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
Would You Be Impressed
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And every cure they gave us was a lie?
Oh! They mean it when they say we're dead and doomed
And every single symptom brings us closer to the tomb
And who will take the credit for our swift impending fall
Because it's not my fault
Would you be impressed if I said that the dead would help us counting
All the time we're spending vaccinating this disease
I just get dizzy when I think of all the ways we try to hide our maladies
We wine (we wine), we dine (we dine), and everything is fine
Because it's not my fault
Now you're upset because you finally got the notion
That everything you had is spinning down the drain
Oh! Do you mean it when you beg and pray and plead?
Your "Giveittomegiveittomegiveittomegiveittome all those things we need"
And what, pray tell, will you whimper when your number will be called
You'll say "It's not my fault"
Go! Now! The others they'll await you
And every single one among the lot of you will have your turn
Ai Ai Ai Oh Oh OH
Like moths that fly into the flame it always ends up so
You scream: "Not me! Take anybody else!
Because it's not my fault!"
I had a dream last night where everyone was trying
Subconsciously I knew it was a lie
And when I woke I knew it was time to pray
To make amends before the end, before my judgment day
I looked around, I stood alone, I knew what I had to say
I said "It's all my fault"
The lyrics of Streetlight Manifesto's song "Would You Be Impressed?" is a critique on humanity's tendency to ignore the problems that we face, the lies that we are told and ultimately the impending doom of the human race. The lyrics start with the question, "Would you be upset if I told you we were dying?" and proceeds to talk about the fact that every cure that we are given is a lie. The lyrics indicate that we are approaching our end and instead of taking responsibility, people try to hide their maladies by indulging in wine and dine culture. The song talks about how people try to pass the blame when things go wrong and refuse to take responsibility for their actions. Towards the end of the song, the lyrics take a turn towards introspection, and the singer says that it is time to take responsibility and make amends before it is too late.
The song is a commentary on the state of society where people refuse to acknowledge the problems that they face and try to pass the blame when things go wrong. It also highlights the importance of taking responsibility and making amends before it is too late. In essence, the song is a call to action for people to wake up and take responsibility for their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you be upset if I told you we were dying?
If I informed you that we are all perishing, would you be bothered?
And every cure they gave us was a lie?
Also, every remedy we received was deceitful, right?
Oh! They mean it when they say we're dead and doomed
When they inform us that we're finished and cursed, they're being straightforward
And every single symptom brings us closer to the tomb
Each symptom is a step towards the grave.
And who will take the credit for our swift impending fall
Who will accept responsibility for our sudden downfall?
Because it's not my fault
Since I'm not the one to blame.
Would you be impressed if I said that the dead would help us counting
If I stated that the deceased could assist us in counting, would you be surprised?
Every single moment that we waste our time?
For every bit of time we waste?
All the time we're spending vaccinating this disease
All the hours we're devoting to immunizing ourselves against illness
I just get dizzy when I think of all the ways we try to hide our maladies
The number of methods we employ to conceal our illnesses makes me dizzy.
We wine (we wine), we dine (we dine), and everything is fine
We celebrate with food and drink, and all is well.
Because it's not my fault
However, I am not to blame.
Now you're upset because you finally got the notion
You're agitated because you've finally grasped the concept.
That everything you had is spinning down the drain
Everything you owned is vanishing slowly but steadily
Oh! Do you mean it when you beg and pray and plead?
Do you genuinely mean it when you beg, pray, and plead?
Your "Giveittomegiveittomegiveittomegiveittome all those things we need"
Your repeated request of "Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, all the things we require."
And what, pray tell, will you whimper when your number will be called
And what, if I may inquire, will you sob when it's your turn?
You'll say "It's not my fault"
You'll claim "It's not my responsibility."
Go! Now! The others they'll await you
Hurry! The others are waiting for you.
And every single one among the lot of you will have your turn
Each one of you will receive your chance.
Ai Ai Ai Oh Oh OH
Expressions of agony
Like moths that fly into the flame it always ends up so
Like moths that are attracted to flames, it always finishes this way.
You scream: "Not me! Take anybody else!
You yell, "Not me! Choose someone else!"
Because it's not my fault!"
Because I'm not the one to blame!"
I had a dream last night where everyone was trying
Last night, I had a dream in which everyone was striving.
Subconsciously I knew it was a lie
However, subconsciously, I was aware it was an untruth
And when I woke I knew it was time to pray
When I woke up, I realized it was time to pray.
To make amends before the end, before my judgment day
To rectify the mistakes before the conclusion, before my day of reckoning.
I looked around, I stood alone, I knew what I had to say
I looked around, I was by myself, and I knew what I had to confess.
I said "It's all my fault"
I took the blame and said, "It's all my doing."
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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