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."
Papillon
The Airborne Toxic Event Lyrics
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No car, no girl, no pills, no fun
Nothing to do in this empty room
I gotta get my head together soon
Alone again, no plans, no friends
You come around at half past ten
You say "How are you holding up my friend?
And I hear the desperation of those lines
Wasted hours, others wasted time
Uh, yeah, I been just fine!
Then we're out the door in an hour more
We stumble down from the second floor
And we're swaying, braying
We don't know what we're saying
And you grab my shirt, your way so curt
I swear to God that this doesn't hurt
When you stare like that, you put on that act
You say something and then you take it back
And I feel as though I've done something wrong
Oh, how I miss you when you're gone
And I wish I had the guts to scream
You know, things aren't always what they seem
When you walk away, I want to stay
Don't leave me here to pace and pray
All these nights I burnt, hours I turned
You think that by now I'd learned
That you're only what you pretend to be
I guess that was just lost on me
I can't stand the way you look at me
In that dress
Oh, happy, alright I might be, I guess
If I wasn't such a mess
I'm such a mess
I'm such a mess
I'm such a mess
I'm such a mess
The Airborne Toxic Event's song Papillon is a tale of loneliness and desperation, wrapped up in a wild night of partying with an old friend. The singer is all dressed up with nowhere to go, feeling empty and alone in the empty room. He longs for something to occupy his mind, to help him escape his own thoughts. Enter the old friend who shows up at his door at half past ten and provides an escape from his loneliness. They go out and get drunk, stumbling around and having a good time, but the singer can't help but feel like something is wrong. He feels like he's done something wrong, that he's misunderstood, and he can't help but be drawn back to the loneliness that he's been trying to escape.
The lyrics discuss the idea of pretending to be someone else, of putting on an act to fit in or make others happy, and the toll that it takes on a person. The singer wishes he had the guts to scream and to show the world who he really is, but he's afraid of being rejected or misunderstood. He's a mess inside, and he can't seem to shake it off, even in the midst of a wild night out. The song ends on a note of desperation and sadness, with the singer wishing for something more, something real, something that will help him escape the loneliness that haunts him.
Line by Line Meaning
All dressed up, no place to run
I'm fully prepared, but I have nowhere to go to escape my current situation
No car, no girl, no pills, no fun
I have no means of transportation, no significant other, no drugs, and therefore no enjoyment or pleasure in life
Nothing to do in this empty room
My surroundings are uninspiring and unfulfilling, leaving me feeling bored and unproductive
I gotta get my head together soon
I need to gather my thoughts and emotions and improve my mental state in order to move forward
Alone again, no plans, no friends
I am lonely and without social engagements, lacking companionship and direction in my life
You come around at half past ten
You arrive at my location late at night
You say 'How are you holding up my friend?
You inquire about my well-being and emotional state as a friend
Are you sitting around getting drunk again?'
You question whether I am spending my time wasted and/or intoxicated
And I hear the desperation of those lines
I can sense a desperation and concern in the words you speak
Wasted hours, others wasted time
I have been unproductive and have wasted time which could have been better spent
Uh, yeah, I been just fine!
I respond with insincerity, implying that I am not actually fine
Then we're out the door in an hour more
We leave shortly after conversing
We stumble down from the second floor
We clumsily descend a flight of stairs
And we're swaying, braying
We are unsteady on our feet, making unpleasant noises
We don't know what we're saying
Our speech is slurred, indicating incoherence
And you grab my shirt, your way so curt
You grab onto my shirt in an abrupt manner
I swear to God that this doesn't hurt
I claim that your actions are not causing me physical pain
When you stare like that, you put on that act
You pretend to feel a certain way by affecting your facial expression
You say something and then you take it back
You speak a statement and then retract it, causing frustration and confusion
And I feel as though I've done something wrong
I question my actions and whether I am responsible for the problematic interactions
Oh, how I miss you when you're gone
I feel a sense of longing and desire for your presence when you are absent
And I wish I had the guts to scream
I feel as though I need to express my innermost feelings through vocalizing my pain and frustrations
You know, things aren't always what they seem
I believe that the surface level of a situation is not always indicative of its true nature
When you walk away, I want to stay
I desire to remain when you choose to leave
Don't leave me here to pace and pray
I do not want to remain alone to stew in my thoughts and fears
All these nights I burnt, hours I turned
I have invested a significant amount of time and energy in this relationship/interaction
You think that by now I'd learned
I am expected to have gained knowledge and insight from my experiences with you
That you're only what you pretend to be
I have come to realize that you are not genuine and only present a facade
I guess that was just lost on me
I did not fully understand or comprehend this issue
I can't stand the way you look at me
I dislike the manner in which you gaze upon me
In that dress
I specifically dislike the dress you are wearing
Oh, happy, alright I might be, I guess
I feign contentment but ultimately display ambivalence towards my emotions in this situation
If I wasn't such a mess
I qualify my response with 'if' to suggest that my current emotional state is, in fact, fraught with turmoil and confusion
I'm such a mess
I admit and acknowledge that I am emotionally unstable and experiencing inner turmoil
I'm such a mess
I repeat my admission of being emotionally unstable
I'm such a mess
I repeat my admission of being emotionally unstable
I'm such a mess
I repeat my admission of being emotionally unstable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MIKEL FRANS JOLLETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind