The ’59 Sound
The Gaslight Anthem * Track #2 On The ’59 Sound
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Album The ’59 Sound
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- #12The Backseat
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The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem
Release Date
Performed by
The Gaslight AnthemProduced by
Ted HuttWrited by
Benny Horowitz & Alex Levine & Alex Rosamilia & Brian FallonAbout
After the death of his friend in a car crash, the singer wonders what it would be like to die, and in particular what people hear. It sets up a lot of the motifs used throughout the album, including music and car crashes.
The ’59 Sound Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Well, I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go
I hope it's something quiet, 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
[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause the chains I been hearing now for most of my life
And the chains I been hearing now for most of my life
[Chorus]
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?
[Verse 2]
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
[Pre-Chorus]
And I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang
And I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang
[Chorus]
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?
[Bridge]
Young boys
Young girls
Young boys
Young girls
Young boys (Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night)
Young girls (Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night)
Young boys (Well, they ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night)
Young girls (Ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night)
[Chorus]
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 for one last time?
[Outro]
Young boys
Young girls
Young boys
Young girls
The ’59 Sound Q&A
Who wrote The ’59 Sound's ?
The ’59 Sound was written by Benny Horowitz & Alex Levine & Alex Rosamilia & Brian Fallon.
Who produced The ’59 Sound's ?
The ’59 Sound was produced by Ted Hutt.
When did The Gaslight Anthem release The ’59 Sound?
The Gaslight Anthem released The ’59 Sound on Tue Jul 22 2008.
What is the “’59 sound”?
It’s a reference to a 1959 Bassman amp that singer Brian Fallon built for himself. According to Fallon, it refers to both the amplifier itself and the early music of Bruce Springsteen, who used that model of amp early in his career.
What is “The ’59 Sound” about?
It’s a eulogy to Zack Finch, a fellow member of the New Jersey punk scene who died in a car accident on July 8, 2007.
What’s the significance of chains?
They’re a reference to Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”, in which the ghost Jacob Marley is bound by chains that were forged by immoral decisions he made in life.
What are the “everlasting arms”?
It’s a reference to the 1887 Christian hymn ”Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”.
What show were they playing when the accident occurred?
TGA played at the Iron Monkey in Jersey City on the night of the accident. This isn’t quite ”down the road” from The Stone Pony, but it’s in the same region of New Jersey.