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"
WeCametoDance
The Gaslight Anthem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are romantics by the light of the four way
We came to sing out a chorus, reinvent the good times
And bring it all back home again
Honey, we came to dance with the girls with the stars in their eyes
Do the jump back, jack, stop and slide to the right
Never break their hearts, never make them cry, come on
If I'm not your kind, then don't tell a soul
I'm not the one who hates bein' alone, so come on
And in this unstable arena
Of what's left or become of my America
I'm askin' this dance so come take my hand, come on
And in this unstable arena
Of what's left or become of my America
I'm askin' this dance so come take my hand, come on
Honey, we came to dance with the girls with the stars in their eyes
Do the jump back, jack, stop and slide to the right
Never break their hearts, never make them cry, come on
Strike up the band, play a song that everybody knows
If I'm not your kind, then don't tell a soul
I'm not the one who hates bein' alone, so come on
And if they end it all
By the end of tonight
If the big bomb drops down
Over this quiet Edison sky
We'll blow one last kiss
To all the beautiful nights like this
Under this central Jersey sky
Honey, we came to dance with the girls with the stars in their eyes
Do the jump back, jack, stop and slide to the right
Never break their hearts, never make them cry, come on
Strike up the band, play a song that everybody knows
If I'm not your kind, then don't tell a soul
I'm not the one who hates bein' alone, so come on
'Cause you ain't never had a night on the town
Like I can show you such a night on the town
And you ain't never had a song you could sing
Well it's a deep dark night and I hear you, I've been there
And these are the songs that we sing
Oh, these are the songs that we sing
You've never seen a two-step
Like when you've seen it from your mama's house
Where the kids flash like lightning
To the very best dancers around
We learned from the very best dancers around
We learned from the very best dancers in town
Come take my hand, cause mama, we came to dance
The Gaslight Anthem's song WeCametoDance is an ode to a certain kind of romance that defined the golden age of rock 'n' roll. The song is an invitation to a dance party where the last of the jukebox Romeos and romantics gather to sing out a chorus and reinvent the good times. The band members invite the girls with stars in their eyes to join them to do the jump back, jack, stop and slide, and never break their hearts or make them cry. They are here to strike up the band and play a song everybody knows, and if the end should come tonight, they will blow one last kiss to the beautiful nights like this, under this central Jersey sky.
In this unstable arena of what's left or become of my America, the band members are asking for a dance, so come take my hand, come on. The song acknowledges the uncertainty and instability that seems to define the world, but in the face of it, it proposes an act of defiance, which is to dance. The song suggests that dancing is a way to find meaning in a world that often feels meaningless, and that music has the power to bring people together and uplift them. The Gaslight Anthem's song WeCametoDance is a celebration of rock 'n' roll romance, and an invitation to dance your worries away.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the last of the jukebox Romeos
We are the final remaining group of hopeless romantics who love the classic music and style of the jukebox era.
We are romantics by the light of the four way
Our love for the past is so strong that we still yearn for romance in a place where four roads meet.
We came to sing out a chorus, reinvent the good times
We're here to revive the good memories and positive vibes by singing old songs and putting a new spin on them.
And bring it all back home again
We want to take people back to a time when things were simpler and happier.
Honey, we came to dance with the girls with the stars in their eyes
We've come to dance with those who are hopeful and dreamy-eyed, looking for a good time and feeling the magic of the night.
Do the jump back, jack, stop and slide to the right
We'll teach you some good old-fashioned dance moves that will remind you of a time when dancing was an art form.
Never break their hearts, never make them cry, come on
We'll dance with you, but we won't hurt you, and we'll only bring joy and happiness to the evening.
Strike up the band, play a song that everybody knows
Let's start the music, and play something that everyone can sing and dance to so we can create memories that last forever.
If I'm not your kind, then don't tell a soul
If we're not a good match, then let's keep it between us and just enjoy the time we have together without worrying about anyone else.
I'm not the one who hates bein' alone, so come on
I don't mind being alone, but being with you would make the night so much better, so let's dance and have a good time.
And in this unstable arena
In this ever-changing and uncertain world,
Of what's left or become of my America
As we look around and see the changes in our country,
I'm asking this dance so come take my hand, come on
I'm inviting you to dance with me and forget our worries for a little while.
And if they end it all
And if the worst-case scenario happens,
By the end of tonight
Before the night is over,
If the big bomb drops down
If a catastrophic event occurs,
Over this quiet Edison sky
Over the peaceful skyscape of this small New Jersey town,
We'll blow one last kiss
We'll say our final goodbyes in a symbolic way,
To all the beautiful nights like this
To all the memorable and picturesque evenings we've had in the past,
Under this central Jersey sky
Under the iconic and symbolic sky of New Jersey, our beloved homeland.
'Cause you ain't never had a night on the town
You've never experienced a night out like this before,
Like I can show you such a night on the town
And I'm ready to take you out and show you what you've been missing.
And you ain't never had a song you could sing
And you've never had a song that speaks to your heart,
Well it's a deep dark night and I hear you, I've been there
But tonight, in the dark of the night, I understand how you feel, as I've been there before as well.
And these are the songs that we sing
These are the classic and timeless songs that we love to sing and dance to,
Oh, these are the songs that we sing
We're proud of these songs and will always cherish them,
You've never seen a two-step
You've never seen a type of dance called the two-step,
Like when you've seen it from your mama's house
Like when you've seen it in the comfort and familiarity of your own home.
Where the kids flash like lightning
Where the young people dance with lightning speed,
To the very best dancers around
To the best dancers in town,
We learned from the very best dancers around
We've learned our moves from the best dancers in our community,
We learned from the very best dancers in town
And we'll always remember and cherish the skills we learned from the best dancers in our hometown.
Come take my hand, cause mama, we came to dance
Let's dance the night away and enjoy each other's company, because that's why we're here.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN FALLON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind