The group's self-titled, second album, released in 2009, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and was certified gold in the United States, Australia, and Canada. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2010. While both albums were commercially successful, critical reception was mixed. The Fray was ranked No. 84 on Billboard's "Artists of the Decade" list. Their third album Scars & Stories, released in 2012, achieved moderate commercial success; debuting and peaking at number four on the Billboard 200. The album again received mixed reviews from critics. The band's fourth album, Helios, was released in February 2014. The band's compilation album, Through the Years: The Best of the Fray, was released in November 2016.
The Fray's use of the piano as the lead instrument in their music has led critics to compare the band with English piano-driven bands such as Coldplay and Keane. However, the band lists its influences as the Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Better Than Ezra, and U2.
happiness
The Fray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?
Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can?t make it come or go
But you are gone- not for good but for now
Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never mine to hold
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks
Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself, that?s enough for now
Happiness has a violent roar
Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you?ll never find it all
Let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she?ll be home
Home, home, home
In the song "Happiness" by The Fray, the lyrics describe the enigmatic and elusive nature of happiness. The opening line, "Happiness is just outside my window" suggests that happiness is tantalizingly within reach but also fragile and vulnerable to destruction, as the image of the potential crash at 80-miles an hour implies. The idea that happiness can be let in like a visitor knocking on your door continues this theme of its fleeting and intangible nature. The second verse seems to imply that happiness is more complex than just being a happy emotion since it feels a lot like sorrow, and no one can control when it comes and goes. The line "Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good" seems to express some resignation and melancholy about the state of happiness, as if it is impossible to hold onto.
The chorus further drives home the message that happiness is unpredictable and often dangerous or even destructive. The image of a firecracker on the headboard suggests that it can be both beautiful and explosive, and the warning to "light the fuse and get away" implies the need for caution around happiness. The idea that happiness can break your faith and leave you in pieces seems to give it an almost malevolent quality, as if it can be a force of destruction in your life. The final verse offers a glimmer of hope that happiness can be found in unexpected ways but also suggests that you have to let it go and live your life before it can come back to you. The repetition of "home" in the final line emphasizes the idea that happiness is a feeling of comfort and belonging.
Overall, the lyrics of "Happiness" explore the complexities of happiness and suggest that it is both transient and powerful, capable of both beauty and destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Happiness is just outside my window
The feeling of happiness seems so near but is out of reach.
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Is happiness such a strong and violent force that it would bring chaos?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
Is happiness a subtle and gentle feeling that requires attention to recognize?
On your door, and you just let it in?
And once you let happiness in, it can fill your life with joy.
Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Sometimes happiness can be overshadowed by sadness or regret.
Let it be, you can't make it come or go
Happiness is not something that can be forced, but rather something that comes and goes on its own.
But you are gone- not for good but for now
Sometimes happiness fades away, but it can come back again in the future.
Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good
The absence of happiness can feel like a permanent loss.
Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness is a fleeting and unpredictable emotion.
Happiness was never mine to hold
One cannot possess happiness, but rather experience it in moments.
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
One must be cautious when seeking happiness, as it can come with unexpected consequences.
Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks
Happiness can bring bursts of joy, but can also be unpredictable and intense.
Happiness damn near destroys you
The pursuit of happiness can be a difficult and painful journey.
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
The search for happiness can challenge one's beliefs and values.
So you tell yourself, that's enough for now
Sometimes one must accept the absence of happiness and focus on other aspects of life.
Happiness has a violent roar
The experience of happiness can be loud and overpowering.
Happiness is like the old man told me
The concept of happiness is something that is passed down through generations.
Look for it, but you'll never find it all
Happiness is elusive and cannot be found in its entirety.
Let it go, live your life and leave it
One should not obsess over the pursuit of happiness, but rather let it come naturally.
Then one day, wake up and she'll be home
Happiness can suddenly appear in one's life, as if returning home.
Home, home, home
The feeling of happiness can bring a sense of comfort and belonging.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ben Wysocki, Benjamin Wysocki, David Welsh, Isaac Slade, Joseph King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sonapustai
Happiness was just outside my window
I thought it'd crash blowing 80 miles an hour
But happiness—a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in
Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can’t make it come or go
But you are gone—not for good but for now
And gone for now feels a lot like gone for good
Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never meant to hold
Be careful child, light the fuse and get away
‘Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks
Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself, "That’s enough for now."
Happiness has a violent roar
Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, and you’ll never find it all
But let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, you'll wake up and she’ll be home
Home, she'll be
She'll be home
She will be home
@MOBROOKS
Pretty little liars and mid 2000’s nostalgia brought me here.
@AngelaShrum
B26
It's a song
It's a number
It's a girl...
@user-ld9ct5bm2e
GiGiShrum my heart omg
@kolikoli12345678
this made me cry thanks
@marleelucas6685
its a pretty little liars ship
@ranibowunicorn
Gold falafel
@nutellaplaysx
IS THAT THIS SONG?
@TJowls
I will always associate this song with Ezra and Aria first meeting 😭
@meagorgon7521
TJowls me toooo😭😭
@youareinlove13
me tooo ♡︎