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"
The '59 Sound
The Gaslight Anthem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow.
When we float out into the ether, into the Everlasting Arms,
I hope we don't hear Marley's chains we forged in life.
'Cause the chains I been hearing now for most of my life,
The chains I been hearing now for most of my life.
Did you hear the rattling chains in the hospital walls?
Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over?
Did you hear your favorite song one last time?
And I wonder were you scared when the metal hit the glass?
See, I was playing a show down the road
When your spirit left your body.
And they told me on the front lawn.
I'm sorry I couldn't go,
But I still know the song and the words and her name and the reasons.
And I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang
I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang
Did you hear the fifty-nine sound coming through on grandmother's radio?
Did you hear the rattling chains in the hospital walls?
Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over?
Did you hear your favorite song one last time?
Young boys, young girls,
Young boys, young girls,
Young boys, young girls,
Young boys, young girls,
Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night,
Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night,
Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night,
Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night,
Did you hear the fifty-nine sound coming through on grandfather's radio?
Did you hear the rattling chains in the hospital walls?
Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over?
Did you hear your favorite song one last time?
Young boys, young girls,
Young boys, young girls.
The Gaslight Anthem's song "The '59 Sound" is a nostalgic and mournful tribute to a friend who has passed away. The opening lines suggest that the singer is anticipating their own death and is hoping to hear a peaceful and slow song when they pass away. They hope to avoid hearing the chains that haunted them throughout their lifetime, perhaps referring to regrets and mistakes they made.
As the song progresses, the singer reminisces about their friend and asks if they heard the "fifty-nine sound" on their grandmother's radio, perhaps referring to a particular song that they both associated with nostalgia or a joyful memory. The mention of the hospital walls and gospel choir suggests that the friend passed away in the hospital, with the singer lamenting that they were not there at the time. The repetition of "young boys, young girls" in the final lines emphasizes the tragedy of someone being taken too soon, and the assertion that death isn't supposed to happen on a Saturday night adds to the sense of injustice.
Overall, "The '59 Sound" is a powerful reflection on loss and the way that music can provide comfort and connection in the face of grief. The references to specific songs and memories create a sense of intimacy and shared history, while the repeated refrain of "did you hear" invites listeners to connect with their own experiences of loss and remembrance.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go.
The singer wonders what song will be played when they die.
I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow.
They hope the song played will be soothing and calming.
When we float out into the ether, into the Everlasting Arms,
The singer references going into the afterlife.
I hope we don't hear Marley's chains we forged in life.
They hope they will not be haunted by the mistakes they made in life.
'Cause the chains I been hearing now for most of my life,
The artist refers to the weight of their past actions that have been weighing them down.
Did you hear the fifty-nine Sound coming through on grandmother's radio?
The singer asks if the listener heard the song that had a significant impact on them while growing up.
Did you hear the rattling chains in the hospital walls?
Refers to the discomfort and pain felt in the hospital at the end of life.
Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over?
The artist references traditional funeral music.
Did you hear your favorite song one last time?
The artist wonders if the person heard their favorite song before they died.
And I wonder were you scared when the metal hit the glass?
The artist wonders if the person was scared during their death.
See, I was playing a show down the road
The singer tells of their whereabouts when they heard about the person's death.
When your spirit left your body.
The artist describes the moment of the person's death.
And they told me on the front lawn.
The singer tells how they found out about the person's death.
I'm sorry I couldn't go,
The singer apologizes for not being there during the person's final moments.
But I still know the song and the words and her name and the reasons.
The singer has fond memories of the person.
And I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang
The artist reminisces their childhood with the person.
Young boys, young girls,
The artist refers to the person when they were young.
Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night,
The singer mentions the unexpectedness of the person's death.
Did you hear the fifty-nine sound coming through on grandfather's radio?
The singer asks if the person's family heard the song on the radio after the person's death.
Young boys, young girls,
The artist remembers the person in their youth.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN FALLON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sideonedummy
Subscribe to the SideOneDummy channel at sideonedummy.com/youtube so you don't miss any of our new videos!
@ynr4404
11 years later and this entire album is still a goddamn masterpiece.
@mightywhite4553
Wow, I've just listened for first time in years and still sounds great, a very underrated album
@hrotha
To be honest, every year I like the reverb effect less and less.
@tomt6142
Do most masterpieces stop being masterpieces after 11 years?? LOL
@mazedmarky
agreed!
@budgetingstrategies6240
@hrotha how can you tell the reverb? I don’t notice that I think
@tomanderson6306
This album is in my top 10 in the history of rock. It's so good it makes me want to cry
@martinwieczorek2152
👍💪🍻
@vanillafox9910
the melody is really upbeat but the lyrics are surprisingly sad and yet they work together beautifully