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
Your Day Will Come
Streetlight Manifesto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no one to love her
To protect her from the world
And I have seen the monsters
That will haunt her
That’ll tear her all apart
And at her gravestone
Just where we were
When we knew she would go
And I still remember the day that we left her
And that's when she said that she knows
How it goes
And we sang
[Chorus: x2]
Your day will come, your day will come, your day will come
And no matter what they say
It won’t matter if you pray or if you sin
Cause in the end
It’s all the same
Young man becomes a soldier
And he isn’t much older
Than a boy and that’s a shame
They will lead him into battle
And the medals when he comes home rearranged
I have to say so
Of the man with the halo
He will obey he fall into place
Remember [?] but never forgive them
Ensuring the bulk of the blame
What a shame
And we'll see
If I only had a dollar
For every horror
That befalls my fellow man
And they will work another hour
But I’d grow sour
From the guilt and bitterness
The luck on the draw will
Determine the fallen
And everyone else will relax and fall
But what will you do when
They come looking for you friend?
I hope that you’re brave, and you’re strong
Through it all
[Chorus]
The song "Your Day Will Come" by Streetlight Manifesto is a protest song, which revolves around two stories - of a lady who leaves her mother, and of a young man who goes to war as a soldier. The lyrics describe the challenges and hardships that these characters face, and despite their best efforts, they can't help but succumb to their fate. The lyrics talk about the monsters that haunt people, the fact that their lives can still end in tragedy, no matter what they do. The song's title "Your Day Will Come" is a hopeful reminder that despite everything, justice will prevail someday.
In the first verse, the song talks about a young lady who leaves her mother, and the world's monsters that haunt her. The lyrics describe her eventual death, and how people will remember her when she's gone. In the chorus, the song talks about how justice will be served someday, no matter what people do, and that in the end, it's all the same. The second verse talks about a young man who becomes a soldier, and how his life changes when he goes to war. The lyrics talk about how he is too young to be a soldier, and how he will never be the same person when he comes back. The song ends with the lyrics talking about how people cannot escape their fate, and how they can only be brave and strong when their time comes.
Overall, the song is a powerful protest song that talks about the challenges and hardships that people face, no matter what they do. It's a reminder that injustice exists in the world, and that people need to be prepared to face it with courage and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
A young lady leaves her mother
A woman leaves her mother and has nobody to comfort or protect her from the harm that the world may bring
With no one to love her
She leaves without the support of someone who truly cares for her
To protect her from the world
Without her mother, she is alone and vulnerable to the dangers of the world
And I have seen the monsters
The artist is aware of the terrible things that can happen to her
That will haunt her
These experiences will leave a lasting impact on her life
That’ll tear her all apart
The traumatic events will break her down emotionally and mentally
And at her gravestone
At the end of her life
We will remember
We will recall
Just where we were
The specific place we were when we heard the news of her passing
When we knew she would go
When we were aware of her impending death
And I still remember the day that we left her
The singer recalls the day they left her without her mother
And that's when she said that she knows
It was then that she acknowledged her fate
How it goes
The inevitability of death
And we sang
The group sang together in unity to provide some solace to the situation
[Chorus: x2]
Repetition of the following phrase x2
Your day will come, your day will come, your day will come
Death comes to us all, regardless of our actions or beliefs
And no matter what they say
Regardless of what people say, death is inevitable
It won’t matter if you pray or if you sin
Your religious beliefs or actions will not change the fact that you will die
Cause in the end
Ultimately
It’s all the same
Death comes to everyone, regardless of their status or accomplishments
Young man becomes a soldier
A young man enters the military
And he isn’t much older
He is still very young and inexperienced
Than a boy and that’s a shame
He has not yet fully experienced life, and it is sad that he must go off to war
They will lead him into battle
He will be instructed to fight for his country
And the medals when he comes home rearranged
His rewards for serving left him with a painful reminder of the trauma he experienced in the war
I have to say so
The singer must state the following observation
Of the man with the halo
A man known for his honor and heroism
He will obey he fall into place
He will follow orders and do his duty
Remember [?] but never forgive them
He recalls the actions of those who wronged him, but he cannot bring himself to forgive them
Ensuring the bulk of the blame
He bears the majority of the burden of the events that transpired
What a shame
It is a sad and unfortunate situation
And we'll see
The group will wait and see what happens next
If I only had a dollar
If the artist received money
For every horror
For every terrible experience he encounters
That befalls my fellow man
That happens to those around him
And they will work another hour
Others will continue to work more hours to make ends meet
But I’d grow sour
The singer would become resentful and bitter from witnessing such atrocities
From the guilt and bitterness
The singer feels the burden of the suffering and his inability to help others
The luck on the draw will
Chance will determine
Determine the fallen
Who among us will suffer and fail
And everyone else will relax and fall
Others will be able to coast through life with relative ease
But what will you do when
What actions will you take when
They come looking for you friend?
When you are in need of help and support from others
I hope that you’re brave, and you’re strong
The artist wishes that his friend has the courage and resilience to overcome any difficulties
Through it all
Regardless of what may happen in life
[Chorus]
Repetition of the following phrase
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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