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
Keasbey Nights
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the backyard, shaving the old plies.
Feeling so strong, something went wrong.
Straight into my finger, what a stinger, it was so long.
I still remember that day, like the day
That I said that I swear, "I'll never hurt myself again",
But it seems that I'm deemed to be wrong, to be wrong, to be wrong.
So I've got to keep holding on
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk,
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest.
Singing "my, my, my, how the time does fly,
When you know you're going to die
By the end of the night."
I still remember when we were young and fragile then.
No one gave a shit about us because times were tougher then.
Feeling so good,
Cruising the hood;
Straight into the real world, rich kids never understood.
But I don't care. I can fade away to anywhere.
Don't stop because you might get dropped
And if you do who's going to pick you up.
Well I won't... they always played a slow song.
The song Keasbey Nights by the band Streetlight Manifesto tells the story of reminiscing about the past and reflecting on the present struggles that one is facing. The lyrics speak of a memory from the summer of 1995 when the singer was shaving plywood in their backyard, but accidentally injured themselves, and despite vowing never to hurt themselves again, they feel they are doomed to repeat past mistakes. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and helplessness as they feel that they are unable to escape their struggles.
The chorus, "When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk, with a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest. Singing 'my, my, my, how the time does fly when you know you're going to die by the end of the night,'" portrays a sense of rebellion against a society that has left the singer behind. They feel like they are alone in their struggles, and society has forgotten about them. This reflects a sense of disillusionment towards the world as if the singer feels tired of society's issues.
As the song progresses, the lyrics touch upon significant life lessons that the singer has learned over time. The lyrics, "Don't stop because you might get dropped, and if you do, who's going to pick you up. Well, I won't," imply that the singer has realized that they cannot rely on anyone else to pull them out of their problems. They must keep holding on and fighting for themselves despite the difficulties they might face. In conclusion, the song Keasbey Nights is a poignant reflection on life struggles and the importance of resilience during tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the summer of ninety-five (so what?!)
The year doesn't matter and it's inconsequential to the story being told.
In the backyard, shaving the old plies.
The singer was in the backyard working on something and using tools, which leads to the next line.
Feeling so strong, something went wrong.
The singer was confident but then something unexpected happened.
Straight into my finger, what a stinger, it was so long.
The tool the singer was using injured their finger and it hurt a lot.
I still remember that day, like the day that I said that I swear, 'I'll never hurt myself again',
The singer remembers the day they got hurt vividly, similar to the day they made a promise never to get hurt again.
But it seems that I'm deemed to be wrong, to be wrong, to be wrong.
The singer always seems to break their promises and get hurt again and again.
So I've got to keep holding on
Despite the repeated setbacks, the singer needs to persevere and keep going.
They always played a slow song.
This line is repeated often and seems to be about something else entirely, possibly referring to a sad or slow event that the singer associates with playing slow music.
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk, with a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest.
The singer anticipates a violent end to their life, with them being prepared and possibly even expecting to fight back.
Singing 'my, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die by the end of the night.'
Despite the dark topic, the singer is almost taunting the idea of death and wondering how quickly it will come when they finally meet it.
I still remember when we were young and fragile then.
The singer is referring to a time in their past when they were vulnerable and easily hurt, likely before they developed their current tough exterior and outlook on life.
No one gave a shit about us because times were tougher then.
During the time the singer is referring to, things were hard for everyone and people had less time or resources to care about others.
Feeling so good, cruising the hood;
Despite the lack of caring around them, the singer remembers feeling happy and carefree while hanging out in their neighborhood.
Straight into the real world, rich kids never understood.
The singer is acknowledging that they and their friends had to grow up and face the tough reality of life while more affluent kids had it easier and didn't understand their struggles.
But I don't care. I can fade away to anywhere.
Despite the struggles, the singer is resilient and can move on, leaving their old life behind and starting anew if needed.
Don't stop because you might get dropped, and if you do, who's going to pick you up. Well, I won't...
The singer is giving advice to not hesitate or slow down, as the world won't always be supportive or helpful if you fall.
They always played a slow song.
The repeated line once again makes an appearance, perhaps symbolizing the idea that life can be tough and sad at times, but even in these moments, music can provide comfort and solace.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
shep
It was the summer of 95 (so what!)
In the backyard, shaving the old plies
Feeling so strong (strong!), something went wrong (wrong!)
Straight into my finger, what a stinger, it was so long
I still remember that day, like the day that I said that I swear
"I'll never hurt myself again", but it seems that I'm deemed to be wrong
To be wrong, to be wrong
Gotta keep holding on...they always played a slow song.
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest singing
"My, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die
By the end of the night." And said hey
I still remember when we were young and fragile then.
No one gave a shit about us because times were tougher then.
Feeling so good (good!) cruisin’ the hood (hood!)
straight into the real world where rich kids never understood.
But I don't care.
I can fade away to anywhere don't stop
because you might get dropped
and if you do who's going to pick you up
well I won’t, well I won't...
they always played a slow song.
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest singing
"My, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die
By the end of the night." And said hey
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest singing
"My, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die
By the end of the night." [x3] and said hey. HEY, HEY, HEY
Mike Steeves
As a musician, I enjoy the Streetlight version more because it's more precise. As a punk fun, I love the Catch 22 version because of it's rawness. As a music fan in general, both are amazing.
Jerome Brien
Both are the best summer song i’ve ever heard in my life ❤☀️💥
Bear_Driftwood_666
Damn 12 years ago you made this comment and it’s still speaks volumes as a cool ass dude . 👏👏👏
spliff de la kong
Solid reasoning.
fortewiddenlow
My only complaint is that this song ends... it should never end.
Yes
I think the chorus to this song might just be the catchiest piece of music ever written.
J W
I have just learned of Ska... This is the only song i know... and so far, I am impressed. This is fucking awesome.
Greg
Check out the original keasbey nights by catch-22. Almost the all same people singing as this version but you can taste the teen angst, anger and passion in that version. This is the version you get after they get a decade to grow up.
shep
It was the summer of 95 (so what!)
In the backyard, shaving the old plies
Feeling so strong (strong!), something went wrong (wrong!)
Straight into my finger, what a stinger, it was so long
I still remember that day, like the day that I said that I swear
"I'll never hurt myself again", but it seems that I'm deemed to be wrong
To be wrong, to be wrong
Gotta keep holding on...they always played a slow song.
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest singing
"My, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die
By the end of the night." And said hey
I still remember when we were young and fragile then.
No one gave a shit about us because times were tougher then.
Feeling so good (good!) cruisin’ the hood (hood!)
straight into the real world where rich kids never understood.
But I don't care.
I can fade away to anywhere don't stop
because you might get dropped
and if you do who's going to pick you up
well I won’t, well I won't...
they always played a slow song.
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest singing
"My, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die
By the end of the night." And said hey
When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk
With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest singing
"My, my, my, how the time does fly, when you know you're going to die
By the end of the night." [x3] and said hey. HEY, HEY, HEY
Zachary Smith
You're the best for this