This Detroit, MI band recorded their first Tooth and Nail full-length, A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It, in St. Cloud, FL with James Paul Wisner, who has also produced Dashboard Confessional, Underoath, and The Academy Is. While making this CD, the band fought off small town cabin fever, was restricted to bicycle transportation, and even shared a lake with an alligator. But such ordeals are colorful stories for another time because these guys are simply thrilled (but not to death) with the finished product.
The track “To the Moon for All I Care” is one of the group’s favorite new tunes. On the surface, one might assume it is based around what Ralph Kramden always told his wife Alice on the old The Honeymooners show. But as drummer Adam McMillion explains it, this song goes far deeper than that.
“The song is about our favorite movie, Danny Deckchair, which is about this guy that’s kind of fed up with his girlfriend who is not very faithful. And his job is really boring, so he decides to attach these balloons to his fold-up deckchair and he flies away,” McMillion says. When he finally lands, he’s in a faraway town, miles from everything and everyone he knows. “He kind of gets to start his life over, and we always thought that’s just such a cool concept,” McMillion continues. In fact, this song’s main character demands at one point, “Tell me about my future ‘cause I already know my past.”
Another noteworthy song has the intriguing title of “Detroit Is Built on Secrets”. This one takes on some of the nasty rumors oftentimes spread about rock bands – even about nice guys like Search The City. “So this is what we’re up against in this city of secrets,” states its anti-gossip lyric. But even when confronted with obvious lies, this thoughtful band still finds room for a little self-examination. “In the bridge it says, “Oh my God, forgive me for who I’m not,”” McMillion elaborates. “All these rumors are going around,” he continues, “but we’re still not the people we want to be. We’re still not the people God wants us to be. It’s just a cry out; kind of a confession. We wanna be better. We realize that we’re not who we should be.”
These closely bonded band members, which also include Alex Sheldon (guitar), Jim Czech (guitar), and Josh Frost (vocals), draw artistic inspiration from many loud and noisy sources, then translate these harsher sounds into surprisingly melodic, highly emotional songs.
“We’re more influenced by hardcore music than anything else,” Frost says of Search The City’s sound. “It doesn’t show so much because we’re pretty pop-y in parts. But collectively, we all love bands like Jimmy Eat World and bands like that.” So how would they describe their unique style? “We’d probably say progressive rock or something like that,” answers Frost.
Although the group is proud of their new CD, this band is truly in their element in concert. “Live is definitely Search The City’s favorite thing to do,” McMillion says without any hesitation. “It’s a chance to release a lot of emotion. We all love what we do onstage where we’ll just look at each other and just start laughing and smiling because it’s so much fun. Playing live is definitely the best part about being in a band.”
Search The City’s original nucleus, Sheldon, Czech, and McMillion, came up with the band’s Mapquest-like moniker while seeking out other musicians to complete their final lineup. “They named it that because they were looking for all of the different members, all over different cities,” Frost explains. “That meant all over Michigan. And because I was living in Florida at the time, they just called it Search The City.”
No doubt, Search The City succeeded in getting all their geographic coordinates correct.
After the band went their separate ways and onto some side projects, Frost and Czech have announced via Facebook and AboslutePunk.com has reported that they are back together and writing a second full-length album that's due out in the spring of 2012.
One Last Lullaby
Search The City Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to feel weightless tonight
Motionless
Bite my tongue
Slow my breath
Carelessness
I want to write if off
Not worry all the tolls that they take
Yeah I just want you closer
Closer
Yeah I just want to
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Take this silent heart
And make it sing one last lullaby
To wash away the lie
Yeah I just want you
I know my hands get restless sometimes
Holding onto something that tries
So hard to slip away
It's hard to slip away
Yeah I just want you closer
Closer,
Yeah I just want to
Dance the night away
Take this silent heart
And make it sing one last lullaby
To wash away the lie
Just dance the night away
Take this silent heart
And Make it sing one last lullaby
To wash away the lie
I never knew
You would shine when my desires are dark and cold
Like a drug
I've become dependent on the love we made
And it burned
Like the stars
Shining through
Just dance the night away
Just dance the night away
Dance the night away
Take this silent heart
And make it sing one last lullaby
To wash away the lie
We'll dance the night away
Just dance the night away
The lyrics to Search the City's "One Last Lullaby" explore themes of longing, regret, and a desire for freedom from past mistakes. The opening lines express a desire to escape the weight of the singer's worries and simply exist in the moment, without the burden of care or responsibility. The repetition of "closer" emphasizes the singer's longing for connection, and the chorus's exhortation to "dance the night away" suggests a desire for release and abandon.
The verses reveal a sense of conflicted desire, as the singer acknowledges the ways in which their own neediness or restlessness can create distance in their relationships. The second verse introduces a new layer of complexity, as the singer reflects on a past love affair that ended in flames. The metaphor of the "drug" highlights the addictive nature of the relationship, and the simile comparing the lover to "stars shining through" hints at the intense beauty that the singer still sees in this person despite the pain they caused.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I...
Expressing a feeling of wanting something.
I want to feel weightless tonight
Wishing to be free and unburdened of responsibilities for the night.
Motionless
Desiring to be still and quiet.
Bite my tongue
Hoping to hold back on something that may cause conflict or regret.
Slow my breath
Wishing to take a moment and relax.
Carelessness
Desiring to be without worry or concern.
I want to write it off
Wishing to dismiss or forget about something negative.
I want to wish away these mistakes
Desiring to have the ability to erase past mistakes.
Not worry all the tolls that they take
Not wanting to bear the negative consequences of past mistakes.
Yeah I just want you closer
Wanting to be physically closer to someone for comfort and support.
Closer
Emphasizing the desire to physically be near someone.
Yeah I just want to
Expressing a longing for something specific.
Dance the night away
Wishing to enjoy oneself and forget about problems by dancing.
Take this silent heart
Referring to an emotional pain that is often hidden and not expressed.
And make it sing one last lullaby
Desiring to find closure and emotional release from that pain.
To wash away the lie
Hoping to escape from a false reality and face the truth.
I know my hands get restless sometimes
Realizing that anxiety and stress can manifest physically.
Holding onto something that tries
Trying to keep something that is slipping away.
So hard to slip away
Acknowledging the difficulty of letting go of something that is important.
I never knew
Realizing something that was previously unknown.
You would shine when my desires are dark and cold
This person brings light and happiness to a difficult situation.
Like a drug
Referring to a dependency on something or someone for happiness or comfort.
I've become dependent on the love we made
Realizing that they have become emotionally reliant on someone else.
And it burned
Referring to a situation that caused emotional pain or stress.
Like the stars
Comparing the pain to something bright and beautiful, but still hurtful.
Shining through
Despite the pain, this person still brings light into their life.
We'll dance the night away
Together, they will find comfort and happiness in dancing and being together.
Just dance the night away
Focusing on finding happiness in the present moment through dancing and being together.
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.