Several of Streetlight's members were already well known among the New Jersey ska community for their roles in past ska bands from that area, most notably Catch 22's Tomas Kalnoky, James Egan, Mike Soprano, and Josh Ansley, as well as One Cool Guy's Stuart Karmatz, Pete Sibilia, Dan Ross, and Chris Paszik.
The band's first album, Everything Goes Numb, was released on August 26, 2003, and was distributed by Victory Records. They headlined their first ever show at Rutgers University on December 9, 2003 in front of a sold out audience.
The line-up has gone through several changes since the band's conception and currently consists of Matt Stewart on trumpet, Mike Brown on alto and baritone saxophone, Jim Conti on alto and tenor saxophone, Tomas Kalnoky on guitar and lead vocals, Pete McCullaugh on bass guitar, Karl Lyden on trombone, and Chris Thatcher on drums.
Though the band has enjoyed little mainstream commercial success, they have received acclaim in alternative music circles, and their debut album is currently in Interpunk.com's top 100 items, over 2 years after its release. In addition, they regularly sell out their live shows, and their first few shows at Rutgers and The Stone Pony not only sold out, but had people coming from as far as Minnesota and Canada. Their second album, a reworking of Catch 22's Keasbey Nights was released on March 7, 2006.
Streetlight Manifesto's third album, entitled Somewhere in the Between came out on November 13, 2007. Rumors also have it that the band is currently working on a series of 8 albums entitled "The 99 Songs of Revolution" in co-operation with Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, a side-project of singer Tomas Kalnoky slated for release in early 2009.
On November 17, 2009, the band's website announced that "99 Songs of Revolution: Volume One" has been ready for release for quite some time but "some record labels are just plain horrendous." They are also in the process of arranging a tour for 2010 but will spend some time in the studio until they have "a few records to release."
The first album of 99 Songs of Revolution was released on March 16, 2010. On this CD, the band covered songs by artists such as The Postal Service, Radiohead, and NOFX.
Band Members:
Mike Brown - Baritone Sax
Karl Lyden - Trombone
Jim Conti - Tenor Sax
Matt Stewart - Trumpet
Chris Thatcher - Drums
Tomas Kalnoky - Guitar, Vocals
Pete McCullaugh - Bass
www.streetlightmanifesto.com
A Better Place
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In time to brake down
She left a note up on the dresser
And she's right on time
You don't know anything, right or wrong
I said I know-ow-ow-ow, and she said so-o-o-o
I want to panic but I've had it so I go-o-o-o
You don't owe anything to anyone
But don't take your life
Cause its all that you've got
You'd be better off just up and leaving
If you don't think they will stop
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee you wake in a better place, and in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time
Flipping through the paper today
Looking for a specific page
Don't want to find her full name followed by dates
Cause when I left her alone she made a sound like a moan
"Your known by everyone for everything you've done"
Fuck buying flowers for grave,
I'd rather buy you a oneway non-stop to anywhere
Find anyone, do anything, forget and start again, love
She said she won't go, it hurts to much, to stand by
You've got to stop and draw a line
Everyone here has to choose a side, tonight,
The moment of truth is haunting you
Don't forget your family regardless of what you choose to do
You can't decide, and they're all screaming "why won't you?"
I'll start the engine, but I can't take this ride for you
I'll draw your bath and I'll load your gun
But I hope so bad that you'll bathe and hunt
Anni's tired of forgetting about today and always planning for tomorrow
(tomorrow) tomorrow Annie says
"The saddest I came across was when I learned that life goes on without me"
(without me) without me Annie says
"If everyone has someone else and I ain't got nobody's love to save me"
(to save me) to save me Annie says
"I think I'll pass away tonight cause it seems I'll never get it right if it's just me"
(just me) just me Annie says
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you'll wake in a betterplace, in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time
Annie says she wouldn't mind if they never find a cure for all her problems
(her problems) her problems Annie says
As long as she has someone near to make it clear she does not need to solve them
(to solve them) to solve them Annie says
"Oh this loneliness is killing me, it's filling me with anger and resentment,"
(resentment) resentmen Annie says,
"I'm turning into someone that I never thought I'd have to be again"
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you'll wake in a betterplace, in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time
Annie's tired of forgetting about today and always planning for tomorrow
Tomorrow Annie says
"The saddest I came across was when I learned that life goes on without me
Without me Annie says
"If everyone has someone else and I ain't got nobody's love to save me
(to save me) to save me Annie says
I think I'll pass away tonight cause it seems I'll never get it right right if it's just mejust me Annie says
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you'll wake in a betterplace, in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time
And even if it was, oh, I wouldn't let you go
You could run run run run, but I will follow close
Someday you will say "that's it, that's all"
But I'll be waiting there with open arms to break your fall
I know that you think that you are on your own
But just know that I am here and I'll lead you home
If you let me she said forget me but I can't
The song "A Better Place, A Better Time" by Streetlight Manifesto is a powerful ballad about difficult times and thoughts of suicide. The first verse introduces the character who is feeling hopeless and reveals a small hint about why she might be feeling that way: she leaves a note on her dresser. The chorus reassures her that things will be better when she wakes up and that it is not her time to give up. The second verse changes focus slightly and provides commentary on society's tendency to remember people only after they die. The singer of the song rejects that notion and instead encourages the person she is speaking to to live a full life and forget about their problems.
The song then switches gears as the bridge introduces another character named Annie who is also struggling with loneliness and despair. She expresses the desire to pass away to escape her problems, but the chorus once again reminds both characters that things will get better and encourages them to keep fighting. The final verse is a plea from the singer to the person she is speaking to not give up, as they are not alone and she will be there to support them.
Overall, the song is a powerful message of hope for those who may be struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. It encourages them to hold on and reminds them that there are people who care about them and want them to live.
Line by Line Meaning
So she wakes up
The singer has just awoken from a depressive episode
In time to brake down
She wakes up just in time to have a breakdown
She left a note up on the dresser
She left a suicide note before deciding to live
And she's right on time
Her timing is impeccable, but it's not clear for what or to what extent
You don't know anything, right or wrong
The artist is struck by the fact that no one truly knows anything about life, whether it's right or wrong
I said I know-ow-ow-ow, and she said so-o-o-o
The singer and some other indistinct other are sort of arguing
I want to panic but I've had it so I go-o-o-o
She's tired of panicking, so she decides to take a different course
You don't owe anything to anyone
Don't feel like you owe other people anything, and especially not your life
But don't take your life
At the same time, don't kill yourself
Cause its all that you've got
Your life is all that you have, even if you don't want it
You'd be better off just up and leaving
If you don't think people will stop you, just disappear
If you don't think they will stop
If you don't think people will stop you
And when you wake up
After a hard period of sleep, there comes a brighter day
Everything is gonna be fine
Things are finally going to turn out alright
I guarantee you wake in a better place, and in a better time
Life will get better after this depressive episode
So you're tired of living
You're worn out, drained, and sick of life
You feel like you might give in, well don't
Resist the temptation to give up
It's not your time
It's not your time to die
Flipping through the paper today
The singer is casually flipping through a newspaper, probably disheartened with the news
Looking for a specific page
She is looking for something specific
Don't want to find her full name followed by dates
She is afraid of stumbling across her obituary
Cause when I left her alone she made a sound like a moan
When she left her alone, the artist hurt her
Your known by everyone for everything you've done
The individual who passed away is now known for all that they had accomplished
Fuck buying flowers for grave
The artist does not want to buy flowers for his loved one's grave
I'd rather buy you a oneway non-stop to anywhere
I'd rather get you out of here, anywhere you want
Find anyone, do anything, forget and start again, love
Anything to help the person forget what has happened and move on
She said she won't go, it hurts too much, to stand by
The singer is in too much pain to leave
You've got to stop and draw a line
It's time to make a decisive choice
Everyone here has to choose a side, tonight,
Everyone has to decide what side they are on for this event
The moment of truth is haunting you
The moment is coming when the singer has to make a choice
Don't forget your family regardless of what you choose to do
Remember your family, no matter what you do
You can't decide, and they're all screaming 'why won't you?'
The artist is unsure what to do, and people are angry with her for it
I'll start the engine, but I can't take this ride for you
I'm here to help, but you've got to make the decision yourself
I'll draw your bath and I'll load your gun
I'll do everything in my power to comfort you
But I hope so bad that you'll bathe and hunt
I hope you'll decide to keep living
Anni's tired of forgetting about today and always planning for tomorrow
Anni is always looking to the future and forgetting the present
(tomorrow) tomorrow Annie says
Anni is always looking to tomorrow and forgetting about today
"The saddest I came across was when I learned that life goes on without me"
Anni is sad to learn that people can go on living even without her
(without me) without me Annie says
Without her, everything would still go on
"If everyone has someone else and I ain't got nobody's love to save me"
Anni feels like she is alone and that nobody loves her
(to save me) to save me Annie says
She wishes someone would come care for her
"I think I'll pass away tonight cause it seems I'll never get it right if it's just me"
It sounds like maybe Anni is considering suicide
(just me) just me Annie says
It seems like she's alone and doesn't have anyone to reach out to
And even if it was, oh, I wouldn't let you go
Even if it is your time to die, I will be here for you
You could run run run run, but I will follow close
No matter what you do, I will be with you always
Someday you will say "that's it, that's all"
At the end of your life, you will come to the realization that it's all over
But I'll be waiting there with open arms to break your fall
I'll be here for you, even if you fall at the end of your life
I know that you think that you are on your own
You believe that you are alone in this world
But just know that I am here and I'll lead you home
I'm here with you, and I will help you find your way
If you let me she said forget me but I can't
If you push me away, I will still be here waiting for you
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
momo
[Verse 1]
And so she wakes up
In time to break down
She left a note up on the dresser and she's right on time
You don't know anything right or wrong
I said I know
And she said so
I wanna panic but I've had it so I go
You don't owe anything to anyone
But don't take your life
Because it's all that you've got
You'd be better off just up and leaving
If you don't think they will stop
[Chorus]
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
Guarantee that you wake in a better place, in a better time
So you're tired of living
Feel like you might give in
Well don't
It's not your time
[Verse 2]
Looking through the paper today
Looking for a specific page
Don't wanna find her full name followed by dates
Because when I left her alone she made a sound, like a moan
"You're known by everyone for everything you've done"
Fuck buying flowers for graves
I'd rather buy you a one way non-stop
To anywhere, find anyone, do anything
Forget and start again, love
She said she won't go (and that's that)
It hurts too much to stand by
You've got to stop and draw a line
Everyone here has to choose a side tonight
The moment of truth is haunting you
Don't forget your family regardless what you choose to do
You can't decide and they're all screaming "why won't you?"
I'll start the engine but I can't take this ride for you
I'll draw your bath and I'll load your gun
But I hope so bad that you'll bathe and hunt
[Chorus 2]
Annie's tired of forgetting about today
And always planning for tomorrow (tomorrow) tomorrow
Annie says, "The saddest day I came across was
When I learned that life goes on without me" (without me) without me
Annie said, "If everyone has someone else
Well I ain't got nobody's love to save me" (to save me) to save me
Annie said, "I think I'll pass away tonight
Because it seems I'll never get it right
It's just me" (just me) just me Annie said
[Chorus]
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
Guarantee that you wake in a better place, in a better time
So you're tired of living feel like you might give in
Well don't
It's not your time
[Chorus 2]
Annie said she wouldn't mind
If they never find a cure to all her problems (her problems) problems
And she said, as long as she has someone near to make it clear
She doesn't need to solve them (solve them) solve them
Annie said, "Oh, this loneliness is killing me
It's filling me with anger and resentment (resentment) resentment
And she said, "I'm turning into someone that I never thought I'd have to be again"
[Chorus]
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
Guarantee that you wake in a better place, in a better time
So you're tired of living
Feel like you might give in
Well don't
It's not your time
[Chorus 2]
Well Annie's tired of forgetting about today
And always planning for tomorrow tomorrow
And she said, "The saddest day I came across was
When I learned that life goes on without me" without me
Annie said, "If everyone has someone else
Well I ain't got nobody's love to save me" save me
And she said, "I think I'll pass away tonight
Because it seems I'll never get it right, it's just me"
It's just me Annie said
[Chorus]
And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you wake in a better place, and in a better time
So you're tired of living
And you feel like you might give in
Well don't
It's not your time
[Verse 3]
And even if it was so
Oh I wouldn't let you go
You could run run run run but I will follow close
Someday you'll say "that's it, that's all"
But I'll be waiting there with open arms to break your fall
I know that you think that you're on your own
But just know that I'm here and I'll lead you home
If you let me
She said "forget me"
But I can't
James Puffer
Whatever you do, don’t ever, ever fucking give up.
Edit. Back over two years ago just to add…I lost both my parents before I was 30, my siblings blame me for their deaths.
Life will fucking crush you if you let it. But don’t.
You always have a choice. Always.
Never let anyone or anything else tell you what your life is going to be.
I’ve been at the absolutely lowest points imaginable; drug addiction, facing homelessness, no prospects whatsoever.
I don’t mean this in a “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” thing, but don’t ever fucking give up.
You are worth it. You do matter. You will find people who care about you.
If only one person ever finds this message, it will have done some good. Don’t ever give up and never give up hope.
You fucking matter. You do, and don’t ever lie to yourself that you don’t.
Even if no one else cares about you, know this random stranger online fucking loves you for who you are.
You matter, and even you don’t feel like it, you deserve to be happy.
Jane M
Found this band and this song at one of the darkest times of my life. I was long past ready to die and had everything planned out and prepared. I was so close it scares the shit out of me. I listened to this song almost every day for months. When things were particularly bad I'd put the song on repeat and mouth the lyrics for hours trying to hold myself together. Finally I got the courage to leave and start over somewhere new. Less than a year ago I was half starved to death without the fortitude to leave my house. I have a job now, I support myself, I go outside, I smile again. Things still get rough and I still wake up wishing I was never born sometimes. But I can deal with it now. I'm managing. I'd be dead without this band.
Sun God Moth
+Jane M No-one really cares.
Jayden N
Sun God Moth What is wrong with you
Insidiosity
@Jayden N he commented that 2 years ago. I know, that's one fucked up reply but still there's probably no point replying :D
Wachowski
I'm glad to hear that it makes listening to this song so emotional thinking about how many people it has helped, I'm going through the roughest part of my life and finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hope you're doing well :)
Annette Butler
So glad you got your shit together, man. I'm in the place you started from, trying desperately to get my life on track
Probably a Russian Troll
This band is a huge reason that I am still alive
Fifth Dentist
Glad to hear that, dude.
james pie
same
Dunk Master Dewey
Well that was rude.