Prayed to the spirits above and below
That the water would never reach us in time
But I had a feeling that we'd never get to 2009
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
And now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
On TV, they said the storms wouldn't last
But their answers didn't correlate to the questions we'd asked
They said, "A spark that's gone is not a spark to mourn
You can't resuscitate a person who was never born"
So I climbed to the tallest building in town
To see the rain rushing in, to feel my heart breaking down
And as the blue sheen drew nearer I saw a window to another world
Strange fish I'd never seen and in that moment I realized
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
Now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
I should have known this was coming, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
I should have seen this was unfolding, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
Every moment lost someone else has won
Every time you breathe there's another gone
Every passing second is a minute late
Every breath can escalate a hurricane
And do you think we'd realize just what we'd done
Tore down the canvas that held up the sun?
We ripped down the canvas hung up above
But what if we were created to gaze
What if we were created to gaze at the stars up above?
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
craftsparta
As fireworks burst over the land
I could've sworn I felt the influence of an unseen hand
The ghost of someone else's dream
A forgotten god stopping by to survey the scene
And the lights were complicated and so we all just
Prayed to the spirits above and below
That the water would never reach us in time
But I had a feeling that we'd never get to 2009
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
And now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
On TV, they said the storms wouldn't last
But their answers didn't correlate to the questions we'd asked
They said, "A spark that's gone is not a spark to mourn
You can't resuscitate a person who was never born"
So I climbed to the tallest building in town
To see the rain rushing in, to feel my heart breaking down
And as the blue sheen drew nearer I saw a window to another world
Strange fish I'd never seen and in that moment I realized
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
Now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
I should have known this was coming, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
I should have seen this was unfolding, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
Every moment lost someone else has won
Every time you breathe there's another gone
Every passing second is a minute late
Every breath can escalate a hurricane
And do you think we'd realize just what we'd done
Tore down the canvas that held up the sun?
We ripped down the canvas hung up above
But what if we were created to gaze
What if we were created to gaze at the stars up above?
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
TheBlueSlipperss
lyrics:
As fireworks burst over the land
I could've sworn I felt the influence of an unseen hand
The ghost of someone else's dream
A forgotten god stopping by to survey the scene
And the lights were complicated and so we all just
Prayed to the spirits above and below
That the water would never reach us in time
But I had a feeling that we'd never get to 2009
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
And now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
On TV, they said the storms wouldn't last
But their answers didn't correlate to the questions we'd asked
They said, "A spark that's gone is not a spark to mourn
You can't resuscitate a person who was never born"
So I climbed to the tallest building in town
To see the rain rushing in, to feel my heart breaking down
And as the blue sheen drew nearer I saw a window to another world
Strange fish I'd never seen and in that moment I realized
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
Now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
I should have known this was coming, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
I should have seen this was unfolding, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
Every moment lost someone else has won
Every time you breathe there's another gone
Every passing second is a minute late
Every breath can escalate a hurricane
And do you think we'd realize just what we'd done
Tore down the canvas that held up the sun?
We ripped down the canvas hung up above
But what if we were created to gaze
What if we were created to gaze at the stars up above?
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
PhoenixLord5677
Holly scheisse this is damn good
Clifton Bodenhamer
Oh my god where have they been my whole life
John Parker
Theme playing this album live got me into them. Criminally underrated
Almighty Polar Bear
What is funny about this is the lyrics mentions the "bass thumping" yet there is no bass guitar.
Alex Baldwin
I think it might be referring to the Bass drum that’s thumping through the entire song.
Shardith
Bass drummmmm
Almighty Polar Bear
@Alex Baldwin It can be, but the bass drum isn't that dominant.
Alex Baldwin
@Almighty Polar BearTo be fair, it is the only constant throughout the entire song so it would make the most sense to be what’s being referenced.
craftsparta
As fireworks burst over the land
I could've sworn I felt the influence of an unseen hand
The ghost of someone else's dream
A forgotten god stopping by to survey the scene
And the lights were complicated and so we all just
Prayed to the spirits above and below
That the water would never reach us in time
But I had a feeling that we'd never get to 2009
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
And now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
On TV, they said the storms wouldn't last
But their answers didn't correlate to the questions we'd asked
They said, "A spark that's gone is not a spark to mourn
You can't resuscitate a person who was never born"
So I climbed to the tallest building in town
To see the rain rushing in, to feel my heart breaking down
And as the blue sheen drew nearer I saw a window to another world
Strange fish I'd never seen and in that moment I realized
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning to swim
There's a tidal wave coming so you'd better start learning
Now's as good as any as a time and place to begin
I should have known this was coming, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
I should have seen this was unfolding, yeah
It could not have been more obvious
Like the flood that Noah dreamed about
Except bigger and more ominous
Every moment lost someone else has won
Every time you breathe there's another gone
Every passing second is a minute late
Every breath can escalate a hurricane
And do you think we'd realize just what we'd done
Tore down the canvas that held up the sun?
We ripped down the canvas hung up above
But what if we were created to gaze
What if we were created to gaze at the stars up above?
Didn't want a wave but a wave was coming, yeah
We didn't wanna swim but the cities were sinking
Though we wanted to react we were too busy sleeping through
The ground that was shaking, the bass was thumping