The group has released five albums since their formation: "Kind of Light" (2003), "Over and Over" (2005), "Not Only...But Also" (2008), "This Must Be Love" (2009) and "The 88" (2010). Additionally, the group provided the soundtrack to the 2012 film "The Lorax". The group's song "At Least It Was Here" is the theme song from the American sitcom "Community".
After All
The 88 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There’s a ghost in every room
When darkness rolls around
I’ll get light from that spiteful moon
I’d feel better if you’d call
Seems I miss you after all
And it’s only that I fear
It’s there you want to stay
And you wish I’d just disappear
I’d feel better if you’d call
Seems I need you after all
Some say love is violins
Playin’ all the time
Others say love’s just a fool
Who’s crazy, dumb, and blind
With you my love it’s neither
It’s the best of those two combined
So if you are awake
And about to get in bed
Just for my own sake
Could you pick up that phone instead
I’d feel better if you’d call
Seems I need you after all
I’d feel better if you’d call
Seems I miss you after all
I’d feel better if you’d call
Seems I love you after all
You should not leave me all alone
You should not leave me on my own
The song After All by The 88 is a melancholic love song featuring a lover in distress, missing their partner. The song paints a sorrowful picture of an evening where it's raining heavily and there are ghosts in every room. The singer is struggling to cope with the loneliness and seeks solace from the "spiteful moon." The lyrics "Seems I miss you after all" and "Seems I need you after all" convey a strong sense of regret and an acknowledgment that the lover needs their partner.
The lyrics go on to describe the lover's anxiety about their partner being away and feeling like they want to disappear. The singer's longing for their partner is so intense that they want them to call even if it's just to say a brief hello. The song suggests that the singer's love for their partner is neither like the violins playing all the time nor is it a foolish notion of a crazy, dumb, and blind person in love; instead, it's a combination of both. The song ends on a plea from the singer to their partner to not leave them alone.
Line by Line Meaning
The rain keeps pouring down
It is raining heavily, without any respite.
There’s a ghost in every room
The atmosphere is filled with gloom and a feeling of fear can be sensed everywhere.
When darkness rolls around
The time of day when the sun sets and darkness surrounds everything.
I’ll get light from that spiteful moon
Even in the darkness, the artist finds some solace in the sight of the moon, which seems to be mocking them.
I’d feel better if you’d call
The artist is feeling low and would feel better if they got a call from the person they're talking to.
Seems I miss you after all
The singer has realized that they miss the person and their absence is affecting them more than they had thought earlier.
Yes you’re far away
The person is physically not present in the same space as the singer.
And it’s only that I fear
The artist is afraid that the distance would only amplify the differences between them as a pair.
It’s there you want to stay
The artist thinks that the person wants to be away from them intentionally.
And you wish I’d just disappear
The artist believes that the person doesn't want to see/hear from them anymore and wants them to leave them alone.
Seems I need you after all
The singer has realized that they need the other person in their life and the distance is making them feel more acutely that void.
Some say love is violins
Love is often depicted or compared to the sound of violins playing melodiously.
Playin’ all the time
It is a continuous feeling, that stays with people always.
Others say love’s just a fool
To some people, love may seem like a foolish or irrational emotion, without any logic or reason.
Who’s crazy, dumb, and blind
Such people think that those in love are foolish, easily influenced and cannot see or think clearly because of their emotions.
With you my love it’s neither
The love between the artist and the person is different from that. It is not foolish, irrational or crazy but something more meaningful.
It’s the best of those two combined
The kind of love that the artist and the other person share is a beautiful mixture of the traditional romantic feeling of post war love and the more realistic approach of people today.
So if you are awake
The singer hopes that the other person is awake and not asleep.
And about to get in bed
The singer thinks that this might be a good time for the other person to make the call and that they might be about to go to bed.
Just for my own sake
The artist is appealing to the person's better nature and asking them to call for their own good.
Could you pick up that phone instead
The artist pleads with the other person to take the initiative and make the call, indicating that they are still waiting to hear from them.
Seems I love you after all
The artist has come to the realization that they truly love the person and their feelings are genuine.
You should not leave me all alone
The singer is expressing their desire for the other person to stay with them and not go away from them.
You should not leave me on my own
The artist fears that they would be lonely without the other person and are requesting them to stay with them and not abandon them.
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.