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.
Wake Up
Story of the Year Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One second in the great abyss of time
All the bleedin', all the hate
Just one blink of an eye
All the conflicts, it visits dire pain on human life
Are we missing what it is to be alive?
One by one the pieces fall
We learn to live without it
[Chorus]
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
Our innocence is a virtue
But our arrogance will only leave us blind
Unattended without anyone to save our idle lives
Will we find out that everything we know exists inside of a fraction
Of a fraction
One by one the pieces fall again
[Chorus: x2]
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
Yeah!
One by one the pieces fall (one by one the pieces fall)
Until our pride defeats us all
Defeats us all!
Yeah!
Oh!
[Chorus: x2]
It's gone away
Yeah
The song "Wake Up" by Story of the Year ponders the transience of life and the fleetingness of our experiences. The lyrics start off by reminding us that our time on earth is just a tiny speck in the vastness of time, and that all the conflicts and hatred may seem insignificant and pointless when we consider how brief our existence is. The chorus serves as a call to action, urging us to wake up and appreciate the moments we have because we never know when they might disappear. The bridge furthers this idea of limited time and encourages us to reflect on the fact that our lives are only a fraction of a fraction, reminding us to value the present more than anything else.
Throughout the song, the band emphasizes the idea that we can become complacent and arrogant, leading us to take everything for granted, which inevitably leads to our downfall. The repeated refrain of "one by one the pieces fall until our pride defeats us all" shows how destructive our arrogance can be, and how it can cause everything we have to crumble around us. The lyrics, therefore, suggest the importance of mindfulness and appreciation: we must recognize the beauty and value of our lives while we can, and avoid taking them for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
We are alive for a moment
Our existence is temporary and fleeting
One second in the great abyss of time
Compared to the vast expanse of history, our time is minuscule
All the bleedin', all the hate
Violence and animosity cause suffering in the world
Just one blink of an eye
This suffering can happen in an instant
All the conflicts, it visits dire pain on human life
Wars and disagreements have devastating consequences for people
Are we missing what it is to be alive?
Are we failing to appreciate the beauty of life and living in harmony?
One by one the pieces fall
Our mistakes accumulate and lead to our downfall
Until our pride defeats us all
If we let arrogance cloud our judgement, we will destroy ourselves
We learn to live without it
We must learn to let go of destructive behavior and adopt positive change
Wake up! To the sound of this time bomb
We need to recognize the urgency of the situation we are in
Wake up! To its deafening song
The problems we face are loud and clear, and we must take action now
Wake up! Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
We often take our blessings for granted, and only realize their value when we lose them
Our innocence is a virtue
Being naive can be a positive attribute
But our arrogance will only leave us blind
However, if we let pride take over, we will be unable to see the truth
Unattended without anyone to save our idle lives
If we don't make conscious choices to improve ourselves, we will experience a stagnant life
Will we find out that everything we know exists inside of a fraction of a fraction
We may discover that reality is smaller and more finite than we thought
It's gone away
Once something has disappeared, it is impossible to get it back
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes
Written by: MARK PHILLIPS, FINN BJARNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spartan9138
We are alive for a moment
One second in the great abyss of time
All the bleedin', all the hate
Just one blink of an eye
All the conflicts, it visits dire pain on human life
Are we missing what it is to be alive?
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
We learn to live without it
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
Our innocence is a virtue
But our arrogance will only leave us blind
Unattended without anyone to save our idle lives
Will we find out that everything we know exists inside of a fraction
Of a fraction
One by one the pieces fall again
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
One by one the pieces fall
Until our pride defeats us all
Yeah!
One by one the pieces fall (one by one the pieces fall)
Until our pride defeats us all
Defeats us all!
Yeah!
Oh!
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
Wake up!
To the sound of this time bomb
Wake up!
To it's deafening song
Wake up!
Cause you don't what you've got until it's gone
Until it's gone
It's gone away
Yeah
@StylishStar88
"Our innocence is a virtue, but our arrogance will only leave us blind" One of the best lines I have heard in a long time.
@WeWerekingsUK
"We all arrive for a moment, one second in the great abyss of time". Absolutely love that line
@rafaelantonio-uy6uj
we are alive for a moment
@golferjim628
2023 and this song still slaps
@Paison_slayqueen
Still one of the best intro’s to a song!!
Those first 18 seconds are just as sick as they were 15 years ago!
@mirqooohoo7392
14 years old comments - OMG :O - Story of the Year - what a band! NFS U with you was something more than a game :) - thank you so much!
@kylejohnson9630
I love how everyone is slightly now just hearing about Story, this band has been around for years and years.
@tankracer6579
Hi there! This is the year 2023... And still story are not getting the recognition they deserve...we failed this year
@Swansen03
this song has a really deep meaning. its in every verse of the song. this is a really important message.
@GallegosHugo
Yeah bro!