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
The Receiving End Of It All
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I need not remind you, our discount tickets for this sinking ship
Take-backs and sweet regrets, that's all that we have left
No one is looking out for anyone but number one
One to one, two to dance, we all get our sweet romance
Though sour grapes will turn to wine, it's all just vinegar with time
And oh yeah, I want to know, we all want to know
How can anybody treat somebody so?
She said, "It hurts too much"
I said "It will never hurt enough
No one will ever see these cuts
No one will ever call this bluff
But that's just the way that it goes"
And when he left us, he said, "It's not so bad"
That motherfucker, he took everything we had
And when I'm thinking back, I'm counting all the ways
Nobody helped us, so we dreamt of better days
And we sang, "Yeah, that's just the way that it goes"
Yeah, we used to be in love (my love!), but now we're just in like
And we broke all our promises, and baby, that ain't right
Because you don't know what it's like to lose it all
Take it back, take it back, because you don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
You beg and plead, but no one here can save you
Why would they try when they can't quite save themselves?
So Marigold, someday we'll have to write a script
But I won't stop denying, ashamed of all the selfish things we did
Dropped out of every single friendship that you had
They nearly loved you, but you never could have loved somebody back
Tell me of your sorrows; tell me everything from the start
I'd like to do my part to help a friend in need
I said you could come to me, but when you needed someone most, I wasn't there,
I wasn't even...
She said, "It hurts too much"
I said, "It will never hurt enough
No one will ever see these cuts
No one will ever call this bluff
But that's just the way that it goes"
And when he left us, he said, "It's not so bad"
That motherfucker, he took everything we had
And when I'm thinking back, I'm counting all the ways
Nobody helped us, so we dreamt of better days
And we sang, "Yeah, that's just the way that it goes"
Yeah, we used to be in love (my love!), but now we're just in like
And we broke all our promises, and baby, that ain't right
Because you don't know what it's like to lose it all
Take it back, take it back, because you don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
You beg and plead, but no one here can save you
Why would they try when they can't quite save themselves?
We used to be in love, but now we're just in like
And we broke all our promises, and baby, that ain't right
Because you don't know what it's like to lose it all
Take it back, take it back, because you don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
No! No! You were not on the receiving end of it all
You beg and plead, but no one here can save you
Why would they try when they can't quite save themselves?
The lyrics of this song paint a picture of a toxic and dysfunctional relationship that is spiraling out of control. The first verse talks about Marigold, who has had too much to drink, and the singer remarks that they both have discount tickets for a sinking ship. The lines "Take-backs and sweet regrets, that's all that we have left; No one is looking out for anyone but number one" imply that the couple has made mistakes and hurt each other, but they cannot undo them.
The chorus emphasizes the theme of the song - that the singer and Marigold are on the receiving end of bad things happening to them, and nobody is there to help them. They feel alone and abandoned, with nobody to turn to. But the singer throws a challenge: "Take it back, take it back, because you don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of it all." This implies that the people who caused them hurt and abandoned them are in denial about the impact of their actions.
The second verse delves into the history of the relationship, where the couple used to be in love but are now just in like. The lines "And we broke all our promises, and baby, that ain't right" suggest that there was a time when they had potential for a healthy and happy relationship, but they both let it slip away. Furthermore, the bridge suggests that the singers of the song don't feel like they can rely on anyone, as nobody will ever see their pain or call out their behaviors.
Overall, "The Receiving End Of It All" is a commentary on the difficulties of relationships, and how sometimes things can go wrong despite best intentions. It speaks to a universal feeling of isolation and loneliness, and how hard it can be to find someone to fall back on when things get tough.
Line by Line Meaning
So Marigold, my love, you've had too much to drink
The singer addresses Marigold and points out that she has had too much to drink.
And I need not remind you, our discount tickets for this sinking ship
The singer suggests that Marigold is aware that they are on a sinking ship, and they have discount tickets which may not help their situation.
Take-backs and sweet regrets, that's all that we have left
The singer states that they have nothing left except regretful memories.
No one is looking out for anyone but number one
The artist implies that everyone is selfish and looking out for their own interests only.
One to one, two to dance, we all get our sweet romance
The artist suggests that everyone gets a chance to experience love, in their own way.
Though sour grapes will turn to wine, it's all just vinegar with time
The singer compares the sourness of grapes and the bitterness of vinegar, implying that time can't always solve every problem.
And oh yeah, I want to know, we all want to know
The singer suggests that there are questions that everyone wants to know the answer to.
How can anybody treat somebody so?
The artist questions how anyone can treat someone else so poorly.
She said, "It hurts too much"
The artist recounts someone stating that the pain they are feeling is too much to bear.
I said "It will never hurt enough
The artist implies that no amount of pain could ever be enough to account for the suffering experienced by some people.
No one will ever see these cuts
The singer suggests that many people hide their emotional scars from the world and that they may never be acknowledged.
No one will ever call this bluff
The artist implies that people may deny their pain and suffering, but others may not recognize that they are lying.
But that's just the way that it goes
The singer implies that suffering and pain is often just a part of life that can't be avoided.
And when he left us, he said, "It's not so bad"
The singer recounts someone who left them and tried to make it seem like their situation was not as bad as it appeared.
That motherfucker, he took everything we had
The singer expresses anger towards someone who took everything from them and left them with nothing.
And when I'm thinking back, I'm counting all the ways
The artist reflects on past experiences and memories, trying to make sense of what happened to them.
Nobody helped us, so we dreamt of better days
The artist suggests that nobody helped them when they were struggling, so they had to hope for a better future on their own.
And we sang, "Yeah, that's just the way that it goes"
The singer implies that despite the difficulties they have faced, they have come to accept that life can be tough and unforgiving.
Yeah, we used to be in love (my love!), but now we're just in like
The singer reflects on a past relationship and suggests that their feelings have changed from love to something less intense.
And we broke all our promises, and baby, that ain't right
The artist acknowledges that they and their partner have let each other down and failed to keep the promises they made to each other.
Because you don't know what it's like to lose it all
The artist implies that someone who has not experienced complete loss may not understand what it is like.
Take it back, take it back, because you don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of it all
The artist suggests that someone who has not experienced complete loss should not make assumptions or try to minimize the feelings of those who have.
You beg and plead, but no one here can save you
The singer suggests that despite begging and pleading, no one can save someone from their own suffering.
Why would they try when they can't quite save themselves?
The artist implies that people are often so caught up in their own suffering that they cannot help others.
So Marigold, someday we'll have to write a script
The singer suggests that they might have to write down their experiences in order to make sense of them.
But I won't stop denying, ashamed of all the selfish things we did
The singer admits that they did selfish things and feel ashamed of their behavior, but still has trouble accepting it.
Dropped out of every single friendship that you had
The singer suggests that they or someone they know have abandoned friendships and let people down in the past.
They nearly loved you, but you never could have loved somebody back
The artist suggests that someone may have been loved by others, but was unable to reciprocate that love due to emotional issues or past experiences.
Tell me of your sorrows; tell me everything from the start
The artist offers to listen to someone's problems and wants to understand the full extent of their suffering.
I'd like to do my part to help a friend in need
The singer suggests that they want to be there for their friend and help them through their struggles.
I said you could come to me, but when you needed someone most, I wasn't there,
The singer realizes that someone may have needed their help in the past, but they were not there for them when it mattered most.
I wasn't even...
The artist leaves this incomplete, implying that they were not even present for someone who needed them.
Contributed by Isabelle J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.