Classed as a Britpop band, given that their appearance and initial huge success with songs such as Slight Return coincided synchronously with the Britpop explosion, their debut record Expecting To Fly appeared in 1996.
As time has gone by, the band have actually become a more conventional 'indie' band - whilst notching up hits such as Marblehead Johnson, If... and Keep the Home Fires Burning they have struggled to replicate the success of their debut. After seven singles reaching the UK Top 20 in total, they are now well out of the public eye, but unlike almost all of the fellow 'Britpop' bands, they continue to release new material and tour.
Following two further albums on major, A&M/Universal (1998's Return to the Last Chance Saloon and 2000's Science & Nature), they signed to the big indie, Cooking Vinyl in 2003 for Luxembourg and 2006's The Bluetones.
Vocalist Mark Morriss released a solo EP under the alias Fi-Lo Beddow in 2006, which eventually bloomed into a full solo record under his real name. Memory Muscle was released in June 2008, and received a surprising amount of critical acclaim, given the music press' frosty attitude to Bluetones material. It included new versions of the songs which made up the Fi-Lo Beddow EP, and featured strings arrnaged by film score composer David Arnold.
The band released their final album, A New Athens, in 2010, and completed their farewell tour in September 2011.
It was announced on 13 April 2015 that the band was reforming for a tour and have subsequently toured on further occasions, including a headline slot on the 2017 Star Shaped Festival tour.
Firefly
The Bluetones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The first pearl of the morning
And as the air surrounding warms
And darkness ebbs away
Another fragile day
She's there observing silently
A witness to creation
She understands the irony
A picture in a dream
The way it's always been
But it comes as a cost
With this sense that something permanent is lost
That a line has been crossed
An argument to which there's no riposte
That's a singularity
It's your own mortality
It's the punishment and prize
It's the lights before your eyes
Come alive, oh firefly of mine
Tomorrow is un-reachable
Tomorrow is invention
Tomorrow is un-teachable
It's where the answers hide
It's where we don't arrive
How precious is the time we've left
How priceless every moment
We must abandon hopeless quests
This business of forgiveness
This notion of atonement
But it comes as a cost
With this sense that something permanent is lost
That a line has been crossed
An argument to which there's no riposte
That's a singularity
It's your own mortality
It's the punishment and prize
It's the lights before your eyes
Come alive, oh firefly of mine
But it comes as a cost
With this sense that something permanent is lost
That a line has been crossed
An argument to which there's no riposte
That's a singularity
It's your own mortality
It's the punishment and prize
It's the lights before your eyes
Come alive, oh firefly of mine
The Bluetones's song Firefly is a reflective piece on mortality and the fleeting nature of time. The opening lines set the scene with a single dewdrop forming and the start of a new day. The singer observes the beauty of creation but is saddened by the knowledge that her time is limited. She understands the irony of her final moments being as beautiful as they are devastating. The chorus repeats the message that the knowledge of one's own mortality is both a punishment and a prize.
The song emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and not wasting time on hopeless quests or holding onto grudges. The lyrics suggest that forgiveness and atonement are essential to make peace with oneself before the final curtain falls. The repeated lines about the singularity of mortality drive this message home.
The production of the song is simple and acoustic, allowing the lyrics to take the front seat. The vocal delivery is heartfelt and sincere, adding to the emotional impact of the message. Firefly is a poetic reminder to cherish the moments we have and to make peace with the knowledge of our own transience.
Line by Line Meaning
A single perfect dew drop forms
The beginning of a new day is marked with the formation of a dew drop, perfect in its formation.
The first pearl of the morning
The dew drop, reminiscent of a pearl, is symbolic of new beginnings, the first of the morning.
And as the air surrounding warms
As the warmth of the sun spreads to the surrounding air, the beauty of the dew drop comes into view.
And darkness ebbs away
As dawn comes, darkness slowly fades away.
Another fragile day
A new day, fragile and fleeting, has arrived.
She's there observing silently
A witness to creation, she observes the beauty of the dew drop and the dawn quietly.
A witness to creation
She watches as the world comes to life with the beginning of a new day.
She understands the irony
She is aware of the irony of life and death, the fleeting nature of each day, and the beauty that can be found in those fleeting moments.
This is her final scene
This moment, a new day dawning, is her last moment, her final scene.
A picture in a dream
The moment is captured in her mind like a picture in a dream.
The way it's always been
This moment, the new day dawning, has happened every day, as it always has been.
But it comes as a cost
Everything has a cost, as does the fleeting beauty of each day.
With this sense that something permanent is lost
Every moment lost is a moment that can never be regained, and this realization brings a sense of loss.
That a line has been crossed
A realization that a threshold has been crossed, a point where something changes permanently.
An argument to which there's no riposte
There is no counterargument or rebuttal to this realization.
That's a singularity
This realization is a unique moment, a singularity in life.
It's your own mortality
The singularity is the realization of one's mortality, the fact that time is fleeting and life will end someday.
It's the punishment and prize
The fleeting nature of time is both a punishment and a prize, as it compels us to make the most of our time while we have it.
It's the lights before your eyes
The fleeting memories and moments before one's eyes before life ends.
Come alive, oh firefly of mine
The artist is urging the listener to embrace life, to make the most of each moment before it passes like a firefly in the night.
Tomorrow is un-reachable
Tomorrow is always a day away, unattainable and fleeting.
Tomorrow is invention
Tomorrow is an idea, a concept that we invent in our minds, but it may not come to pass.
Tomorrow is un-teachable
Tomorrow holds mysteries that we may never comprehend or understand.
It's where the answers hide
The answers to life's questions may be found in the future, in a place that is always just out of reach.
It's where we don't arrive
We may never arrive at tomorrow, as it is always a day away, always out of reach.
How precious is the time we've left
The fleeting nature of time makes the time we have left even more precious and valuable.
How priceless every moment
Every moment that we have is priceless, and we should cherish and make the most of it.
We must abandon hopeless quests
We must abandon hopeless pursuits that waste our precious time and focus on what truly matters in life.
This business of forgiveness
Forgiveness is important in life, as holding on to anger and resentment is a waste of time and energy.
This notion of atonement
The idea of making amends and making things right is important in life, as it brings peace and closure to difficult situations.
Contributed by Victoria F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.