Their album, Afterglow, was a year in the making. It was self-produced in brief bursts between classes and work during their first year of marriage. Lyrically, Afterglow encapsulates their relationship, college, career pressure, generational failings, that dingy first apartment, grownup problems about money and insurance, isolation, fear, and hope. Afterglow is a mixed bag of genre jumping from punk pieces about beach kids and endless summers to vulnerable ballads about anxiety and this era. It is an intimate and musical time capsule.
Shortly after finishing the record, the duo relocated to Denver, CO, bringing FL charm to the wild west.
Unseen Things
Team Callahan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Neurotic and halfway insane
Although we see the world in the same way
Emotional extremes, the panic of the everyday
I don't want your minimum wage
No I need these hours alone to foster my self-righteous rage
Another coffee shop prophet naming unseen things
I fight the code against the grain
Tequila and communion, art is going down the drain
You always keep your hands so clean
Your loving and your stance, you're balancing the in-between
We don't have a lot of things in common
A bullet and a bible
The world is hard, the sky is falling down
Is this the dream that you showed me, phosphorescent light?
Will we be standing in a driveway holding hands for the final time?
Everyday it's a little bit easier to believe you
Every hour it's a little bit harder to see the change in me
In this year am I gonna be better than I am right now?
In this year just tell me it's all gonna be alright
Everyday it's a little bit easier to believe you
Every hour it's a little bit harder to see the change in me
In this year am I gonna be better than I am right now?
In this year just tell me, oh say it's gonna be alright
Just tell me, oh say it's gonna be alright
In the song "Unseen Things" by Team Callahan, the singer expresses a desire to avoid the fate of other poets who have become "neurotic and halfway insane". Despite seeing the world in the same way as these poets, the singer is determined to cultivate a sense of self-righteous rage that will keep them from slipping into the same state. The lyrics also touch on themes of creative frustration and a sense of despair, as the singer bemoans the decline of art and struggles to find hope in a difficult world.
The first few lines suggest that the singer is wary of becoming like other poets who have struggled with mental health issues or personal demons, perhaps because they see themselves as having a similar disposition. In the line "Although we see the world in the same way," it seems that the singer recognizes a shared perspective with these other poets, but wants to avoid their same fate. The next lines highlight the emotional intensity of this worldview, with "emotional extremes, the panic of the everyday" evoking a sense of anxiety and turmoil.
The song then takes a turn towards frustration with the state of art and creativity. The "coffee shop prophet[s]" and "b-grade writer[s]" in the lyrics seem to represent artists who are struggling to find their voice or make an impact. The line "art is going down the drain" suggests a feeling of hopelessness about the state of the world, with the singer questioning whether things will ever change.
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to maintain a sense of purpose and hope in the face of a challenging world. The singer wants to avoid the pitfalls of their artistic forebears, but is also struggling with their own creative frustrations and a sense of despair about the state of things.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna end up the same as other poets
I don't want to be like other poets who are neurotic and halfway insane.
Although we see the world in the same way
We all see the world with emotional extremes and the panic of everyday life.
I don't want your minimum wage
I don't want to settle for a mediocre life.
No I need these hours alone to foster my self-righteous rage
I need to be on my own to cultivate my anger to improve myself.
Another coffee shop prophet naming unseen things
There are many people who sit in coffee shops trying to create a name for themselves as writers with new ideas.
Another b-grade writer drawing circles on a blank sheet
There are also many writers who are not talented, and simply draw circles on paper.
I fight the code against the grain
I go against the traditional way of living.
Tequila and communion, art is going down the drain
Alcohol and religion are becoming more common in art, and this is ruining the purity of the art.
You always keep your hands so clean
You never get involved in anything messy.
Your loving and your stance, you're balancing the in-between
You are good at balancing your love and your stance on things that are in between.
We don't have a lot of things in common
We don't have many things that we share.
A bullet and a bible
One is violent, and the other is peaceful.
The world is hard, the sky is falling down
The world is a difficult place to live in, and it feels like everything is collapsing.
Is this the dream that you showed me, phosphorescent light?
Is this the life that you wanted for me?
Will we be standing in a driveway holding hands for the final time?
Will we be there for the last time at the end of our lives?
Everyday it's a little bit easier to believe you
Everyday it's easier to believe that I can change.
Every hour it's a little bit harder to see the change in me
As time goes by, it is harder to see how I'm changing.
In this year am I gonna be better than I am right now?
Will I improve myself in this year?
In this year just tell me it's all gonna be alright
Please just reassure me that everything will be okay.
Just tell me, oh say it's gonna be alright
Once again, please reassure me that everything will be okay.
Writer(s): Team Callahan
Contributed by Asher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
C C
This song is so good, why this has no views?
887 Sinatra
@Dattt.24 i hear you bro but the world needs this. lets share the gem we found.
Dattt.24
it's better to has less views :)
Michelle A
love it!
Charcoiris
Wow💜😍