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
With Any Sort of Certainty
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or where the moon goes, when it's light, when it's light.
I don't mind, as long as it's there in time.
Oh, as long as they're there in time,
I won't mind, I won't mind, I won't mind.
No one knows where the soul goes when we die, when we die.
Some say to nowhere, some will say the sky, to the sky.
It's all the same, but surely some will find it strange.
But I prefer the mystery remains,
Unexplained, unexplained, unexplained.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue,
And I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we made.
Who'd have thought we'd fought so long,
We started to see our enemies turn into friends, our friends to enemies
And we set somewhere in between.
But I heard someone say,
They knew that someday,
That everything would fall into it's place.
And everything would be fine.
And I really, truly, honestly,
Without a doubt want to believe,
That everything will be alright.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue,
And I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we made.
In Streetlight Manifesto's song With Any Sort of Certainty, the lyrics are reflecting on the uncertainty of life and death. The singer muses about the mysteries of the universe, such as where the sun and moon go when they are not visible. He compares this to the unknown location of the soul after we die. The singer acknowledges that people have different beliefs about where the soul goes, but ultimately the mystery remains. The chorus expresses a desire to believe in something with certainty, but acknowledges the difficulty of finding that certainty. The pre-chorus refers to the existential dread that can come when contemplating the end of life, and how the pieces of life don't always fit together perfectly.
The second verse shifts to reflect on the complexities of relationships and how they can change over time. The singer regrets some of the choices that were made in the past and explores the idea of enemies becoming friends, and friends becoming enemies. However, there is still a hope that everything will eventually fall into place and be alright. The chorus repeats the desire for certainty, but ultimately acknowledges that the puzzle of life is "rigged" and can't always be rearranged to fit perfectly.
Overall, the lyrics of With Any Sort of Certainty express a sense of uncertainty and existential questioning. The singer is grappling with the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of life, ultimately searching for something to believe in with certainty.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know where the sun goes every night, every night.
I am not aware of the location where the sun sets every night.
Or where the moon goes, when it's light, when it's light.
It is not clear to me about the whereabouts of the moon when it's visible during night time.
I don't mind, as long as it's there in time.
I don't have an issue with the lack of knowledge about their position as long as they come out at their due time.
Oh, as long as they're there in time, I won't mind, I won't mind, I won't mind.
I am not concerned about not knowing where they go as long as they appear at their regular timing.
No one knows where the soul goes when we die, when we die.
It is uncertain where a human soul travels after death.
Some say to nowhere, some will say the sky, to the sky.
The perception of some is that soul has no destination, while others believe it goes to the sky.
It's all the same, but surely some will find it strange.
The destination of the soul holds equal significance, but some may differ in opinion.
But I prefer the mystery remains, Unexplained, unexplained, unexplained.
I prefer the wonder surrounding the travel of the soul remains a mystery and is not explained.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue, And I'll breathe easily, If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
It is a great relief for me when someone can provide an assurance or definite fact to believe in.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge, Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Have you ever pondered that we might be on the verge of giving up, and at the brink of considering the worst?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit, You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
It was never made clear that the solution would not be easy to find, and despite all the attempts at trying to fit the puzzle, it was impossible to solve.
We swore we'd never stray, Right before we went our separate ways.
We made a commitment before we parted ways, that we wouldn't move from our standpoints.
And now we're looking back, We're second-guessing all the choices that we made.
Now we are reminiscing, but at the same time doubting the decisions that we have taken in the past.
Who'd have thought we'd fought so long, We started to see our enemies turn into friends, our friends to enemies And we set somewhere in between.
It's surprising how long we have been fighting, and how, during the process, the enemies became friends, the friends turned against us, and we are unsure what our relationship is now.
But I heard someone say, They knew that someday, That everything would fall into it's place. And everything would be fine.
Someone told me that in the future, everything will align, and everything will be alright.
And I really, truly, honestly, Without a doubt want to believe, That everything will be alright.
I genuinely and honestly hope that everything will turn out okay.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ro Michaud
You don't know where the sun goes every night, every night.
Or where the moon goes, when it's light (when it’s bright), when it's light(when it’s bright).
I won't mind, as long as it's there in time.
Oh, as long as they're there in time,
I won't mind, I won't mind, I won't mind.
If I go blind,
Tell me, will you be my eyes?
Oh, tell me, will you be my guide,
If I go blind, if I go blind, if I go blind?
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue and I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we made.
No one knows where the soul goes when we die, when we die.
Some say to nowhere, some will say the sky (to the sky), to the sky(to the sky).
It's all the same, and surely some will find it strange.
But I prefer the mysteries remain
Unexplained, unexplained, unexplained.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue and I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we made.
Who'd have thought we'd fought so long,
We started to see
Our enemies turn into friends, our friends to enemies
And we sat somewhere in between.
But I heard someone say,
They knew that someday,
That everything would fall into its place.
And everything would be fine.
And I really, truly, honestly,
Without a doubt want to believe,
That everything will be alright.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue and I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we,
The shallow fantasies we,
The ugly promises we made.
Ryan Cheng
Who'd have thought we'd fought so long,
We started to see
Our enemies turn into friends, our friends to enemies
And we sat somewhere in between.
But I heard someone say,
They knew that someday,
That everything would fall into its place.
And everything would be fine.
And I really, truly, honestly,
Without a doubt want to believe,
That everything will be alright.
Bore le spork
I like the way how Streetlight use their music to speak, teach and make you think with their music. It's amazing and totaly god like how they can pull it of so well. I havn't know Streetlight Manifesto or Tohkay for long. I just got into them at the end of summer last year but despite that they have quickly become probably my abslout favorite music creators! I can't express it enough how much i love them and how much they have meant for me. I've stayed motivated because of them and when ever i have felt numb or alone i have listend to them to give me that drive i need. I am beyond thankfull and i have as a life goal to one day go on Streetlight or TohKay concert to thank them for all good they have done for me! To sum it up. I love you guys, please stay safe and keep on being awsome people!
Shawn Doering
Saw them in Vegas at the Brooklyn Bowl. Pretty solid show. 9/10 doctors recommend seeing again
fallugaloog
I've been in love with the Toh Kay version, so I'm just coming around to the Streelight version of the album (after loving them my whole life.) This version is ridiculous, in every good way possible.
Zackary Freeman
having hear toh kay's original version, i think they're both good in their own way
Twilight Sparkle
toh kay is basically the same artist along with i believe they have another band with super similar lyrics called keasby nights? they just reinvent themselves often
Jeremy Green
@Kill me pls I don't think it really matters which comes first, both are great!
Kill me pls
Actually this is the original, Tomas writes first for smanifesto then rearranges for the acoustic version
Ro Michaud
You don't know where the sun goes every night, every night.
Or where the moon goes, when it's light (when it’s bright), when it's light(when it’s bright).
I won't mind, as long as it's there in time.
Oh, as long as they're there in time,
I won't mind, I won't mind, I won't mind.
If I go blind,
Tell me, will you be my eyes?
Oh, tell me, will you be my guide,
If I go blind, if I go blind, if I go blind?
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue and I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we made.
No one knows where the soul goes when we die, when we die.
Some say to nowhere, some will say the sky (to the sky), to the sky(to the sky).
It's all the same, and surely some will find it strange.
But I prefer the mysteries remain
Unexplained, unexplained, unexplained.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue and I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we made.
Who'd have thought we'd fought so long,
We started to see
Our enemies turn into friends, our friends to enemies
And we sat somewhere in between.
But I heard someone say,
They knew that someday,
That everything would fall into its place.
And everything would be fine.
And I really, truly, honestly,
Without a doubt want to believe,
That everything will be alright.
Oh my god, I will hold my tongue and I'll breathe easily,
If anyone can say with any sort of certainty that there is something to believe.
Did you ever think that we'd be three steps from the ledge,
Contemplating awful things and thinking about the end?
Nobody mentioned that the pieces wouldn't fit,
You can rearrange them all you want, but the puzzle it was rigged.
We swore we'd never stray,
Right before we went our separate ways.
And now we're looking back,
We're second guessing all the choices that we,
The shallow fantasies we,
The ugly promises we made.
kota1663
I love that you don't say that any rights go to victory in the description, and you have a link to buy the album straight from streetlight's website. People like you restore my faith in humanity
Ryan Cheng
Who'd have thought we'd fought so long,
We started to see
Our enemies turn into friends, our friends to enemies
And we sat somewhere in between.
But I heard someone say,
They knew that someday,
That everything would fall into its place.
And everything would be fine.
And I really, truly, honestly,
Without a doubt want to believe,
That everything will be alright.