Fireflies

"Fireflies" peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart in the Autumn of 2009. Adam Young told the story behind the song to AntiMusic: "It was 2AM and I was sitting on the floor in my parent's basement with a MicroKorg on my lap. I built this synthy legato, 'ping' sound routed through a lowpass filter and ran it through a bunch of guitar pedals. I come up with a little cascading part that wound up as the intro and verses of a song called 'Fireflies.' I have insomnia and I've always had a tough time falling asleep for as long as I can remember. I wanted to sing about my inability to sleep in a whimsical way that portrayed the condition as lighthearted and almost more of a 'blessing' than a curse. It's ironic that when sleep and I cannot bring ourselves to meet is often when inspiration strikes hardest. I'd just been on vacation to Iowa the week before I wrote the song and was amazed at how many fireflies came out at dusk. I didn't really have to think about making a connection between insomnia and lighting bugs, it just sort of happened and the song basically wrote itself. It was a lot of fun."

[Verse 1] You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies Lit up the world as I fell asleep 'Cause they'd fill the open air and leave teardrops everywhere You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare [Chorus] I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems [Verse 2] 'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs As they tried to teach me how to dance A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed A disco ball is just hanging by a thread [Chorus] I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep) [Bridge] Leave my door open just a crack (Please take me away from here) 'Cause I feel like such an insomniac (Please take me away from here) Why do I tire of counting sheep (Please take me away from here) When I'm far too tired to fall asleep? [Verse 3] To ten million fireflies, I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes I got misty eyes as they said farewell (They said farewell) But I'll know where several are if my dreams get real bizarre 'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar (Jar, jar, jar) [Chorus] I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep) [Chorus] I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep) [Outro] I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep Because my dreams are bursting at the seams...