Named after a section of the book 'White Noise', written by postmodernist author Don DeLillo, the group incorporates string instruments and keyboards along with a standard rock lineup of guitar, drums, and bass guitar. Their style takes in a variety of influences from classic rock and roll to arcane-sounding art rock to tuneful indie pop and more. They have been signed to Majordomo Records for many years; on March 4, 2009, the band signed to Island Records.
Formed in the wake of a series of personal tragedies in the life of front-man Mikel Jollett, the band has gathered a reputation for one of the most exciting and energetic live shows in years. Stomping, screaming, wailing, crooning through bony rock songs and enormous dark anthems, the band embodies the desire to live life fully in the face of a world saturated with media and fear. The Cali five-piece's eponymous debut EP includes nods to rock music's most transcendent tidbits: subtle references to the sad-eyed melancholy of The Cure, the balled-fist intensity of The Fall, and the art school disaffection of the Velvet Underground.
The Airborne Toxic Event released their second album, All At Once on April 26, 2011. Songfacts reports the band explaining: "It's called 'All at Once' because the songs deal with the idea of sudden change—how life generally doesn't change incrementally. Your parents die, a child is born, the airplane shakes, a former love from a former life walks casually by you on the street, and suddenly everything is different. We live in the quiet passages between these extraordinary moments of change. It's exhilarating. It's terrifying. It can be monstrously disfiguring. It can be potentially redemptive."
All at Once
The Airborne Toxic Event Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a mother, a father and God
When the world would wait for us, a thousand years in the crush
Of our eyes, fearless and awed
Quietly we'd fade in to sleep, with nothing on our minds
Then we longed to be loved, in the rush we'd become
Some things we thought we'd never be
From the nights spent feeling incomplete
And all those evenings swearing at the sky, wishing for more time
All the promises we broke when we tried, just wasting all our time
We grow old all at once, and it comes like a punch
In the gut, in the back, in the face
When it seems someone's lied and our parents have died
And we hold on to each other in their place
And I feel the water rising around us, and maybe that's okay
Yeah I feel the world changing all at once, I guess it will be okay
Then we all had one hope, there was someone looking down
To return our bodies to each other, and the ground
The opening lines of The Airborne Toxic Event's song "All At Once" suggest a cosmic perspective on birth and life itself. The lyrics invite a contemplation of the mystery of creation as we are born "without time" and "nameless in the arms of a mother, a father and God." The idea of being "nameless" is of interest, as it underscores both the idea that all human identities are constructed, but also that the fundamental essence of who we are may not be reducible to any name or singular identity. The second stanza of the song speaks to the longing for love that develops as we grow older and the unexpected trials we face as we search for it. We see here that the song is touching on some of the most universal and profound themes of human experience: birth, death, love and loss. In the third stanza, the song pivots to a more concrete description of the difficulties of growing older, using the metaphor of being hit physically ("like a punch in the gut") by the passage of time and the loss of loved ones. But the song leaves us with a note of hope, as the singer acknowledges that change is inevitable but that it may ultimately be for the best.
One of the most striking features of "All At Once" is the way in which the song moves from a cosmic to a deeply personal perspective. The song opens with big questions about the nature of life and creation, but by the end, the focus has shifted to the specific challenges of growing older and facing death. This combination of the universal and the personal gives the song a sense of mythic import while still feeling deeply relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
We were born without time, nameless in the arms
We entered the world without any control of time or identity, only being held by our parents and a higher power.
Of a mother, a father and God
The three figures who played the most prominent roles in our creation and birth.
When the world would wait for us, a thousand years in the crush
The world was eagerly awaiting our arrival, as if a thousand years had passed in anticipation.
Of our eyes, fearless and awed
We were born with the ability to see things with a fearless and curious lens.
Quietly we'd fade in to sleep, with nothing on our minds
As innocent newborns, we would peacefully drift off to sleep without any thoughts weighing on our minds.
Then we longed to be loved, in the rush we'd become
As we grew older, we craved love and validation for who we were becoming.
Some things we thought we'd never be
There were parts of ourselves that we never thought we would possess or embody.
We were surprised by how hard, left wary and scarred
As we faced challenges and difficulties, we were taken aback by how difficult it was and left with scars of caution.
From the nights spent feeling incomplete
Nights where we were left with a sense of emptiness and incompleteness.
And all those evenings swearing at the sky, wishing for more time
On those nights, we found ourselves angrily shouting to the sky, hoping for more time to make a difference.
All the promises we broke when we tried, just wasting all our time
We broke promises to ourselves and others as we struggled to make the most out of our time, ultimately wasting it away.
We grow old all at once, and it comes like a punch
Our aging process can come suddenly and feel like a physical blow to us.
In the gut, in the back, in the face
This aging process can affect us in a variety of uncomfortable ways.
When it seems someone's lied and our parents have died
During this aging process, we may come to realize that others have lied to us and our parents may have passed away.
And we hold on to each other in their place
In lieu of our parent's absence, we hold onto our loved ones for support and guidance.
And I feel the water rising around us, and maybe that's okay
Amidst all of these changes, we begin to feel as if we are drowning in our circumstances, but maybe that is an acceptable feeling.
Yeah I feel the world changing all at once, I guess it will be okay
Despite the overwhelming changes in our lives and the world around us, we must keep pushing forward and hope that everything will be alright in the end.
Then we all had one hope, there was someone looking down
Regardless of our individual beliefs, we all hope that there is a higher power looking out for us.
To return our bodies to each other, and the ground
In death, we hope that our physical bodies will return back to the earth, and we will be reunited with loved ones who have passed on before us.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mikel Frans Jollett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jasibeth Belmonte
We were born without time
Nameless in the arms
Of a mother, a father, and God
When the world would wait for us
A thousand years in the crush
Of our eyes, fearless, and awed
So quietly, we'd fade into sleep
With nothing on our mind(s)
Hoo, hoo, hoo..
And then we longed to be loved
In the rush, we become
Some things we thought we'd never be
We were surprised by how hard
Left wary and scarred
From the nights spent feeling incomplete
And all those evenings swearing at the sky
Wishing for more time
All the promises we broke when we tried
Just wastin' all our time
Hoo, hoo..
We grow old all at once
And it comes like a punch
In the gut, in the back, in the face
When it seems someone's lied
And our parents have died
Then we hold onto each other in their place
And I feel the water risin' around us
Maybe that's okay
Yeah, I feel the world changin' all at once
I guess it'll be okay
Hoo, hoo, hoo..
And we all had one hope
There was someone lookin' down
To return our bodies to each other
And the ground
neo1027
Single take live video, no cuts, no vulgar, true vocals, honest lyrics, no freaking auto tune. This IS what music is.
Michael Thompson
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Andrea D
When I first started listening to this band, both my parents were still alive and I still got teary eyed. Now, both my parents are gone, and it takes on a whole new meaning. I did feel like I was punched in the gut and the face.
Jean-Pierre the Girl who dared to dream
Oh god that hit me because same 😣
Nate Riley
So Sorry for your loss, I hope this music helps you to recover, or you just come back sometimes to remember them. "Then we hold on to each other in their place". God Bless.
William Cooley
Man,you are not lying good friend!A real donkey kick right in the nuts
John DiGioia
I lost my mom last year.. and I feel ya
Aaron Levine
I lost my wife this year and Airborne Toxic Event helped me get through.....THANK YOU!
Time To Cook
Love
Norsegod69
I am sorry to head that I hope you are doing better now