The band holds its roots in California, where Lifehouse's founding members first came together under the name Blyss in 1999. Blyss released a demo album entitled Diff's Lucky Day. Shortly after in 2000, the boys were signed onto a record deal with DreamWorks Records. Five of the twelve tracks from Diff's Lucky Day were re-recorded for No Name Face. This debut album went multi-platinum, standing behind the hit single Hanging by a Moment, which became the most played radio track of 2001. The song became the theme of the 2000 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT.
In 2002, the members of Lifehouse consisted of foreman Jason Wade, bassist Sergio Andrade, drummer Rick Woolstenhulme and Woolstenhulme's younger brother, Sean Woolstenhulme, on guitar. At this time, Lifehouse released their second album Stanley Climbfall. After a few years of touring, Sergio Andrade left the band on good terms in 2004. Sean Woolstenhulme soon followed, leaving the band to pursue personal projects.
With only Wade and Woolstenhulme remaining, Lifehouse picked up a third member, ex-AM Radio bassist/vocalist Bryce Soderberg in late 2004. The band also signed off with Geffen Records, releasing their third self-titled album in 2005. With their style of melodic rock maturing over the years, the album's feature single You and Me remained on the Billboard hot 100 chart for over 60 weeks.
Further developing their image as a band that has overcome stereotypes and endured change, the Lifehouse trio came back quickly, releasing their latest album Who We Are in June 2007. The new single First Time has since been released on radio and television.
It was announced on October 15, 2010 that the new album is called Smoke & Mirrors and would be released on December 8, 2009. However, on November 13 the band stated on its web page that Smoke & Mirrors would be released on February 2, 2010. The first single was "Halfway Gone", which was released on October 27. The Halfway Gone music video premiered on the VH1 Top 20 on VH1.com at the end of November. On December 22, Tommy2.net reported that the album had been pushed back once again, this time to February 23, 2010. The album was then delayed again, but was released on March 2, 2010. The album came in a standard, deluxe, and two-disc deluxe edition.
The album Smoke and Mirrors debuted at # 6 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with 54,203 sold. This marks the highest chart debut of their ten year career beating out first week chart position for their 2002 sophomore set “Stanley Climbfall” which debuted at # 7. On iTunes, Smoke and Mirrors was #1 on the Rock Album chart for one week. After Halfway gone, two more songs from this album were released: All In (June, 2010) and Falling In (January, 2011).
In the spring of 2010 Lifehouse toured with Daughtry and Cavo. They also did a short European tour in September, 2010. After the European tour, the US the Smoke and Mirrors tour took place (October, 2010 and November, 2010). June 11, 2011 Lifehouse stated that they are working on a new album and that they will get back in the studio in the fall. June 12 and June 13, 2011 the band played two shows in the UK. During these shows, they played a new song called 'Angeline.'
Discography:
No Name Face (2000)
Stanley Climbfall (2002)
Lifehouse (2005)
Who We Are (2007)
Smoke & Mirrors (2010)
Almería (2012)
Out of the Wasteland (2015)
Smoke & Mirrors
Lifehouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You and I were living alone together
We held each other in the middle of the night
And swore we'd somehow make it better
We set our sights on the big city lights
No moss on these rolling stones
And here we are with everything we ever wanted
But now we're together alone
Gotta break out of this place we're in
Runnin' out of time and out of sin
We were living smoke and mirrors anyway
Gonna drive all night 'til we disappear
Chasing down the miles so far from here
As the smoke and mirrors start to fade away
We're still the same
I remember thinking we could make it out somehow
If somehow we ever took a chance
We packed up what we had and threw it in the trunk
Didn't give our life a second glance
Now the days roll hard and the nights move fast
They say be careful what you wish
But having everything means nothing to me now
What we had is everything I miss
Gotta break out of this place we're in
Runnin' out of time and out of sin
We were living smoke and mirrors anyway
Gonna drive all night 'til we disappear
Chasing down the miles so far from here
As the smoke and mirrors start to fade away
You know we're still the same, still the same
Gonna drive all night 'til we disappear
Chasing down the miles so far from here
As the smoke and mirrors start to fade away
And we're all we've got so let's hold on tight
To the dreams that came before the fight
We were living smoke and mirrors anyway
"Smoke & Mirrors" by Lifehouse is a song that talks about two people who fell in love and moved to the big city together. They had a dream, to make it big and to have everything they ever wanted. But as time passed, they realized that they were only living in a world of illusion, a world full of smoke and mirrors. They had everything they desired, but they still felt alone. They had lost touch with themselves and with each other. The song talks about how they come to terms with the fact that they need to break out of the place they are in, which is full of deception, and find their way back to what they once were. They need to leave behind the smoke and mirrors and face their reality.
As the song progresses, the chorus emphasizes on how they need to leave their current situation by driving away and disappearing into the horizon. They have to chase down the miles and leave the smoke and mirrors behind, all while still holding onto the dreams they had before they lost themselves in the fight. The song acknowledges that we all have struggles in life, but we must hold on tight to our dreams and never forget where we came from.
Overall, the song speaks to the human struggle of finding one's identity and not getting lost in the illusion of success. It is a reminder that true happiness can never be found in material possessions, but in the connections we have with the people we love and the things that make us who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time, was a place back when
Reflecting on a past where they were together and happy
You and I were living alone together
Despite being together, they were isolated from the rest of the world
We held each other in the middle of the night
They found solace in each other's company, in the darkness of the night
And swore we'd somehow make it better
They made each other a promise that they would overcome their challenges and struggles
We set our sights on the big city lights
They had aspirations of succeeding and achieving greatness in a bustling metropolis
No moss on these rolling stones
They were always on the move, never staying in one place for too long
And here we are with everything we ever wanted
They achieved their goals and attained everything they had ever desired
But now we're together alone
Even though they have each other, they feel alone and disconnected from the world
Gotta break out of this place we're in
They feel trapped in their current situation and long for change
Runnin' out of time and out of sin
They feel a sense of urgency to make a change, and are tired of living a superficial and empty life
We were living smoke and mirrors anyway
They realize that their previous life was nothing but an illusion and that they were not truly happy
Gonna drive all night 'til we disappear
They want to leave their current life behind and start fresh somewhere else
Chasing down the miles so far from here
They are determined to put as much distance as possible between themselves and their past
As the smoke and mirrors start to fade away
The illusions they once believed in are disappearing, revealing the harsh realities of their situation
We're still the same
Regardless of the changes they make, they know that they will always have each other and their memories
I remember thinking we could make it out somehow
In retrospect, they realized that they were once hopeful and optimistic about their future
If somehow we ever took a chance
They believe that they missed an opportunity to make a significant change in their lives
We packed up what we had and threw it in the trunk
They left their previous life behind and took only what they needed to start anew
Didn't give our life a second glance
They didn't look back or regret their decision to leave everything behind
Now the days roll hard and the nights move fast
They find that their new life is difficult and challenging, with time seeming to pass by quickly
They say be careful what you wish
They have learned that achieving their dreams wasn't as fulfilling as they thought it would be
But having everything means nothing to me now
They realize that material possessions and success do not bring true happiness
What we had is everything I miss
They long for the simplicity and happiness they had when they were together, even if they didn't have much else
And we're all we've got so let's hold on tight
They know that they only have each other in their new life, so they need to stick together and support each other
To the dreams that came before the fight
They hold onto the hope and aspirations they had before the struggles and challenges of life set in
We were living smoke and mirrors anyway
They reiterate that their previous life was an illusion, but the love and connection they shared was real
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JASON MICHAEL WADE, JUDE ANTHONY COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind