Mayday Parade was born in 2005 when two popular Tallahassee bands, Kid Name… Read Full Bio ↴Mayday Parade was born in 2005 when two popular Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment, decided to merge and form one group. Both bands had been friends for a long time but they each seemed to have different kind of holdups. They pooled their resources, booted out the undedicated members and decided to take the good from each band and move forward. Armed with a dynamic lead singer Derek Sanders of Defining Moment, Mayday Parade explodes with energy and personality. Fans of both bands came together in support of the Parade and it wasn't long until thousands of other new fans got into the action. Mayday Parade knew they'd have to start at the grassroots level and began to work themselves to the top. Through their catchy tunes and fun attitude, they have hooked fans at their shows and online with an interactive MySpace selling 10,000 EPs without label support.

With the work hard, play hard, do whatever it takes to spread your music philosophy that most young bands need to have these days, the band took to the road and started winning over kids not just in Florida, but across the country. Mayday Parade was consistently in the top 30 unsigned artists on MySpace. They've consolidated over 50,000 friends and growing and have totaled over 2.4 Million plays. With labels hot on their tail, Mayday Parade decided that Fearless Records was the one for them and signed at the end of the summer 2006.

They then released their first professional record, A Lesson In Romantics, in 2007. Shortly after, one of the lead singers/vocalist Jason Lancaster ( lead guitarist/vocalist of Kid Named Chicago) left the band over a songwriting dispute. He then started his own band, Go Radio. There are no hard feelings between the two bands, although Lancaster later commented, "I wish it could have gone down differently."

In 2009, the band released their second album and first without Lancaster, Anywhere But Here.

Mayday Parade's live show also conveys their personality by assuring that they are intensely full of life. The band knows how to put on an engaging show with five energetic members. There's no escaping the energy that Mayday Parade brings. They're all over the stage, making sure the audience goes home happy and wanting more. They love to get the crowd engaged!

In 2011, the band released their third, self titled album.

Ocean and Atlantic
Mayday Parade Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jessie says she's been here for a thousand days
A thousand days to her that just don't mean a thing
Cause the city makes a perfect place to sleep
And daddy's coming home
He said he brought her things
A kiss from every coast and songs for them to sing
But singing never got her very far
And this whole coast is full of pin-up paper rockstars

She said she'll run
Until her feet don't touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
She'll never make a sound
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she'll be a secret you can keep
Keep me

Cuts on paper hearts
They can be awful deep
Lips from wear and tear on different city streets
Don't all need a home, but just a place to sleep

So I will run
Until my feet don't touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
She'll never make a sound
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she'll be a secret you can keep
Keep me
Keep me

And soon she'll find that every time she runs
She leaves behind another piece of her
On every city street

So I will run
Until my feet don't touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening

So I will run
Until my feet don't touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
She'll never make a sound
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she'll be a secret you can keep
Keep me
Keep me

So keep it coming and the details quiet
She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she'll be a secret you can keep

Keep me
Keep me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mayday Parade's song "Ocean and Atlantic" depict a girl named Jessie who has been stuck in the city for a thousand days. She feels invisible in the big city, and it's as if she's not even there. Jessie's father comes back and brings her presents from different coasts, but singing never got her very far in the music industry, and the whole coast is full of pin-up paper rock stars, which implies that the music industry is full of insincere people. She feels like a ghost that keeps you up all night. Jessie is running away, searching for a place where she can feel alive, and the details of her journey are kept secret.

The lyrics also contain a personal note from the singer to the listeners. The lead singer encourages the listener to keep listening and keep coming back to the music. He says that he will continue to run until his feet don't touch the ground, and as the waves carry him out, he will keep listening. He shares that he, too, has been emotionally scarred during his life's journey, and as he moves forward, he leaves behind a portion of himself, just as Jessie leaves a part of herself behind on every city street. The song conveys a message about finding oneself through travel and the end goal of leaving behind the past and anxiety.

Line by Line Meaning

Jessie says she's been here for a thousand days
Jessie feels like her time in this city has gone by slowly and she has been stuck here for what seems like forever.

A thousand days to her that just don't mean a thing
Spending a long time in this city has made Jessie feel as though time no longer has any meaning.

Cause the city makes a perfect place to sleep
The city is so comforting to Jessie that it feels like a perfect place to rest and be still.

And daddy's coming home He said he brought her things A kiss from every coast and songs for them to sing
Jessie's father is returning home and has brought her gifts, including songs and kisses from each coast of the country.

But singing never got her very far And this whole coast is full of pin-up paper rockstars
Jessie realizes that singing has not really taken her anywhere and she is surrounded by people who pretend to be something they are not.

She said she'll run Until her feet don't touch the ground And as the waves carry me out Keep listening She'll never make a sound So keep it coming and the details quiet She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night And she'll be a secret you can keep Keep me
Jessie plans to run away and disappear from everyone's lives, never to be heard from again. She wants people to keep the details of her departure a secret and thinks of herself as a ghost that will haunt those who knew her.

Cuts on paper hearts They can be awful deep Lips from wear and tear on different city streets Don't all need a home, but just a place to sleep
Jessie realizes that the scars she carries from past experiences can be very deep and painful. She also understands that sometimes people don't need a permanent home but just a temporary place to rest.

And soon she'll find that every time she runs She leaves behind another piece of her On every city street
Jessie realizes that every time she runs away from something, she leaves a part of herself behind on the streets of the cities she has been in.

So keep it coming and the details quiet She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night And she'll be a secret you can keep Keep me
Jessie wants people to keep quiet about her leaving and thinks of herself as a ghost that will haunt those who knew her. She also wants people to keep her as a secret they can keep.

So I will run Until my feet don't touch the ground And as the waves carry me out Keep listening She'll never make a sound So keep it coming and the details quiet She's like a ghost that keeps you up all night And she'll be a secret you can keep Keep me Keep me
The singer, who is likely Jessie, plans to run away and disappear from everyone's lives, never to be heard from again. She wants people to keep the details of her departure a secret and thinks of herself as a ghost that will haunt those who knew her.

Lyrics © THE TALLAHASSEE SKYLINE PUBLISHING
Written by: Alexander Garcia, Brooks Betts, Christopher Jacob Bundrick, Derek Michael Sanders, Jason Alan Lancaster, Jeremy Lenzo

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS