Ever since 2009, punk rock boy band Sleeping With Sirens has captivated audiences with their awe-inspiring lyrics, personality, and approach to music.
The tremendous talent of vocalist Kellin Quinn, guitarists Jack Fowler and Jesse Lawson, bassist Justin Hills, and drummer Gabe Barham gained enough recognition that metalcore label Rise Records signed them and released their debut album, With Ears To See, And Eyes To Hear, in 2010.
In total, Sleeping with Sirens has released 6 albums, all of them receiving applause from both critics and fans. Originating from Orlando, Florida, the content of their music heavily incorporates elements of pop-rock, pop-punk, emo, screamo, and alternative rock. The diversity of songs released by the group was—and still is—key to their success. Here are some of their best, most popular songs that you should know about.
Popular Songs Of Sleeping With Sirens
1. “If You Can’t Hang”
This emotional 2011 hard rock song describes how Kellin—the lead singer—is severely heartbroken after a “girl he met at 17” cheated on him and vanished from the relationship. This 4-minute song is able to vehemently shine light on break-ups and how to move on from those break-ups.
“If You Can’t Hang” is described as “A depiction of three relationships and the lessons we learn along the way.” Quinn told Dead Press that an infectious pre-chorus was in his head for the song while Sleeping with Sirens was waiting to play a show in San Francisco: “If you can’t hang then there’s the door baby.”
Quote from genius.com https://genius.com/Sleeping-with-sirens-if-you-cant-hang-lyrics:
“Pacing up and down the streets while singing the tune in his head, Kellin knew it was a song that [the band] couldn’t ignore. That passion helped Quinn and then-bandmate Jesse Lawson finish the song that night before the show even started”.
“If We Can’t Hang” does end in a happy way, where he meets a girl at 23 and she literally becomes his soulmate.
2. “Kick Me”
For a song that’s only 2 minutes long, this sure does pack a punch. “Kick Me” is one of those songs that underdogs & stooges would be motivated by.
A quote from Kellin in regards to the meaning of the song “It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about you, as long as you know who you are inside1.”
As an electro and rock song, the bass of this song is quite aggressive, as it matches with the intensity of the lyrics.
3. “Do It Now Remember It Later”
A song that evokes the rebellious side of oneself, “Do It Now Remember It Later” has the music video and the lyrics to back that statement up.
Lyrics like… “Remember when they said that what we want could never be done? Well look who’s laughing now/We’ll do what we want to/So we’ll do what we want to, Yeah.”
Or,
“Back when I was young and I had something more to prove. Now that I’m older, I’ve seen all the things that I want, and I’m ready to make my move.”
These lyrics illustrate the mind of a teenage rebel who’s putting his foot down against unscrupulous authority figures, bullies, jocks, and bad parents.
“Do It Now, Remember It Later” is often described as being “a rebel track” directed at anyone trying to stand in the way of your dreams. Relating to Sleeping with Sirens, “anyone” would include critics, skeptics, and, sometimes, says Kellin Quinn, “the very people we work with.”
“Our dreams will come true, period,” Quinn told Dead Press. “That’s the mentality we hope anyone would have when it comes to your future.”
4. “Gold”
As humans, it’s inevitable that we’ll make mistakes and learn from all of them. “Gold” from Sleeping with Sirens’ 2015 album “Madness” indeed serves to prove that.
A song about reflection, reminiscing about past hardships, and trials and tribulations in the band members’ careers, “Gold” demonstrates a longing to achieve your dreams. It’s a song that has a narrative of one who’s willing to bend the rules a bit, then look back once they’ve attained success.
[Kellin’s statement in regards to Gold] “It kind of goes back to those early days of us touring in a van and the experience of touring, getting where you needed to go, not being afraid,” the vocalist told Billboard magazine. “When you’re coming up as a band you have this excitement. The only place to go is forward. So that was kind of the idea for me, thinking about the climb and the getting there, some of the most exciting parts of the journey of being in a band and being an artist, creating songs in your garage. That’s where the song started for me.”
"Fight for your dreams, with integrity and fortitude everyone. Hard work will pay off in the long run."
5. “How It Feels To Be Lost”
This single from the 2019 album, “How It Feels To Be Lost” is a profoundly soul-stirring song that expresses the feeling of going through various pains while being penniless, homeless, and lonely. These lyrics are quite violent (which is meaningful for the meaning of the track):
It’s like a knife right in the back, like a bullet to the head
Why can’t I understand? The blood is on my hands
Now I’m standing on the edge with nowhere to go (To go)
This is how it feels, this is how it feels
How it feels to be lost, lost
By far one of the top songs of the 2019 album, the feeling of being lost with no aid nearby can be overwhelming. A masterpiece of a track that’ll even make me cry—no joke.
Quinn explained to HMV:
“Depression and anxiety make you feel lost. The goal of this record was to help people understand that just because you feel like you’re by yourself, you don’t have to be. Lots of people feel the same way. I wanted this record to help people and to give words to people who can’t say how they’re feeling.”
I hope this overview gives everyone an insight on Sleeping with Sirens, their success, and their top songs.