Jack's Mannequin – The Lights and Buzz

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I'm coming home from my hardest year
I'm making plans not to make plans while I'm here
And this life has been no holiday
A complicated situation
I'm fine with all my memories
So I could use vacation

It's christmas in California
And it's hard to ignore that it feels like summer all the time
But I'll take a west coast winter to remove my splinters

It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive

I'm coming hope to lights and buzz
Streets look the same
Still nothing's as it was
And this place is paradise, I'm sure
Here's my reservation
I've got lost here once before
Inside a good vibration

It's christmas in California
And it's hard to ignore that it feels like summer all the time
But I'll take a west coast winter to remove my splinters

It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive

And time
Its said it stops for no one
The seasons come and go and that's just time
Outside it stops for no one
The seasons keep on going
Whether or not we're blind

Christmas in California
And it's hard to ignore that it feels like summer all the time
But I'll take a west coast winter to remove my splinters

It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive

Send "The Lights and Buzz" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by sweet_catastrophe_x

Track duration: 03:35


The Lights and Buzz song meanings
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26 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about lead singer Andrew McMahon's recovery from leukemia. It describes what it was like to finally be released from the hospital, and how he looks at life differently now, compared to before he almost died.
    Flag FloridaGuyon October 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:One of my favourite JM songs. It's so beautiful. I don't appreciate life very much myself but I still love this song anyway. Reminds me of his journey through cancer. This is supposed to be a Christmas song and he fully recovered from cancer in late August 2005 so I think this song sort of signified the end of that chapter of his life (although I believe the real end of the chapter was after he finished writing The Glass Passenger because he stated that the third JM album will be a fresh start - no more cancer references).
    Flag iNikson September 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I feel like shit but this song reminds me that I have my health, and my family and friends. I should appreciate the hand I've been given and be happy. It convinces me that it is infact 'good to be alive' when I seem to forget.
    Flag xobabikizilon August 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is my favorite.
    Flag createthefutureon February 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Likewise, in my opinion the story goes along

    "the lights and buzz" could be referring the actual lights of an operating room/hospital room and the actual character leaving it behind to a normal life, free from "the lights and buzz" as opposed to "the lights and buzz" of the media.

    "It's Christmas in California,
    And it's hard to ignore that it feels like summer all the time"

    Character forgotten what it felt like?

    "Streets look the same
    Still nothing's as it was
    And this place is paradise, I'm sure
    Here's my reservation"

    Out in the world things has changed but to what he had expected to though, supposedly it is made out to be paradise to him since spending time in hospital, but yet feels he belongs on the hospital bed.

    "I'm coming home to lights and buzz"

    "It's good to be alive"

    self-explanatory
    Flag Chris_Kon July 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Before the last chorus, it's actually:

    And time, time it stops for no one
    The seasons come and go and that's just time
    Yeah time it stops for no one
    The seasons keep on going
    Whether or not we're blind
    Flag MCSmateon May 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:CORRECT LYRICS:
    "I'm coming home, from the lights and buzz
    Streets look the same,
    Still nothing's as it was..."
    Flag KanaKatanaon March 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the fact that he put "it's good to be alive" already sums up what the song is about. And i totally agree! His words, his music and himself, they are all such an inspiration.
    Flag leexlion December 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always wondered if the "good vibration" line was kind of a reference to the girl he sings about in Miss Delaney, because he says how she "likes the Beach Boys more than radio metal" and "Good Vibrations" is a Beach Boys song.
    Flag anticipatingon October 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the day everything in transit came out to stores andrew found out he had lukemia.

    this was the first song he wrote after recovering. i'm pretty sure its not on an album right now. everything in transit is the only CD Jack's Mannequin has right now.
    --
    this song is simply amazing. Andrew is a legend, and he will always be an inspriation in my life.
    Flag good.enough.on May 29, 2007   Link

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