The Gaslight Anthem’s music embraces many elements of blues, classic rock, and punk rock. The band has described their sound as “Bruce Springsteen singing for a Cure cover band, with a tinge more aggression.” The group’s fondness for Springsteen, a significant influence on their music, is celebrated by fans and critics alike. Representative of such views, one critic wrote, “The Gaslight Anthem are like something out of speculative fiction: this is what pop music would be if Springsteen hadn’t listened to his producer, let the Ramones record ‘Hungry Heart,’ and launched the C.B.G.B.’ers into megastardom.”
The band released its first LP, Sink or Swim, in 2007 through XOXO Records, and toured with many reputable bands, including Against Me!, The Draft, Dead to Me, and Fake Problems.
The Gaslight Anthem’s second release, a 4-song EP entitled Señor and the Queen, was released on January 29th, 2008 by Sabot Productions.
Their second full-length, The ‘59 Sound, was released on August 19, 2008 on Side One Dummy Records. The album debuted at #70 on the Billboard top 200. It was produced by Ted Hutt, who has produced albums for The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, and MxPx.
On August 6, 2008 they became the first band to ever appear on the cover of Kerrang! magazine without the publication having previously written a single word about them.
In Fall 2008, the band toured with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, and Thrice.
On December 9, 2008, the Gaslight Anthem made their television debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, performing the song the “The ‘59 Sound.” On January 30, 2009, they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, again playing “The ‘59 Sound.”
Their third full-length, American Slang, was released on June 15, 2010, on Side One Dummy Records. The Bring It On Songfacts reports that it finds the band moving away from the fictional lyrics and '50s-inspired sound of their previous records.
In 2010 they appeared on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK along with Arcade Fire, The Libertines and Modest Mouse.
Their fourth full-length, Handwritten was released on July 23, 2012 in the UK, and on July 24 in the US. The lead single, "45", was aired for the first time worldwide as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World on April 30, 2012 on BBC Radio 1 and was released on iTunes on May 8, 2012. Handwritten was called by The Rolling Stone their "biggest sounding, most straightforward album"
Get Hurt
The Gaslight Anthem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I dream small
I keep my wounds without a bandage baby
As I come stumbling through the door
Spend my nights in this location
Talking to spirits on the floor
I think I came to find the feeling baby
Between what was mine and what was yours
And I came to get hurt,
Might as well do your worst to me, hey hey
Have you come here to get hurt?
Have you come to take away from me, from me, from me
Might as well do your worst to me
I think I'd better move to California (I think it's time to move)
Mama, can you say a pray for me? (Say a prayer for me)
I heard they don't get so low down, (All my friends get so low)
I heard they never bleed,
Not like we bleed
I came to get hurt,
Might as well do your worst to me, hey hey
Have you come here to get hurt?
Have you come to take away from me, from me, from me
Might as well do your worst to me
And it gets pretty lame
And the stations would change
And the things once in order
Now seem so strange,
Once I quit town all the hurt apart from myself
Now all I can see is the need,
The need.
I came to get hurt,
Might as well do your worst to me, hey hey
Have you come here to get hurt?
Have you come to take away from me
From me, from me
Might as well do your worst to me
Maybe you needed a change,
Maybe I was in your way
Maybe some days they stay
And some things go away
Maybe I was mine, maybe you were not the same!
The Gaslight Anthem's "Get Hurt" is a heart-wrenching song about emotional pain and the search for a feeling. The singer, Brian Fallon, reflects on his hardships and his tendency to keep his wounds open instead of bandaging them up. The first stanza depicts his routine, where he spends his nights talking to spirits on the floor, trying to find the feeling between what was his and what was his lover's. Despite the pain he's experienced, he willingly came to get hurt, telling his lover to do their worst, so he can feel more alive in a sense.
In the second stanza, Fallon plans to move to California, as he has heard that people don't get as low down there and don't bleed like he and his friends do. However, before he leaves, he asks his mother to pray for him, indicating that he's still searching for something that he hasn't yet found. He still wants to feel the pain, but perhaps he just wants to feel it differently. As the song continues, Fallon acknowledges that things change, and some things go away, but the need to feel remains, even as it gets more painful.
"Get Hurt" is a song that resonates with many people because of its raw depiction of emotional pain and the desire to feel something, even if it may be negative. The song is a testament to the band's ability to create meaningful music and is a reminder that even pain can be beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I wake up in the morning
Occasionally, I start my day with a fresh outlook
Sometimes I dream small
Occasionally, my aspirations are modest and simple
I keep my wounds without a bandage baby
I embrace my emotional pain instead of trying to cover it up
As I come stumbling through the door
As I enter, I'm in a confused and dazed state
Spend my nights in this location
I spend my evenings in this place
Talking to spirits on the floor
Engaging in conversations with an imaginary audience
I think I came to find the feeling baby
I came here to search for an emotion or sensation
Between what was mine and what was yours
Between what we both brought to the relationship and what we shared
And I came to get hurt,
I intentionally put myself in a vulnerable position
Might as well do your worst to me, hey hey
You might as well cause me the most pain possible
Have you come here to get hurt?
Did you also come here looking for heartache and injury?
Have you come to take away from me, from me, from me
Did you come to deprive me of my emotional stability?
I think I'd better move to California (I think it's time to move)
I should relocate to California for a fresh start
Mama, can you say a pray for me? (Say a prayer for me)
Mother, can you ask for divine protection on my behalf?
I heard they don't get so low down, (All my friends get so low)
I've heard that people in California don't experience such intense emotional lows
I heard they never bleed,
I've heard that people in California don't hurt as deeply as we do
Not like we bleed
We are capable of experiencing emotional pain at a deeper level than they are
And it gets pretty lame
Things eventually become stagnant and uninteresting
And the stations would change
Time would keep moving forward, and things would evolve and transform
And the things once in order
Things that used to be organized and structured
Now seem so strange,
Appear unfamiliar and unfamiliar
Once I quit town all the hurt apart from myself
Once I leave this place, all the emotional pain stays behind, except for my own
Now all I can see is the need,
All I can discern is the desire or motivation for something better
The need.
The need for change, growth, and improvement
Maybe you needed a change,
Perhaps you required a shift
Maybe I was in your way
Perhaps I was a hindrance or obstacle to you
Maybe some days they stay
Occasionally, things remain the same
And some things go away
However, some things disappear or fade away
Maybe I was mine, maybe you were not the same!
Perhaps I was responsible for some of our problems or maybe you changed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN FALLON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dj Magmar
words can't express how much I love this song.
American Patriot
Spider Girl it really gets to me
She-Rides0 3The-Night
Ooo same for me
Warren Dc
When he says “I came to get Hurt” theirs such a raw feeing in his voice and in that line and follows with “might as well do your worst to me”. I’ve gone through a few heartbreaks that have changed me forever but i never found lyrics and a song that tapped deep into that raw emotion I couldn’t never express.
Ryan Burke
This song is one of the best songs I've ever heard. Everything they've done up to this point has been incredible and this song falls right in line with the greatness of Gaslight. The lyrics in this song really hit home.
Astorian Stigmata
'59 Sound is their best album for a young person with hope. Get hurt is their best album for those of haven't found it yet.
Zen Jon
+Astorian Stigmata I think the song writing is better on Get Hurt
Evin Kierans
+Astorian Stigmata I discovered Get Hurt First, love them all now haha
Shit House Rat
+Astorian Stigmata 59 sound is the tracks I play when I am cruising in my muscle car. Get hurt is the one I listen to when im depressed or heartbroken. I love senior and the queen when im going to meet a chick or something
Fuzzy Kossoff
+Astorian Stigmata Well said my friend! :-)