Current members
Matt Brasch – guitar, backing vocals
Dan "Soupy" Campbell – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Casey Cavaliere – guitar, backing vocals
Mike Kennedy – drums, percussion
Josh Martin – bass guitar, backing vocals
Nick Steinborn – guitars, keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Studio albums
2007: Get Stoked on It!
2010: The Upsides
2011: Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing
2013: The Greatest Generation
2015: No Closer to Heaven
2018: Sister Cities
2022: The Hum Goes On Forever
Compilations
2013: Sleeping on Trash: A Collection of Songs Recorded 2005-2010
Chaser
The Wonder Years Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seem dimly lit like I never replaced a light bulb.
When you clear out all the smoke, they found me on your neighbor's lawn,
Rambling on, dizzy and upset and freezing cold.
But I know how it looked when I fell to pieces around you.
I'm a chaser but I found stronger winds.
If you believe her, there's no going home again.
If you believe her, there's no going home.
I'm not going home, I got suckered in.
Please, don't make me feel like a disaster.
I'm learning how to put the pieces back together
And turn the aching to composure.
I'm thinking with my head first;
No more broken phones or swollen knuckles
From putting holes in the booth by the back wall.
I'm a chaser but I found stronger winds.
If you believe her, there's no going home again.
I'm a chaser, I found stronger winds.
If you believe her, there's no going home.
I'm not going home, I got suckered in.
When you clear out all the smoke, I guess everyone's alone.
When you clear out all the smoke, I don't see why that's so wrong.
I'm a chaser but I found stronger winds.
If you believe her, there's no going home again.
I'm a chaser, I found stronger winds.
If you believe her, there's no going home.
There's no going home, I got suckered in.
I got suckered in.
There's no going home, I got suckered in.
There's no going home again.
The Wonder Years' song Chaser is about moving on from a past love and the aftermath of a broken relationship. The lyrics suggest that memories of the years spent with their partner are cloudy and unclear, like a poorly lit room lacking a fresh bulb. The singer finds themselves in a state of emotional distress, speaking incoherently and searching for some semblance of comfort after the breakup. However, they acknowledge that they are a chaser, constantly seeking a new high and more powerful emotions, but have found stronger winds and are learning to put the pieces of their life back together.
The chorus of the song is a repeated phrase, “If you believe her, there's no going home again,” which could be interpreted as the singer warning their ex-partner that they have moved on, and that there is no going back to the way things were before. These lines also reflect the idea that once trust is broken, it is hard to regain. The singer seems to be addressing the past and their own mistakes, declaring that they are now thinking with their head and making decisions based on logic rather than emotions. They acknowledge the negative consequences of their past behavior when they mention the broken phones and swollen knuckles.
In summary, The Wonder Years' Chaser explores the aftermath of a breakup, the difficulties of moving on, and the internal struggle of seeking new highs while learning from past mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
When you clear out all the smoke, the memories of those years
When you remove all the confusion from my mind, my memories of that time in my life
Seem dimly lit like I never replaced a light bulb.
Appear faint and unclear, like I never brightened them up.
When you clear out all the smoke, they found me on your neighbor's lawn,
When you remove all the confusion from my mind, I was discovered on your neighbor's lawn
Rambling on, dizzy and upset and freezing cold.
Talking incoherently, feeling lightheaded, agitated, and very cold.
But I know how it looked when I fell to pieces around you.
I remember how it appeared when I emotionally broke down in front of you.
I'm a chaser but I found stronger winds.
I used to pursue something, but now I discovered a superior goal.
If you believe her, there's no going home again.
If you trust her, returning to our past life together is unattainable.
I'm not going home, I got suckered in.
I won't go back to my previous way of living because I was tricked into changing.
Please, don't make me feel like a disaster.
Please, don't cause me to feel like everything is falling apart around me.
I'm learning how to put the pieces back together
I'm discovering how to fix the broken parts
And turn the aching to composure.
And transform the pain into serenity.
I'm thinking with my head first;
I'm using my intellect before my emotions.
No more broken phones or swollen knuckles
No more smashed phones or bruised knuckles.
From putting holes in the booth by the back wall.
After punching holes in the booth located by the rear wall.
When you clear out all the smoke, I guess everyone's alone.
When you remove all the confusion from my mind, everyone feels lonely.
When you clear out all the smoke, I don't see why that's so wrong.
When you remove all the confusion from my mind, I don't believe being alone is bad.
There's no going home, I got suckered in.
Going back to how things were before is impossible, I was tricked into this new life.
There's no going home again.
Going back to how things were before is impossible.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Eddie Daniels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BargainbinMac
That intro remains one of my favorite of all time.
@FearTheNose
Favorite song on the album! Love itttttt
@YBMBandchannel
Lyrics are in the description, if you are unsure what they are saying. Amazing band!
@sashastipsonbeauty
Love it
@Skyman-db1rw
this is a great song.. especially the ending
@PatBowden
I'd say so, they do love their references, especially to their older songs!
@vermizt
Amazing song
@trentsullivan7826
Can they make an acoustic version of this?
@katiemullins2297
Yeeessssss
@WhutsMaiName
Please don't make me feel like a disaster, I'm trying hard to put the pieces back together.