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 Moment Of Violence
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm feeling further from the end of war
Deplore
Ignored
And rarely ever self assured
Why does it seem like the ones who have everything have nothing inside?
They have nothing inside
I gave it up
Because what we do is enough
And now they're calling out our bluffs
Have you done a single thing for someone else?
Or do you take take take until your belly is stuffed?
How long do you think you can go before you lose it all?
Before they call you bluff and watch you fall?
I don't know but I'd like to think I had control
At some point but I let it go and lost my soul
Sit tight but the revolution's years away
I'm losing faith and I'm running low on things to say
So I guess I have no choice but to regurgitate
The tired anthem of a loser and a hypocrite
Oh! to have died that night I realized it wouldn't last!
Our days were numbered and the reaper tipped the hourglass
The final mayday of our sinking ship had come and passed
Oh! to the west, you don't know what it is you're running from
And everybody's laughing loud
Your last chance to make your mother and father proud
The first stanza of Streetlight Manifesto's song A Moment of Violence depicts the feeling of defeat even in the face of victory. The singer explains that they've never lost a battle before, however, they feel far from the end of war. It seems as though they may be experiencing a state of depression or self-doubt as they feel deplorable, ignored, and rarely self-assured. The following line, "Why does it seem like the ones who have everything have nothing inside?" suggests that even those who appear to have everything together may be struggling inwardly. The chorus emphasizes the singer's internal conflict and the toll their actions have taken. They can no longer sleep because "what we do is enough," and they believe that they're being called out on their lies and bluffs. They pose a question to their listeners, asking if they've done anything for someone else, or if they continuously take until they're full. In the final four lines of the stanza, the singer questions their control over their life and feels as though they've "lost their soul."
Line by Line Meaning
I never did lose a battle
Throughout my life, I have emerged victorious in all my struggles
But I'm feeling further from the end of war
Despite my numerous triumphs, I am still far from achieving peace
Deplore
I feel utter disgust and hatred
Ignored
People consistently disregard or neglect me
And rarely ever self assured
I have little or no confidence in myself
Why does it seem like the ones who have everything have nothing inside?
I often wonder why people who possess everything they desire are still unfulfilled on the inside
They have nothing inside
They lack emotional or spiritual fulfillment
I don't sleep anymore
I am unable to find peace and rest
I gave it up
I stopped trying to sleep
Because what we do is enough
Our actions are enough to keep us going
And now they're calling out our bluffs
Our opponents are challenging us to prove ourselves
Have you done a single thing for someone else?
Have you made any efforts to help others?
Or do you take take take until your belly is stuffed?
Or do you only focus on satisfying your own needs and desires?
How long do you think you can go before you lose it all?
How much longer do you think you can continue living the way you do before it all falls apart?
Before they call you bluff and watch you fall?
Before your opponents see through your lies and watch you fail?
I don't know but I'd like to think I had control
I am uncertain, but I hope to believe that I once had control over my life
At some point but I let it go and lost my soul
At some point, however, I lost control and lost myself in the process
Sit tight but the revolution's years away
We must wait patiently because the revolution we seek is far away in the future
I'm losing faith and I'm running low on things to say
My faith in the cause is waning, and I am struggling to find the right words to express myself
So I guess I have no choice but to regurgitate
Thus, I have no choice but to repeat the same old lines, despite their lack of originality
The tired anthem of a loser and a hypocrite
I am resorting to repeating an old, tired anthem, making me look like a loser and hypocrite
Oh! to have died that night I realized it wouldn't last!
Oh, how I wish I had died on the night I realized that our moment of glory was fleeting and couldn't last forever!
Our days were numbered and the reaper tipped the hourglass
Our days were limited, and the timer was slowly ticking away towards our inevitable end
The final mayday of our sinking ship had come and passed
The final distress signal of our sinking ship had already been sent and gone unanswered
Oh! to the west, you don't know what it is you're running from
Oh, westerners, you have no idea what you're fleeing from
And everybody's laughing loud
Everyone is laughing uproariously
Your last chance to make your mother and father proud
This is your last opportunity to do something that will make your parents proud before it is too late
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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