In Which I Ramble On About The Gaslight Anthem
So, let’s talk about The Gaslight Anthem.
I could say they are my favorite Jersey Boys, but that would be a lie since Bruce and the guys and gal of the E-Street Band hold that place in my heart. I also love and adore the MCR boys, the second record I ever owned was Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, the Bouncing Souls are, well, the Bouncing Souls, and I kind of love Kevin Smith’s brain.
So, TGA is not my favorite group of Jersey Boys, but they’re pretty damn close. Why? Their music, lyrics, their honest-to-god humble nature, the fact that they play in Boston and say, “No, really, we love you guys. No Red Sox Hate.” Because Brian Fallon is even more of a Clash fangirl than me and seriously made my summer by breaking out “Lost in the Supermarket” during the band’s performance of The Backseat during the BMP in August. Because they are a new band I can share with my mom and my brother who love them just as much as I do. Because in listening to their songs I’m taken back to a time and a community I miss. And the music is fun. It never fails to get me to smile and sing along and dance. Because in each of their songs there is at least one part which mentions their influences and some of those influences are artists who have always been playing in the background of my life. TGA is not doing anything new with their music. It really is some Jersey Shore, soul-infused punk-rock. Why aren’t they huge right now? In a lot of ways they are, at least for people who listen to up-and-coming and indie bands. The fact of the matter is that their major label is SideOneDummy, which ain’t exactly Island, they are not really a “music video” band, and they are the type of band who plays punk-rock, not pop-punk, not post-emo, but rock. Be it punk, folk, Jersey Shore, Soul or Classic there is no doubt that what lies at the heart of TGA is rock and that’s not exactly the meal ticket right now. I’m pretty sure that if we get a few more years and a few more albums we will eventually see a mainstream crossover hit from them like the Kings of Leon are getting now. But I digress.
The band’s from New Brunswick, New Jersey, it consists of four guys who have played in many other bands and they collectively haven’t been together that long.
So, band members: Not much is known about them, but I can give you names and instruments.
Brian Fallon: Lead singer, front man, son of a deacon, lots of tattoos, kind of loves Joe Strummer. And he plays the rhythm guitar. He also smiles a lot when he sings, which I find charming.
Alex Levine: Bassist. and from what I saw at their concert does this cute thing where he goes up on his tip-toes while playing and sort of dances.
Benny Horowitz is the drummer, who, according to Brian at the BMP concerts, “Doesn’t like it when we do the slow songs.” He uses the same drum company as Bob Bryar. It is sad I know this.
Alex Rosimilia was on the part of the stage where I couldn’t see so I regret to have a concert-observation about him. He is the lead guitarist
And for those who want to know: Yes, all the guys are tattooed.
The band draws obvious comparisons to Springsteen as they are from South Jersey and play rock, but while there is certainly grounds for that, there are so many other influences in their music. Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Otis Redding, The Clash, even the Counting Crows are either present in their sound or clearly called out in their lyrics. That being said, Bruce kind of loves the boys, and they kind of love him, and they’ve played together more than once.
The band is a lot older than your average “newcomers” to the music scene, with most of the members in their late-twenties. They are well aware that this is their last shot and from every article I’ve ever read about them, they are not taking it for granted. They’ve also made it clear that their goal is longevity and I think, if they as a band can stick together, they will achieve it. There is something timeless about music that harkens back to dirt-and-grit soul and rock and roll. It also doesn’t hurt that their music really is something you, your parents, your grandparents, and your younger sibling and cousins can listen to, that really helps in the longevity end. They’re not here for the fame, though they will take the glory:
“Getting here this quickly has definitely caused us to set limitations," the singer resigns. "It's shown us what we don't want. "It would be really great if one day we could have your basic necessities, like a car or a house. But that's where it stops. We don't want to be celebrities. No one in this band wants to have their face on one of those kid magazines. I don't ever want anyone to care what I eat for breakfast.”
-source
Anyway, they have three albums on three different labels, but all are pretty easy to get a hold of somehow. Digital versions can be purchased on amazon or itunes as well.
The first is their debut LP, Sink or Swim . Released in May 2007, it contains 12 tracks and was pretty much done in two weeks or some other ridiculously short time.
The second is an EP, mostly recorded while on tour in support of “Sink or Swim.” It’s called Senor and the Queen was released in February 2008 and contains four tracks.
The first studio length major-label album is The ’59 Sound was released August 2008 on SideOneDummy and contains 12 tracks.
Now I will go into a breakdown of my favorite songs and why with lyrics. Which is pretty much all of their songs so I’ve decide to limit myself to sixteen and sixteen only, which was really friggin hard.
1. Boomboxes and Dictionaries
Any song that mentions boomboxes pretty much gets love from me because of my 1980s childhood and my love of Say Anything. I don’t know if the song is supposed to have a direct reference to Patty Smyth’s “Because the Night” but I choose to believe that the phrase the nights are still ours refers to the song. It was co-written and eventually performed live in concert by Bruce Springsteen himself. Many people might know the 10,000 Maniacs version from their Unplugged set, though some of the lyrics are changed. Anyway, the reason I love this song so much comes from the lyrics in the chorus:
And if you're scared of the future tonight,
we'll just take it each hour one at a time.
It's a pretty good night for a drive,
so dry up those eyes, dry up those eyes.
Because the radio will still play loud,
songs that we heard as our guards came down.
Like in the summertime when we first met,
I'll never forget, don't you forget,
these nights are still ours.
The song, honestly, is about life, about surviving, about getting through bad and knowing some good will come in the end. It’s resigned, but it’s also hopeful.
2. We Came To Dance
This song is sort of like the anthem for any band that does Jersey Shore music, music that is soul infused rock music that makes you dance. There are many examples of this, but my personal favorite is Bruce Springsteen’s “Rosalita.” If Rosie doesn’t make you want to dance, you my friend, have no rhythm. Here, have a live performance from this year:
here. I’ll stop before I go on and on and on about my love for Clarence Clemmons.
But back to TGA.
We are the last of the jukebox Romeos,
We are romantics by the light of the fourway
We came to sing out a chorus, reinvent the good times
And to bring it all back home again
[Chorus:]
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 em cry so come on
Strike up the band with 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 c'mon.
“We are the last of the jukebox Romeos.” I don’t think I’ve ever loved an opening line more. I love that the song is on the surface this dance song but when you go into the lyrics it is one of those “The world is ending, but who gives a fuck, let’s just dance into death.”
3. The Navesink Banks
Things I Love:
Folk Music
Narrative Songs
Folk Music Narrative Songs
Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Now I give you the lyrics to “The Navesink Banks”
"All hope abandon, ye who enter here"
Said the sign I read that was hanging above her bed
And the siren's all willing
But a man can't ignore the signs
You gotta keep a good eye on the winding road ahead
And my first sin was a young American girl
And my first sin was a young American girl
And I spent time 'neath the trestles
With the punks and the dimestore saints
We kept faith and a switchblade tucked beneath my coat
And I ran with dirty angels
Slept out in the rain
We were scared and tired and barely seventeen
And my first sin was the fear that made me old
And my first sin was the fear that made me old
And now I walk down by the shipyards
Near the place where I was born
Saying, "Oh Maria, if you'da known me when"
But she only smiles by the light on the Navesink Banks
Saying, "Listen baby, I know you now"
Then she steps into the river
And I just stand by the moon
Thinking 'bout a ghost I hear at night
And she says, "Your first sin was a lie you told yourself.
"And your first sin was a lie you told yourself."
“The punks and the dimestore saints” is a phrase I don’t think I will ever stop loving.
Here, have a live video:
4. I’da Called Ya Woody, Joe
Aka Brian Fallon is a fanboy.
For those who don’t know, Joe Strummer, co-founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of The Clash. Amazing singer, musician, lyricist, activist who died suddenly in 2002. He also sang in The Pogues for a short period of time. Back in the day, before The Clash, he adopted Woody as is stage name in honor of Woody Guthrie. This song, at its heart, is about listening to that one album that changes your life. The first time you hear it, and you just know shit has done changed. I think we’ve all had those albums and for Fallon, it was apparently The Clash’s Give ‘Em Enough Rope which contains the song “Last Gang In Town.” It’s most famous single was “Tommy Gun,” but most Americans did not know of The Clash until the next album, London Calling. Yes, that “London Calling.”
And then I heard it like a shot through my skull to my brain,
I felt my fingertips tingle and it started to rain,
When the walls of my bedroom were tremblin' around me,
This ramshackle voice over attack of a bluesbeat,
Tellin' me he's only looking for fun.
This was the sound of the very last gang in town.
As heard by my wild young heart, like directions on a cold dark night,
Sayin', 'Let it out, let it out, let it out, You're doin' all right.'
Strummer died before Fallon ever got to meet him and in this song, there is Fallon’s own tribute to Strummer and his influence.
And I carried these songs like a comfort wherever I'd go.
They was there when my summers was high, there when she left me alone.
Saying... 'The soul is hard to find.'
And I never got to tell him so I just wrote it down,
I wrapped a couple chords around it and I let it come out,
5. Angry Johnny and the Radio
I love that this song seems half studio recorded and half live recorded. I love that we get these characters of Angry Johnny, Sally, Maria, all these different peoples in the songs of Gaslight. The standards names and aliases for who knows how many people. Also, lots of Bob Dylan references.
6. Red At Night
You know how you come across those songs that obvs. are not written about you or anyone you know, but they still kind of creepily fit your life. Right?
Here are some facts about me:
I was born on January 30th, during a blizzard, in the mid-Hudson river valley
I was born in serious distress with non-functioning kidneys
I do, indeed, have an Irish name and a legacy.
Now I give you the whole lyrics to this song:
I was born in a town where the rivers flow free
On a January night when the cold winds freeze
I got an Irish name and an injury
Blessing and a curse cast down on me
Ain't nobody got the blues like me
Ain't nobody got the blues like me
Was a blood red sky on the morning tide
Was a cold wind blowing when I left that night
And the morning bells rang, alright, alright
Shoulda stayed home with you that night
Ain't nobody played the fool like I
Ain't nobody played the fool like I
Things got bad and things got worse
Half like blessing, half like curse
It's these blessings so hard to see sometimes
Gotta little clearer about dusk last night
Ain't nobody got a blessing like mine
Ain't nobody got a blessing like mine
It's a red sky night and I'm doing alright
It's a red sky night and I'm doing just fine
The song is done with an acoustic and a harmonica and it brings a smile to my face every single time.
7. Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
Title alone made me love this song. I love how it builds, I love how it plays. This is one of my favorite Gaslight songs.
I cut my teeth on the stone of a teenage romance
I was the salt of the earth, I was hard, and the last of the independents
And the breath from my chest I was blowing kerosene
My lips and fingertips were stone, I wore my heart on my jeans
I sang the blues like the dogs left too long in the street
I still sing the blues with the dogs
And I got half a mind to let it all burn up in this fire
That's been burning through my veins since I first learned to cry
I'd watch this whole night come down and never miss her again
I never felt right and never fit in
Walking in my own skin
Now I got scars like the number of stars, my mind's full of vipers
I got the dust of the desert in my bones, coming through the amplifiers
Between the minor chord fall and the fourth and the fifth
It's a broken Hallelujah and a pain in my fist
I wash my hands like the man with the blood on his teeth
Over and over without relief
And I got nothing for you darling but a story to tell
About the rain on the pavement and the sound as it fell
I'd watch this whole night come down and never miss her again
I never felt right and never fit in
Walking in my old man shoes, with my scientist heart
I got a fever and a beaker and a shot in the dark
I need a Cadillac ride, I need a soft summer night
Say a prayer for my soul, Señorita
Because I've been dying out here in the cold and the snow
I've got a picture of you, Mama, to remind me of home
On the hood of a Dodge on a Saturday night
Say a prayer for my soul, Señorita
8. Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts
This is one of the slower TGA songs and has a different sound than most of the others. It’s soothing, relaxing, reflexive. The fact that Alex Levine and Brian Fallon tend to play in blue jeans and white t-shirts makes sense.
Still we sing with our heroes, 33 rounds per minute
We're never going home until the sun says we're finished
I'll love you forever if I ever love at all
With wild hearts, blue jeans, & white t-shirts
9. Great Expectations
One of TGA’s singles and a song that got them noticed. The song references the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. Here, have the video:
Mom loves this song, since she’s one of the many Mary’s of the world. I love this song because it starts off with a scratchy record sound, a sound I miss and you just can’t get on cds or mp3s unless it’s put in like here. It also references Seeger’s “Night Moves.” It has the anger in it with the line, “And everybody leaves, so why, why wouldn’t you?” It just a very well done song.
And they burnt up the diner where I always used to find her.
Licking young boys blood from her claws.
And I learned about the blues from this kitten that I knew.
Her hair was raven and her heart was like a tomb.
My heart's like a wound.
10. The ’59 Sound
“The ’59 sound” is a wonderful, beautiful, sad song about death. It asks what song will accompany you into the afterlife. It mentions Marley’s chains from A Christmas Carol (someone in the band must be a Dickens fan) and it is pretty much praised by critics and fans across the board. Have some lyrics and a video:
Did you hear the '59 Sound coming through on Grandmama'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?
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.
11. Old White Lincoln
This song just makes me smile. It’s a fun, cute, happy summer song.
And I miss her sometimes.
Shaking like a leaf on the corner of life.
But I heard it's alright.
The radio spoke to a good friend of mine.
And I could feel it coming up as the nights getting warm.
Saw your summer dress hanging on the back of the lawn.
Like a dream I remember from an easier time.
With the top rolled down on a Saturday night.
12. High Lonesome
Aka, the song that lifts its chorus from Counting Crows, “Round Here.” This is also one of my all-time favorite TGA songs. It references Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bruce’s “I’m On Fire.”
And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis
And in my head there's all these classic cars
And outlaw cowboy bands
I always kinda sorta wished I was someone else
There were Southern accents
On the radio
As I drove home
And at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
It's a pretty good song
Maybe you know the rest
Maybe you know the rest
13. Miles Davis and the Cool
If you want to get your parents into Gaslight, start with this song. It’s slower, smooth, more soul. It’s also excruciatingly well done. It’s also about death, but don’t let that turn you away.
So now I got out my map and found me a storm.
With a flick of the wrist and the turn of the key.
You'll just fall in my arms.
Don't wait too long to come home.
My have the years of our youth passed on.
Don't wait too long to come home.
I'll leave the front light on.
The night is our own.
You don't wait too long.
14. The Patient Ferris Wheel
I didn’t dislike this song at first, but I didn’t love it. It’s grown on me and now I love listening to it. I can’t tell you why, but there’s just something about the way “standing in the Jersey rain” is sung that tugs at my soul.
15. Here’s Looking At You, Kid
It’s a song about love found and lost. It’s a song about coulda-shouldas. It’s slow, narrative, smooth, and come on, it hits on Casablanca. What’s not to love?
But boys will be boys and girls have those eyes
that can cut you to ribbons sometimes.
And all you can do is just wait by the moon
and bleed if it's what she says you ought a do.
16. The Backseat
The main reason this song is on here is b/c it has a shout-out to Boston and b/c during the BMP, Brian Fallon started singing “Lost in the Supermarket,” which really is one of my favorite songs of all time. I still can’t tell you the shock that went through me when it happened. It’s not the go-to Clash song. It also contains vivid imagery of growing up in South Jersey, as far as I can tell. And it is, if nothing else, a summer song.
And in the wild desert sun, we drove straight on through the night.
We rode the fever out of Boston.
Dreamed of California lights.
Come July, we'll ride the Ferris Wheel.
Go round and round and round.
And If you never let me go, well I will never let you down.
And now, have an 8 song sampler, since I’m nice like that. Just remember to delete after the 24 hours of listening and if you like, please remember to support the band.
Contains:
Miles Davis, High Lonesome, Came to Dance, Wherefore Art, Blue Jeans, Navesink and Angry Johnny. If you so desire
And really if anyone knows about someone who has made/will make Gaslight icons, please let me know. I have searched and searched and searched and have yet to find any.
I could say they are my favorite Jersey Boys, but that would be a lie since Bruce and the guys and gal of the E-Street Band hold that place in my heart. I also love and adore the MCR boys, the second record I ever owned was Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, the Bouncing Souls are, well, the Bouncing Souls, and I kind of love Kevin Smith’s brain.
So, TGA is not my favorite group of Jersey Boys, but they’re pretty damn close. Why? Their music, lyrics, their honest-to-god humble nature, the fact that they play in Boston and say, “No, really, we love you guys. No Red Sox Hate.” Because Brian Fallon is even more of a Clash fangirl than me and seriously made my summer by breaking out “Lost in the Supermarket” during the band’s performance of The Backseat during the BMP in August. Because they are a new band I can share with my mom and my brother who love them just as much as I do. Because in listening to their songs I’m taken back to a time and a community I miss. And the music is fun. It never fails to get me to smile and sing along and dance. Because in each of their songs there is at least one part which mentions their influences and some of those influences are artists who have always been playing in the background of my life. TGA is not doing anything new with their music. It really is some Jersey Shore, soul-infused punk-rock. Why aren’t they huge right now? In a lot of ways they are, at least for people who listen to up-and-coming and indie bands. The fact of the matter is that their major label is SideOneDummy, which ain’t exactly Island, they are not really a “music video” band, and they are the type of band who plays punk-rock, not pop-punk, not post-emo, but rock. Be it punk, folk, Jersey Shore, Soul or Classic there is no doubt that what lies at the heart of TGA is rock and that’s not exactly the meal ticket right now. I’m pretty sure that if we get a few more years and a few more albums we will eventually see a mainstream crossover hit from them like the Kings of Leon are getting now. But I digress.
The band’s from New Brunswick, New Jersey, it consists of four guys who have played in many other bands and they collectively haven’t been together that long.
So, band members: Not much is known about them, but I can give you names and instruments.
Brian Fallon: Lead singer, front man, son of a deacon, lots of tattoos, kind of loves Joe Strummer. And he plays the rhythm guitar. He also smiles a lot when he sings, which I find charming.
Alex Levine: Bassist. and from what I saw at their concert does this cute thing where he goes up on his tip-toes while playing and sort of dances.
Benny Horowitz is the drummer, who, according to Brian at the BMP concerts, “Doesn’t like it when we do the slow songs.” He uses the same drum company as Bob Bryar. It is sad I know this.
Alex Rosimilia was on the part of the stage where I couldn’t see so I regret to have a concert-observation about him. He is the lead guitarist
And for those who want to know: Yes, all the guys are tattooed.
The band draws obvious comparisons to Springsteen as they are from South Jersey and play rock, but while there is certainly grounds for that, there are so many other influences in their music. Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Otis Redding, The Clash, even the Counting Crows are either present in their sound or clearly called out in their lyrics. That being said, Bruce kind of loves the boys, and they kind of love him, and they’ve played together more than once.
The band is a lot older than your average “newcomers” to the music scene, with most of the members in their late-twenties. They are well aware that this is their last shot and from every article I’ve ever read about them, they are not taking it for granted. They’ve also made it clear that their goal is longevity and I think, if they as a band can stick together, they will achieve it. There is something timeless about music that harkens back to dirt-and-grit soul and rock and roll. It also doesn’t hurt that their music really is something you, your parents, your grandparents, and your younger sibling and cousins can listen to, that really helps in the longevity end. They’re not here for the fame, though they will take the glory:
“Getting here this quickly has definitely caused us to set limitations," the singer resigns. "It's shown us what we don't want. "It would be really great if one day we could have your basic necessities, like a car or a house. But that's where it stops. We don't want to be celebrities. No one in this band wants to have their face on one of those kid magazines. I don't ever want anyone to care what I eat for breakfast.”
-source
Anyway, they have three albums on three different labels, but all are pretty easy to get a hold of somehow. Digital versions can be purchased on amazon or itunes as well.
The first is their debut LP, Sink or Swim . Released in May 2007, it contains 12 tracks and was pretty much done in two weeks or some other ridiculously short time.
The second is an EP, mostly recorded while on tour in support of “Sink or Swim.” It’s called Senor and the Queen was released in February 2008 and contains four tracks.
The first studio length major-label album is The ’59 Sound was released August 2008 on SideOneDummy and contains 12 tracks.
Now I will go into a breakdown of my favorite songs and why with lyrics. Which is pretty much all of their songs so I’ve decide to limit myself to sixteen and sixteen only, which was really friggin hard.
1. Boomboxes and Dictionaries
Any song that mentions boomboxes pretty much gets love from me because of my 1980s childhood and my love of Say Anything. I don’t know if the song is supposed to have a direct reference to Patty Smyth’s “Because the Night” but I choose to believe that the phrase the nights are still ours refers to the song. It was co-written and eventually performed live in concert by Bruce Springsteen himself. Many people might know the 10,000 Maniacs version from their Unplugged set, though some of the lyrics are changed. Anyway, the reason I love this song so much comes from the lyrics in the chorus:
And if you're scared of the future tonight,
we'll just take it each hour one at a time.
It's a pretty good night for a drive,
so dry up those eyes, dry up those eyes.
Because the radio will still play loud,
songs that we heard as our guards came down.
Like in the summertime when we first met,
I'll never forget, don't you forget,
these nights are still ours.
The song, honestly, is about life, about surviving, about getting through bad and knowing some good will come in the end. It’s resigned, but it’s also hopeful.
2. We Came To Dance
This song is sort of like the anthem for any band that does Jersey Shore music, music that is soul infused rock music that makes you dance. There are many examples of this, but my personal favorite is Bruce Springsteen’s “Rosalita.” If Rosie doesn’t make you want to dance, you my friend, have no rhythm. Here, have a live performance from this year:
here. I’ll stop before I go on and on and on about my love for Clarence Clemmons.
But back to TGA.
We are the last of the jukebox Romeos,
We are romantics by the light of the fourway
We came to sing out a chorus, reinvent the good times
And to bring it all back home again
[Chorus:]
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 em cry so come on
Strike up the band with 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 c'mon.
“We are the last of the jukebox Romeos.” I don’t think I’ve ever loved an opening line more. I love that the song is on the surface this dance song but when you go into the lyrics it is one of those “The world is ending, but who gives a fuck, let’s just dance into death.”
3. The Navesink Banks
Things I Love:
Folk Music
Narrative Songs
Folk Music Narrative Songs
Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Now I give you the lyrics to “The Navesink Banks”
"All hope abandon, ye who enter here"
Said the sign I read that was hanging above her bed
And the siren's all willing
But a man can't ignore the signs
You gotta keep a good eye on the winding road ahead
And my first sin was a young American girl
And my first sin was a young American girl
And I spent time 'neath the trestles
With the punks and the dimestore saints
We kept faith and a switchblade tucked beneath my coat
And I ran with dirty angels
Slept out in the rain
We were scared and tired and barely seventeen
And my first sin was the fear that made me old
And my first sin was the fear that made me old
And now I walk down by the shipyards
Near the place where I was born
Saying, "Oh Maria, if you'da known me when"
But she only smiles by the light on the Navesink Banks
Saying, "Listen baby, I know you now"
Then she steps into the river
And I just stand by the moon
Thinking 'bout a ghost I hear at night
And she says, "Your first sin was a lie you told yourself.
"And your first sin was a lie you told yourself."
“The punks and the dimestore saints” is a phrase I don’t think I will ever stop loving.
Here, have a live video:
Click to view4. I’da Called Ya Woody, Joe
Aka Brian Fallon is a fanboy.
For those who don’t know, Joe Strummer, co-founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of The Clash. Amazing singer, musician, lyricist, activist who died suddenly in 2002. He also sang in The Pogues for a short period of time. Back in the day, before The Clash, he adopted Woody as is stage name in honor of Woody Guthrie. This song, at its heart, is about listening to that one album that changes your life. The first time you hear it, and you just know shit has done changed. I think we’ve all had those albums and for Fallon, it was apparently The Clash’s Give ‘Em Enough Rope which contains the song “Last Gang In Town.” It’s most famous single was “Tommy Gun,” but most Americans did not know of The Clash until the next album, London Calling. Yes, that “London Calling.”
And then I heard it like a shot through my skull to my brain,
I felt my fingertips tingle and it started to rain,
When the walls of my bedroom were tremblin' around me,
This ramshackle voice over attack of a bluesbeat,
Tellin' me he's only looking for fun.
This was the sound of the very last gang in town.
As heard by my wild young heart, like directions on a cold dark night,
Sayin', 'Let it out, let it out, let it out, You're doin' all right.'
Strummer died before Fallon ever got to meet him and in this song, there is Fallon’s own tribute to Strummer and his influence.
And I carried these songs like a comfort wherever I'd go.
They was there when my summers was high, there when she left me alone.
Saying... 'The soul is hard to find.'
And I never got to tell him so I just wrote it down,
I wrapped a couple chords around it and I let it come out,
5. Angry Johnny and the Radio
I love that this song seems half studio recorded and half live recorded. I love that we get these characters of Angry Johnny, Sally, Maria, all these different peoples in the songs of Gaslight. The standards names and aliases for who knows how many people. Also, lots of Bob Dylan references.
6. Red At Night
You know how you come across those songs that obvs. are not written about you or anyone you know, but they still kind of creepily fit your life. Right?
Here are some facts about me:
I was born on January 30th, during a blizzard, in the mid-Hudson river valley
I was born in serious distress with non-functioning kidneys
I do, indeed, have an Irish name and a legacy.
Now I give you the whole lyrics to this song:
I was born in a town where the rivers flow free
On a January night when the cold winds freeze
I got an Irish name and an injury
Blessing and a curse cast down on me
Ain't nobody got the blues like me
Ain't nobody got the blues like me
Was a blood red sky on the morning tide
Was a cold wind blowing when I left that night
And the morning bells rang, alright, alright
Shoulda stayed home with you that night
Ain't nobody played the fool like I
Ain't nobody played the fool like I
Things got bad and things got worse
Half like blessing, half like curse
It's these blessings so hard to see sometimes
Gotta little clearer about dusk last night
Ain't nobody got a blessing like mine
Ain't nobody got a blessing like mine
It's a red sky night and I'm doing alright
It's a red sky night and I'm doing just fine
The song is done with an acoustic and a harmonica and it brings a smile to my face every single time.
7. Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
Title alone made me love this song. I love how it builds, I love how it plays. This is one of my favorite Gaslight songs.
I cut my teeth on the stone of a teenage romance
I was the salt of the earth, I was hard, and the last of the independents
And the breath from my chest I was blowing kerosene
My lips and fingertips were stone, I wore my heart on my jeans
I sang the blues like the dogs left too long in the street
I still sing the blues with the dogs
And I got half a mind to let it all burn up in this fire
That's been burning through my veins since I first learned to cry
I'd watch this whole night come down and never miss her again
I never felt right and never fit in
Walking in my own skin
Now I got scars like the number of stars, my mind's full of vipers
I got the dust of the desert in my bones, coming through the amplifiers
Between the minor chord fall and the fourth and the fifth
It's a broken Hallelujah and a pain in my fist
I wash my hands like the man with the blood on his teeth
Over and over without relief
And I got nothing for you darling but a story to tell
About the rain on the pavement and the sound as it fell
I'd watch this whole night come down and never miss her again
I never felt right and never fit in
Walking in my old man shoes, with my scientist heart
I got a fever and a beaker and a shot in the dark
I need a Cadillac ride, I need a soft summer night
Say a prayer for my soul, Señorita
Because I've been dying out here in the cold and the snow
I've got a picture of you, Mama, to remind me of home
On the hood of a Dodge on a Saturday night
Say a prayer for my soul, Señorita
8. Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts
This is one of the slower TGA songs and has a different sound than most of the others. It’s soothing, relaxing, reflexive. The fact that Alex Levine and Brian Fallon tend to play in blue jeans and white t-shirts makes sense.
Still we sing with our heroes, 33 rounds per minute
We're never going home until the sun says we're finished
I'll love you forever if I ever love at all
With wild hearts, blue jeans, & white t-shirts
9. Great Expectations
One of TGA’s singles and a song that got them noticed. The song references the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. Here, have the video:
Mom loves this song, since she’s one of the many Mary’s of the world. I love this song because it starts off with a scratchy record sound, a sound I miss and you just can’t get on cds or mp3s unless it’s put in like here. It also references Seeger’s “Night Moves.” It has the anger in it with the line, “And everybody leaves, so why, why wouldn’t you?” It just a very well done song.
And they burnt up the diner where I always used to find her.
Licking young boys blood from her claws.
And I learned about the blues from this kitten that I knew.
Her hair was raven and her heart was like a tomb.
My heart's like a wound.
10. The ’59 Sound
“The ’59 sound” is a wonderful, beautiful, sad song about death. It asks what song will accompany you into the afterlife. It mentions Marley’s chains from A Christmas Carol (someone in the band must be a Dickens fan) and it is pretty much praised by critics and fans across the board. Have some lyrics and a video:
Did you hear the '59 Sound coming through on Grandmama'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?
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.
11. Old White Lincoln
This song just makes me smile. It’s a fun, cute, happy summer song.
And I miss her sometimes.
Shaking like a leaf on the corner of life.
But I heard it's alright.
The radio spoke to a good friend of mine.
And I could feel it coming up as the nights getting warm.
Saw your summer dress hanging on the back of the lawn.
Like a dream I remember from an easier time.
With the top rolled down on a Saturday night.
12. High Lonesome
Aka, the song that lifts its chorus from Counting Crows, “Round Here.” This is also one of my all-time favorite TGA songs. It references Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bruce’s “I’m On Fire.”
And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis
And in my head there's all these classic cars
And outlaw cowboy bands
I always kinda sorta wished I was someone else
There were Southern accents
On the radio
As I drove home
And at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
It's a pretty good song
Maybe you know the rest
Maybe you know the rest
13. Miles Davis and the Cool
If you want to get your parents into Gaslight, start with this song. It’s slower, smooth, more soul. It’s also excruciatingly well done. It’s also about death, but don’t let that turn you away.
So now I got out my map and found me a storm.
With a flick of the wrist and the turn of the key.
You'll just fall in my arms.
Don't wait too long to come home.
My have the years of our youth passed on.
Don't wait too long to come home.
I'll leave the front light on.
The night is our own.
You don't wait too long.
14. The Patient Ferris Wheel
I didn’t dislike this song at first, but I didn’t love it. It’s grown on me and now I love listening to it. I can’t tell you why, but there’s just something about the way “standing in the Jersey rain” is sung that tugs at my soul.
15. Here’s Looking At You, Kid
It’s a song about love found and lost. It’s a song about coulda-shouldas. It’s slow, narrative, smooth, and come on, it hits on Casablanca. What’s not to love?
But boys will be boys and girls have those eyes
that can cut you to ribbons sometimes.
And all you can do is just wait by the moon
and bleed if it's what she says you ought a do.
16. The Backseat
The main reason this song is on here is b/c it has a shout-out to Boston and b/c during the BMP, Brian Fallon started singing “Lost in the Supermarket,” which really is one of my favorite songs of all time. I still can’t tell you the shock that went through me when it happened. It’s not the go-to Clash song. It also contains vivid imagery of growing up in South Jersey, as far as I can tell. And it is, if nothing else, a summer song.
And in the wild desert sun, we drove straight on through the night.
We rode the fever out of Boston.
Dreamed of California lights.
Come July, we'll ride the Ferris Wheel.
Go round and round and round.
And If you never let me go, well I will never let you down.
And now, have an 8 song sampler, since I’m nice like that. Just remember to delete after the 24 hours of listening and if you like, please remember to support the band.
Contains:
Miles Davis, High Lonesome, Came to Dance, Wherefore Art, Blue Jeans, Navesink and Angry Johnny. If you so desire
And really if anyone knows about someone who has made/will make Gaslight icons, please let me know. I have searched and searched and searched and have yet to find any.