As of late, Yap's position has been replaced by Isa Garcia, formerly from The Bitter Pill.
Zialcita, Chua, Yap, and Kong, who have been friends since elementary school, formed a rock band in 1998 when they were high school sophomores. In an interview, Zialcita said that their only goal was to play gigs in saGuijo, a café in Makati City, Philippines, which caters to indie rock enthusiasts. They performed during their high school and college days under different names like "Kung Fu Benny," "Mexican Rice Bowl," and "Morning Wood" until finally deciding on the name "Taken by Cars" because of its association with the concept of movement and that they "listened to a bulk of their music in their cars." They also tried out several music genres before settling into its "classic rock-modern indie vibe" when Marco joined the group in 2006.
Later that year, the band took its first steps into the public eye, as they started playing their own material to an audience in small gigs and productions for the very first time. Unfortunately, after just one short month, the band had to take a hiatus from gigging due to personal reasons. During this period, they made most of the idle time to write new materials and record more songs for their demo in preparation for their comeback in March 2007.
As heralded by a guesting on Francis Brew’s show, ‘In the Raw’ on NU107 back in February and the release of one of the tracks off their demo, ‘A Weeknight Memoir (in High Definition)’, the band took the scene by storm. ‘A Weeknight Memoir’ reached #1 on NU107’s daily countdown, ‘Stairway to Seven’.
The band launched its debut album "Endings of a New Kind" in January 2008.
Visit them at their site at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/takenbycars/,http://takenbycars.multiply.com/ and at http://www.twitter.com/TakenbyCars
The Afterhours
Taken By Cars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you see it half full or is the glass
Half empty
The lights transmit a certain kind
Of wanting to absent my mind
From all that I see...
I'm all made up of missing parts
They start to...
Give me a sign...
A chance to realize...
Drift away as the time flies
See the world through perfect eyes
I wonder what it's like
Walking down the street with you
I laugh myself senseless at everything I do
The moments make a memory
A longing for what used to be
Let it go...
A thousand reasons to look back
The never-ending heart attack
It starts to...
I'm changing away
Close your eyes and open
Tonight the edges fray
Share this day with me and listen
And let it go
The first stanza of Taken By Cars's song "The Afterhours" talks about the idea of perception and how it is affected by an individual's outlook on the world. It asks if we see things as half full or half empty, based on our mindsets, and how that perspective can influence the way we perceive things. The theme of perception is further emphasized in the second stanza, where the lights are described as emitting a feeling of wanting to get away from everything that is being seen. The singer is made up of "missing parts," implying that there is something lacking within them, possibly something affecting the way they see the things around them. The idea of being given a sign to realize and the desire to drift away from the present situation suggests that the singer is seeking an escape, a way to see the world differently.
In the next stanza, the singer wonders what it would be like to walk down the street with someone they admire. The idea of laughing senselessly and finding joy in everything they do creates an image of a carefree and relaxed atmosphere. The longing to experience this kind of carefreeness again suggests that something has caused them to lose it, possibly furthering the idea that something is lacking in their life. The following stanza reinforces the idea of letting go and moving on from the past. The singer suggests that there are a thousand reasons to look back, indicating that there might be regret or nostalgia for the things that have passed. However, by the end of the song, it becomes clear that the singer is trying to change and move forward, urging the listener to share this day with them and listen.
Line by Line Meaning
A color blind imagery
A visual representation that doesn't conform to the conventional perception of colors
Can you see it half full or is the glass
Half empty
Do you have a positive or negative outlook on life?
The lights transmit a certain kind
Of wanting to absent my mind
From all that I see...
The lights have a hypnotic effect that makes me want to escape from reality
I'm all made up of missing parts
A string of tortured souls and hearts
They start to...
I'm broken and fragmented from the pain and suffering of others; their struggles have become a part of me
Give me a sign...
A chance to realize...
Drift away as the time flies
See the world through perfect eyes
I'm searching for a sign or moment of clarity that will allow me to escape my problems and see the world in a positive light
I wonder what it's like
Walking down the street with you
I laugh myself senseless at everything I do
I imagine a carefree moment with you where we laugh at everything and forget our worries
The moments make a memory
A longing for what used to be
Let it go...
The memories we create are bittersweet, but we must learn to let go of the past and move on
A thousand reasons to look back
The never-ending heart attack
It starts to...
It's easy to dwell on the past and let it consume us, leading to a constant state of emotional pain
I'm changing away
Close your eyes and open
Tonight the edges fray
Share this day with me and listen
And let it go
I'm growing and changing as a person and I want you to join me in embracing the present moment and letting go of the past
Contributed by Sydney I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.