It was a cold, blustery winter day in Puyallup, Washington as I was driving my work truck, rocking out to the local alternative music station. The Gaslight Anthem’s big hit, “The ’59 Sound” came on and it was almost like a spiritual event. I couldn’t help but imagine myself playing the drums along with the band...and I don’t even play the drums! Yet, after hearing that song a few times on the radio, I was convinced. I needed to buy the album. So I did. When I found out it came in at the local bookstore, I rushed to pick it up, listened to the whole cd start to finish and absolutely loved it! They had the perfect infusion of rock and soul that I needed. I’ve always loved The Gaslight Anthem because their lyrics have a lot of meaning and resonate in my life, they have a great sound that inspires me, and they put on one of the best live shows I’ve seen.
The song “The ’59 Sound” came about when singer Brian Fallon lost a close friend and he couldn’t be there. He writes, “I was playing a show down the road when the spirit left your body.” In an interview, he says that a lot of it’s about growing up and realizing “those days” are gone, and you have to move forward. So, I found that to really hit home for me. I’ve realized that friends will come and go, but if you’re not moving forward in life, well, you might as well be standing still. Just imagine standing still forever…it seems impossible. I know I sure couldn’t.
Their first record is entitled, Sink or Swim, a great title for an up-and-coming band. They really seem to live by this philosophy too. One of my favorite songs off this album is “1930.” It is apparently written based on Brian Fallon’s grandmother who died from Alzheimer’s disease. He writes some beautiful lyrics, including, “So I’m saying my goodbyes to your deep blue eyes, ‘cause I don’t know how to say, ‘Stay still in the pain.’” Of course, at first I didn’t realize this, and I just assumed it was about a girlfriend he lost, and he was dealing with the heartache. I find the beautiful thing about music and poetry, however, is that you can imagine what the writer is trying to express and tailor it to your feelings and emotions. As a wise friend of mine once said, “Whatever floats you boat!”
In early 2010, I lost a cousin of mine. This is, by far, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life. In these types of situations, no matter how much you try to make sense of things, you never ever will. This challenged my faith in ways I’d never imagine. But, I felt God was always there, coaching me along. Yet, my favorite band was as well. I think the meaning behind The Gaslight’s song, “The ’59 Sound,” resonated with me much more there, and helped me during my darker days in life.
I struggled a lot during this time, obviously, and seemed to lack a lot of energy at my job. I would get angry, and, on occasion, get fairly temperamental. But, it was a lot of faith and the punk rock sound of Gaslight’s music, specifically from their Sink or Swim album, which helped me through this time. There were days where I felt like giving up, but their music kept me going. One of the songs, “Red in the Morning,” seemed to help. Brian sings, “Let it ride, let it ride, let it roll off your mind, don’t say a single word, get back inside.” Now, I’m sure that could be interpreted multiple ways. Yet, it is these words coupled with the distorted sounds of the guitar and the scratchy albeit angry voice of Brian’s that helped me. From a psychological standpoint, perhaps the anger in some of their early music caused me to be angrier. However, I know the majority of it was grief, and the music was a good outlet for the pain I experienced. Likewise, their music from this album gave me a lot of needed energy to help during those long and tiring days at work. After all, it was either “Sink or Swim,” and I decided to swim.
I think everyone can admit to feeling alone at times. Gaslight wrote a beautiful song entitled “Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts,” in which Brian describes his love for “Virginia.” He writes, “Took a lifetime just to get over her, you always said my momma tried.” Now, I won’t say if or how that that might resonate in my life. After all, my intention is not to write a love story here. Just listening to that song is enough of a love story. However, I’ve always felt the beautiful lyrics and moody sound of the song have been somewhat comforting. There have been a number of nights in my life where I would listen to it and it would help me fall asleep.
One final song off their latest album, American Slang, is a great song about a man who talks about his past. The so called “glory days.” This song, entitled “Old Haunts,” resonated with me because I often feel I look back to my past. There were days where my good friends and I would just take off for the weekend and go hiking or camping. As I get older, those days seem to become less and less. Brian writes, “Don’t sing me your songs about the good times, those days are gone and you should just let them go, God help the man who says if you’d have known me when, old haunts are for forgotten ghosts.” This beautifully describes how you should let those days go. Instead of dreading on how life used to be much better, or “if you’d have known me when,” I forget that it’s important to look to the future. There are still good days ahead, and you just need to go pour yourself a drink and not worry about what was…that is, if you’re of age of course. If not, whatever works. Just remember that life isn’t about the past. We can take comfort in good memories, but, as Brian writes, “Old haunts are for forgotten ghosts.”
I also find Gaslight’s sound inspiring. I had been learning how to play the guitar maybe six months before I became hooked on them. The band has two guitarists, a drummer and bass player, and I love the sound of their guitars. Their lead guitarist, Alex Rosamilia, can play beautiful bluesy guitar riffs that seem to reach deep within. I began learning how to play some of their songs, and still continue to be challenged in learning their music. After all, a big part of my life is finding ways to challenge myself.
They also know how to put on a great live show. I’ve seen quite a few bands in concert, from The Killers and Green Day to Bon Jovi. By far, The Gaslight Anthem is the best band I’ve seen live. They always seem to appreciate their fans more than most bands and Brian will usually introduce a song or two with a story, which makes it much more interesting. They also have a lot of energy and you can see the drive that has brought them to where they are today. At one point, I took a trip to New York City to see them play in their home state of New Jersey. It just seemed right seeing as how they were playing on my birthday. But, it was a great experience to see them play in front of their fans back home, and they even played a six song encore! Last year in October, they signed on with Mercury records. This was a pretty major change for them, and there is much talk about a new album coming out this June.
As you can see, there is a lot of meaning behind the music they write. Their lyrics reach deep into the human heart, and they have an inspiring sound. Gaslight has launched themselves into the world of rock and roll with their drive and relentless energy, and they will always be my favorite band. I guess you could say that The Gaslight Anthem brings a little bit of light to my life, and they “fill up my tank with gas.”
* All lyrics and song titles are copyright of The Gaslight Anthem, Side One Dummy Records and XOXO Records. They are used with permission from the Fair Use Copyright Act of 1976, from title 17 of the United States code.
