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
Birds Flying Away
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
1925
And drifted to a town on the Cuban coast
Met a woman who became my life
And oh when I saw her
The darkness fled from me
And flew like a blackbird into the sun
On the day she married me
Dear God...
But now the drumbirds come for me
Oh now the drumbirds come for me
Lord give me forgiveness
For all that I have done
Forgive me now of the weight I bear
Don't keep me on the run
Dear God
Dear God
I remember climbing up those shoulders
And coming up under you like a lion
And coming down like we were dying
Dear God
I left my country when I was nineteen
1925
And drifted to a town on the Cuban coast
Met a woman who became my life
And oh when I saw her
The darkness fled from me
And flew like a blackbird into the sun
On the day she married me
Dear God
Dear God
I remember climbing up those shoulders...
The lyrics of “Birds Flying Away” by Streetlight Manifesto paint a vivid picture of an immigrant in the early 20th century who left his home country at the age of 19 and ended up moving to a town on the Cuban coast where he meets the love of his life. The singer of the song reminisces about the day he met her and how seeing her made all of the darkness in his life flee away like a blackbird into the sun. The lyrics then take a more somber turn as the singer begs for forgiveness for everything he has done and the weight he is carrying in his life. The chorus repeats the line “now the drumbirds come for me” which is a likely reference to the phrase “the drums of war” and implies that the singer is facing consequences for his past actions.
The line “Dear God” serves as a refrain throughout the song and adds to the pensive and introspective tone of the lyrics. The second half of the song repeats the lyrics from the beginning which serves the purpose of framing the central narrative of the song and creating a sense of cyclical closure.
The song seems to be about the complex nature of love, regret, and forgiveness. The singer describes how their love for their partner allowed them to escape from the darkness in their life but also acknowledges that they have made mistakes and are deserving of forgiveness. Additionally, the lyrics describe how a person’s sense of guilt and the weight of their own actions can make them feel like they are always on the run.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my country when I was nineteen
When I was nineteen, I fled from my country.
And drifted to a town on the Cuban coast
After leaving my country, I aimlessly traveled to a town on the Cuban coast.
Met a woman who became my life
There, I met a woman who would become the most important part of my life.
And oh when I saw her
When I first saw her, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
The darkness fled from me
Her presence chased away all the negativity I carried within me.
And flew like a blackbird into the sun
All those dark emotions soared off into the distance.
On the day she married me
The day we got married was the happiest day of my life.
Dear God...
I am addressing God now, seeking his mercy.
But now the drumbirds come for me
I am being called upon by the drums of war.
Oh now the drumbirds come for me
The drums of war are getting louder and closer.
Lord give me forgiveness
I am looking to God for forgiveness.
For all that I have done
I am admitting to my sins and asking for divine mercy.
Forgive me now of the weight I bear
I am asking God to drive away the heavy burden that I carry.
Don't keep me on the run
I plead with God to not let me become a wanderer again.
Dear God
I am calling out to God again.
I remember climbing up those shoulders
I cherish the memories of being supported by someone.
And coming up under you like a lion
I was fierce and daring while being lifted up by that someone.
And coming down like we were dying
We stumbled down in fear and desperation.
Dear God
I conclude my plea to God.
Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Andrew Kisler
99 songs of revolution cd - $11 concert ticket - $20 multiple eargasms - priceless
Mack Masters
I really underestimated this album the first time I learned about it. It's badass.
payapa
I will never forget the feeling of cracking this CD in the car and hearing this.
zumosmorph
This is such an awesome opening track!
ByeMarcel
0:49 gets me every time! So good I have to stop everything I'm doing and just listen
Jean-Maxime Tremblay
Best song on the album. So good.
FLIPPERPWNAGE
one of my favorite songs on the album :)
Davi Scott
amazing solo section at 2:00 and then again at 2:50 ish I'm a little surprised at their use of piano. they don't do that normally, but it sounds amazing.
MISFITxCREEPx
@Tsax2012 Yeah, I think they implemented it amazingly. How they transfer from piano to horns in the beginning is just awesome.
ubersplicer
this track was by far, my favorite. i mean, conti's solo followed by stewart's squeals is enough for an ear-gasm and the song alone is nothing to frown at.