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
They Broke Him Down
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the devil came to town
I was awoken by the screaming
But nobody heard a sound
And the lies we told at breakfast
Will match the lies we had for lunch
And the lies we said for dinner, yeah for dinner
They’re the tallest of the bunch
Did you notice he was cold
When he finally lost control long ago
And the [?]
Was he likely to console
And I'm still not understanding
The things he did before he left
And the one thing that will haunt me
It will haunt me
Right before his final breath, he said
And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
He said I'll never be your saint you see cause I won't be hanging around
So they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
So I stood there and I held my breath cause I know that it wouldn't be long
Till they broke me down
Did I mention we were flailing?
When the angels came around
And they just sat there they we were waiting
For the first of us to drown
And I started going under
But I didn’t hold my breath
Cause the last thing that I needed
Oh I needed
Was the hold of holy dead [?]
Oh no
And no one holds a grudge dear
Like I do, I see it through
And you may not remember
It was nothing much at the time
But I kept it bottled inside
Oh and we all know how that goes
Yeah I’ve given up on letting go
So here we are, with nothing left here
And now you left me here
And I was last to know
[Chorus]
And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
So I can't be your saint you see cause I won't be hanging around
And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
So I stood there and I held my breath cause I knew that it wouldn't be long
Holy smokes [?]
Some say we’ve given up the ghost
But I think he's in the background (somewhere in the background)
Hiding in his favorite photographs
And he's leaving as a beggar
Horribly undead [?]
But the one thing that I'm sure of
I am sure of
Is he found some comfort there
[Chorus x2]
Till they broke me down
"They Broke Him Down" by Streetlight Manifesto is a song about loss, betrayal, and the lasting impact of relationships which have ended. The singer reflects on the past; how simple decisions were made leading to bigger mistakes, and how the consequences for them seemed far from reality until it was too late. This way of life, the singer believes, is what led them to break down, to lose control over themselves and their own destiny. The song ends with a line which says "they broke me down", implying that the singer has lost all hope or is now victim to the decisions they made earlier on.
The lyrics are cryptic, open to interpretation, and this is intentional. The imagery of angels and devils, holy ghosts, and beggars conjures up various emotions, symbolic of the singer's feelings. The second stanza hints at symbolism, with a reference to an angel, the holy dead, and drowning. This imagery is highly evocative and alludes to the singer's struggle with faith, or more accurately, their loss of faith, as they struggle to survive against the forces of life that bid them down.
The power of the song lies in the emotion behind the lyrics. It is highly reflective of the feeling of society. People are often at their best when fighting against the odds, but when the odds seem insurmountable or impossible, it's easy to feel lost and helpless. The song provides a glimpse of precisely how that feels.
Line by Line Meaning
Did I mention we were dreaming
We were not conscious of what was happening around us.
When the devil came to town
Something bad happened in our town at the same time.
I was awoken by the screaming
I was disturbed by the loud cries of someone around me.
But nobody heard a sound
No one paid attention to the cries of the person who was suffering.
And the lies we told at breakfast
We started the day with telling lies to each other.
Will match the lies we had for lunch
The number and nature of the lies we told at lunchtime were also terrible.
And the lies we said for dinner, yeah for dinner
We didn't stop lying even at the end of the day.
They’re the tallest of the bunch
The most significant lie was told at dinner, and it was the hardest to believe.
Did you notice he was cold
Have you realized how distant and unapproachable he had become?
When he finally lost control long ago
He had been holding on for a long time, but he finally broke down.
And the [?]
Unclear lyrics, meaning could not be deduced.
Was he likely to console
Did he ever offer comfort to someone else?
And I'm still not understanding
I am yet to grasp (comprehend) the reasons behind his actions.
The things he did before he left
The actions he took before he exited from our lives.
And the one thing that will haunt me
The one thing that will trouble me for a long time to come.
It will haunt me
It will be forever etched in my memory.
Right before his final breath, he said
He said something that still rings in my ears, moments before he drew his last breath.
And they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
Someone or something caused his downfall, and he couldn't handle it anymore.
He said I'll never be your saint you see cause I won't be hanging around
He didn't want to be seen as someone saving others when he couldn't even save himself.
So they broke him down, yeah they broke him down
The utterances or actions of those around him led to him breaking down.
So I stood there and I held my breath cause I know that it wouldn't be long
I knew I had to be strong and brace up because I could see something terrible coming.
Did I mention we were flailing?
We were struggling, losing balance or control over things around us.
When the angels came around
When something good happened (opposite of the devil coming to town).
And they just sat there they we were waiting
Our guardian angels were just observing us waiting for something wrong to happen.
For the first of us to drown
They watched each of us waiting for the first person to sink or lose all hope.
And I started going under
Things started getting out of hand for me.
But I didn’t hold my breath
I was not scared of what was coming my way.
Cause the last thing that I needed
I could not afford to worry about any more things.
Oh I needed
I desperately needed things to improve.
Was the hold of holy dead [?]
Unclear lyrics, meaning could not be deduced.
Oh no
An expression of disappointment or disbelief.
And no one holds a grudge dear
I am the type to hold on to an offense or wrong for a long time.
Like I do, I see it through
I am a very determined and unforgiving person.
And you may not remember
Maybe you don't recall the exact things that transpired between us.
It was nothing much at the time
It may have seemed insignificant then.
But I kept it bottled inside
But, I could not let go of the little offense or hurt that I felt.
Oh and we all know how that goes
It is common knowledge that holding a grudge does more hurt than good.
Yeah I’ve given up on letting go
I have resigned myself to living with the grudge and not moving on.
So here we are, with nothing left here
We are left with nothing after holding on to the grudge for so long.
And now you left me here
You have moved on, leaving me behind in my bitterness.
And I was last to know
I am always at the end of the queue or receiving news last.
Holy smokes [?]
An expression of surprise, shock or amazement.
Some say we’ve given up the ghost
I got tired of the fight, and I am on the verge of giving up.
But I think he's in the background (somewhere in the background)
But I believe there is still hope or a chance to make things better if we look harder.
Hiding in his favorite photographs
He is forever present in the memories we have of him.
And he's leaving as a beggar
He left this world with nothing, like a poor person.
Horribly undead [?]
Unclear lyrics, meaning could not be deduced.
But the one thing that I'm sure of
But one thing I am confident of is:
I am sure of
I am positively certain of.
Is he found some comfort there
He found some solace despite leaving this world in difficult circumstances.
Till they broke me down
Just as he was broken down, I, too, was also brought to my knees.
[Chorus]
The chorus is being repeated.
So I can't be your saint you see cause I won't be hanging around
I cannot be a person that saves you when you need someone because I am no longer around.
[Chorus x2]
The chorus is being repeated two more times.
Till they broke me down
The song ends with the line being repeated one last time.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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