Growing up in houses just two minutes away from each other in Swords, a working class town near Dublin airport, Stephen Garrigan and Mark Prendergast met aged eight, when they were the only boys in the school choir. Skip forward six years and they recruited Vinny May , also situated a stones throw away and together set about forming the first of myriad bands. The line-up for Kodaline was recently completed by the addition of bassist Jason Boland . The band's name, incidentally, means absolutely nothing. For the moment they wanted something they could take ownership of.
The band became a YouTube sensation with their music video for the song 'All I Want' which tells the heartbreaking beauty-and-the-beast type story. On October 4th 2013 Kodaline released another music video for this song called 'All I Want part 2" this again tells us about the man.
On June 17th 2013, Kodaline released their first studio album, In a Perfect World, with 11 tracks including 'All I Want', 'Pray', 'Love Like This' and 'High Hopes'. The oldest track on their album is 'High Hopes' which was based on a series of breakups that members of the band were facing during that time.
Teaching each other the principles of songcraft, the music they came up with some of which can be found on their self titled EP isn't wan or introspective or self-serving. Instead, it's bold, epic and stirring. Currently maintaining an air of understated mystery, Kodaline are soon set to unveil themselves to the world with these first four tracks recorded with Steve Harris (producer for Dave Matthews band, mixer for U2).
Singles have featured in a number of TV shows, including 'Remember the time' in Grey's Anatomy and 'All I Want' in "The Vampire Diaries". This song was also used ,very effectively, as the backing music in the 2012 Google Zeitgeist advert.
Kodaline have also been doing many tours recently and their last two in the UK were completely sold out. They enjoy being on the stage and are looking forwards to many festivals in the upcoming summer, such as T in the Park and the V festival.
To celebrate the beginning of 2014, Kodaline released an alternative video for their song 'One Day' on January 1st, 2014. Also, on the 15th of January, Kodaline received the EBBA for the people's choice award along with another award for the best Irish Act. This promising band has been acclaimed for their many talents and will surely continue to produce such heart-rendering music.
Kodaline have announced their second album: 'Coming Up For Air' which will be released in February 2015. A couple of the songs have already been made public. They are also going on another tour around various places in the world after it's release, starting in the amazing Glasgow Barrowlands. They will also be returning to America after their last tour was cancelled due to Jay's broken wrist.
Play the Game
Kodaline Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say I'm crying breaking up inside
See my heart is sinking to my knees
Tell me brother what is it you need?
I don't wana be a pretender
I just wanna be me
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game
Oh you're blaming everybody else
Stop complaining and do it for yourself
Feed your body, your spirit and your mind
Oh my brother just enjoy the ride
I don't wanna be a pretender
I just wanna be me
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game
Everybody's got a story to tell
When you're looking up at heaven but you're stuck in hell, come on
You gotta play, play the game
Red lights weren't coming around
You got a long way to go and you're holding it down
Come on
Play the game
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Play the game
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Play the game
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game
The lyrics of Kodaline's song, Play the Game, strongly convey the message of taking charge of one's life and not relying on others for success. The first verse talks about feeling lost and breaking up inside, while the chorus reminds us that nobody can carry us through life, and that we need to work harder, dream bigger, and play the game to succeed. The second verse calls out people who are always blaming others and not taking responsibility for their actions. It encourages us to nourish our body, spirit, and mind and to enjoy the journey instead of constantly complaining. The song ends with the repeated message of playing the game and striving for success.
The catchy beat and uplifting melody of Play the Game make it an inspiring song that motivates listeners to take action and claim their place in the world. The lyrics are relatable and empower listeners to believe in themselves and their dreams. Through the message of the song, Kodaline encourages listeners to take control of their lives and not wait for someone else to carry them through.
Overall, Play the Game is a song that urges listeners to work hard and chase their dreams relentlessly, reminding us that nobody can do it for us. The lyrics inspire and motivate us to take responsibility for our actions, and to seize the opportunities that come our way.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my world is turning inside out
I'm feeling disorientated and overwhelmed.
Say I'm crying breaking up inside
I'm hurting and feeling like everything is falling apart.
See my heart is sinking to my knees
I'm feeling devastated and crushed.
Tell me brother what is it you need?
I need your support and guidance.
I don't wanna be a pretender
I don't want to be fake or hide my true self.
I just wanna be me
I want to be authentic and true to myself.
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game
No one can do the hard work for you, keep pushing forward and striving to be better.
Oh you're blaming everybody else
You're putting the blame on others instead of taking responsibility for your own actions.
Stop complaining and do it for yourself
Rather than complain about your situation, take action to improve it.
Feed your body, your spirit and your mind
Take care of yourself physically and mentally in order to be your best self.
Oh my brother just enjoy the ride
Relax and enjoy life's journey, rather than constantly stressing over the destination.
Everybody's got a story to tell
Everyone has a unique personal experience to share.
When you're looking up at heaven but you're stuck in hell, come on
When things are tough and you feel like you're in a bad place, keep pushing forward.
You gotta play, play the game
You have to participate and engage in life in order to succeed.
Red lights weren't coming around
Things weren't going my way and I felt stuck.
You got a long way to go and you're holding it down
There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, but I'm staying strong and persevering.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Jason Matthew Boland, Stephen Joseph Garrigan, Vincent Thomas May, Mark Daniel Prendergast, Garret Noel Lee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Violet
on All I Want
Just amazing and comforting