Her debut EP Lights was released in July 2008 and achieved commercial success which enabled the release of her first full-length album, The Listening, on September 22, 2009. Her second album, Siberia, was released on October 4, 2011. Both albums have been certified gold in Canada. Lights released her third studio album, Little Machines, on September 19, 2014, which debuted on the Canadian Albums Chart at number five. Her fourth album, Skin&Earth, which featured "Giants", was released in September 2017, accompanied by a graphic novel of the same name. Her albums won the Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year in 2015 and 2018.
Lights has collaborated with artists including Bring Me the Horizon, Silverstein, Deadmau5, Felix Cartal, i_o, Owl City and Sleepy Tom. Lights signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2019 and released Skin&Earth Acoustic, which included three new songs.
Running with the Boys
Lights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Captains and Cavalries forming empires in shade of the trees
Without hesitation, kings of the forest town
Holding the ocean down
We're half this heavy and twice this loud
So turn up the noise
Just through the night
Your hand in mine
Singing every song, loving every line
'Till the night is gone
Just like the old times
Just like the old times
Was what you made it
We had our friends around
All the images and sounds, super imposing to old backgrounds
We used to be clumsy, hm, lost in a thousand ways
Captivated by the craze,
Hold your hands down my favorite days
So turn up the noise
Just through the night
Running with the boys
Your hand in mine
Singing every song, loving every line
'Till the night is gone
Just like the old times
Just like the old times
Just like the old times
Suspicion rose in our head
It was only underneath the beds, beds
Saline eyes didn't have to hide
They were always open way too wide, way too wide
So turn up the noise
Just through the night
Running with the boys
Your hand in mine
Singing every song, loving every line
'Till the night is gone
Just like the old times
Just like the old times
Just like the old times
Just like the old times
Just like the old times (Just like the old times)
Just like the old times (We're gonna have it all)
Just like the old times
The song "Running with the Boys" by Lights is an ode to nostalgia and the freedom and carefreeness of youth. The lyrics describe a group of friends who used to run wild and carefree through their forest town, forming empires and feeling like heroes. The reminiscence is littered with happy descriptions that are laced with imagery and metaphors, providing the audience with the chance to live vicariously through those happy memories. The opening lines describe exactly the kind of spirit this group of friends had with the lyrics "We were kind of heroes, wicked little machines. Captains and Cavaliers forming empires in the shade of the trees." It's immediately clear that they're a tight-knit group who believe that they're capable of anything they set their minds to.
As the song progresses, the lyrics describe how the group is still as close as ever, despite having grown and changed over the years. They still turn up the noise and sing at the top of their voices, just like they used to when they were younger, surrounded by all of their friends. The lyrics "Running with the boys. Your hand in mine. Singing every song, loving every line 'Till the night is gone. Just like the old times. Just like the old times" make this nostalgia even more real.
The final verse of the song breaks the glow however as it brings to light the fact that some fears and suspicions weren't imaginary and existed. "Suspicion rose in our head. It was only underneath the beds, beds. Saline eyes didn't have to hide. They were always open way too wide, way too wide," alludes to the fact that things were not always happy and simple as they seem.
Overall, the song is a reminder that growing up doesn't mean losing touch with your past and your friends. Even if life has brought about some negative changes, there is always a chance to step back into the past and find something that will make you feel young again.
Line by Line Meaning
We were kind of heroes, wicked little machines
We were like heroes - powerful, with incredible abilities and skills, almost like machines
Captains and Cavalries forming empires in shade of the trees
Our leadership and courage led to the creation of great kingdoms and territories, protected by the safety and comfort of the trees
Without hesitation, kings of the forest town
We acted with confidence and decisiveness, ruling over the town within the forest effortlessly
Holding the ocean down
We had the power to control and conquer the immense force of the ocean
We're half this heavy and twice this loud
Despite being light in physical stature, we made up for it with our strong voices and intense presence
So turn up the noise
Let's make a lot of noise and be heard
Just through the night
For the duration of one night
Running with the boys
Going on a wild adventure with our male friends
Your hand in mine
Holding hands with your partner or close friend
Singing every song, loving every line
We sang every song from start to finish, enjoying and appreciating every single line
'Till the night is gone
Until the end of the night
Just like the old times
Just like how things used to be in the past
We had our friends around
Our friends were always there with us
All the images and sounds, super imposing to old backgrounds
The visual and auditory effects were so striking that they changed the appearance of our old surroundings
We used to be clumsy, hm, lost in a thousand ways
We were once awkward, uncertain and directionless, facing numerous challenges and obstacles in our lives
Captivated by the craze,
We were fascinated and mesmerized by the excitement and intensity of the experience
Hold your hands down my favorite days
My happiest moments are when I am holding your hand
Suspicion rose in our head
Doubt and mistrust began to surface in our minds
It was only underneath the beds, beds
The source of our fear and anxiety was hidden and concealed, lurking beneath our very own beds
Saline eyes didn't have to hide
We didn't have to mask our tears and emotions; we could express them fully
They were always open way too wide, way too wide
Our eyes were always open wide, suggesting curiosity, wonder and vulnerability
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Pearson, Drew Pearson, Lights Valerie Poxleitner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ItsMelliB
So proud of how far lights has come.
As a fan from the beginning, i'll always be here to support you!
I was lucky enough to win tickets on the radio to see Tegan and Sarah live
where light's opened for them, and ( I love T&S ) but I didn't know who they were
very well when I went to their concert. I wanted to go for lights. So I did!
During intermission I was literally 5 ft away from lights, and was so sad that I didn't
get to have my picture taken with her / meet her. ( She had the awesome silver/ really light blonde hair then. )
But lights, i'm seriously so proud of you and all your accomplishments,
and little Rocket is absolutely adorable.
From your end of Canada to mine,
Melanie.
@JabbursTV
One of the most underrated artists out there
@gregrosenthal205
+Jabburs fully agree! Like many other Canadian singers she is highly underrated. We Canadians are proud of Lights!
@JabbursTV
+greg rosenthal I completely agree, we really do have some good ARTISTS out there
@cube5750
+Jabburs and thats a shame:(
@judithpriestess7781
by far
@brettkoehler3003
Jabburs Yeah man she's so beautiful and such an effective, heartfelt songwriter with tough beats to top it all off.
@jonathanharari269
LIGHTS you are my secret sin. I've loved you for years, and will never stop as long as you don't! Your the best! Your tracks got me through a lot of hard times in my life! Thanks for everything!
@GGHAMMERHEAD
LIGHTS is every guy's secret sin ;)
@BagOfMexicans
The listening had gotten me through the hardest times of my life
@mastermanio2
Yeah. It's even stranger for me, as a guy who primarily listens to death metal, and generally shuns mainstream music. I love LIGHTS :D