The band consists of vocalist Dan Marsala, lead guitarist Ryan Phillips, rhythm guitarist and back up vocalist Philip Sneed, bassist Adam Russell and drummer Josh Wills. Initially named Big Blue Monkey, they changed their name to Story of the Year in 2002 because a blues group of the same name had already existed.
It would not be until eight years after forming that Story of the Year saw its first piece of commercial success in its major label debut, Page Avenue, containing the popular singles "Until the Day I Die" and "Anthem of Our Dying Day". A second album, In the Wake of Determination, followed in 2005, but did not achieve the success of its predecessor. The band has returned with their third album The Black Swan, their first on Epitaph Records, which was released on April 22, 2008.
The band toured with Linkin Park on the Meteora World Tour in 2004 along with P.O.D. and Hoobastank.
The band's fourth, The Constant, was released on February 16, 2010 through Epitaph Records.
On March 8, 2013 it was announced that the band are planning on a world tour.
Symphony
Story of the Year Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will this graveyard be the dis for
For these corpses
Will they be the first to fall,
and dance the night away?
Why do we do this to ourselves?
We're buying every word they sell
Something apart
Carry our guns
Take a look at what we've become
Hungry nations, standing in the ashes of our enemies' remains.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
We're buying every word they sell
Why do we do this to ourselves?
We're buying every word that they sell
So we dance the night away..
So we dance the night away..
So we dance the night away..
So we dance the night away..
Night away.....
Why do we do this to ourselves?
We're buying every word they sell
Why do we do this to ourselves?
We're buying every word that they sell
Every word that they sell..
Every word that they sell..
Every word that they sell..
The lyrics to Story of the Year's song Symphony delve into the theme of societal control and manipulation. The use of the metaphorical imagery of a scale being tilted represents the imbalance of power and influence in society. The phrase "live forever" portrays the obsession with immortality and the pursuit of power that drives people to make morally and ethically questionable decisions.
The graveyard mentioned in the lyrics refers to the consequences of those decisions, the corpses representing the victims of the oppressive systems in place. The line "will they be the first to fall" suggests the inevitability of rebellion and revolution, as those who are oppressed eventually rise up against their oppressors. However, the mention of dancing the night away hints at a temporary escape from the harsh reality, a way to forget the struggles of everyday life.
The pre-chorus "Why do we do this to ourselves? We're buying every word they sell" highlights the idea that people are willingly consuming the rhetoric of those in power, accepting their oppressive ideologies without question. The chorus is a repetition of this question, emphasizing the need for self-reflection and awareness of the systems in place.
Overall, Symphony is a poignant commentary on the dangers of unchecked power and the importance of questioning and resisting societal manipulation.
Line by Line Meaning
Tilt the scale, live forever
We strive for eternal life, but in doing so, we're tipping the balance of nature.
Will this graveyard be the dis for
Is this where our final resting place will be?
For these corpses
For these lifeless bodies
Will they be the first to fall,
Will they be the first casualties of our destructive ways?
and dance the night away?
As we continue on with our destructive path, we numb ourselves with entertainment to avoid the pain.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Why do we blindly follow destructive patterns?
We're buying every word they sell
We're allowing ourselves to be brainwashed by those in power.
Something apart
We've become something separate from our true nature.
Carry our guns
We're bringing violence and destruction everywhere we go.
Take a look at what we've become
We need to step back and realize the negative impact we're having on ourselves and the world around us.
Hungry nations, standing in the ashes of our enemies' remains.
Our destructive nature is causing widespread hunger and poverty, and we're standing among the ruins of our enemies, without realizing that we're only hurting ourselves.
So we dance the night away..
As we continue on with our destructive path, we numb ourselves with entertainment to avoid the pain.
Every word that they sell..
We need to be aware of the manipulations of those in power and not be so easily swayed by them.
Contributed by Chase A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@diegomelen
That was beautiful!!! I envy you sooooo much for being present at that perfomance! It's amazing!
@SilverSingingMethod
Amazing talent.
@heidos7
OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!
@MrZaricnak
Thumbs up if you can sing Paparazzi to the intermezzo!
@bloomtoferal
where was this? What hall of theatre i mean?
@HokageCL
i love you