Fireflies

I interpret the song to be about not knowing who to trust anymore due to fame. The "fireflies" are stars/entertainers. "When they die their light stays alive," means the legacy of their art lives on even after death. Reading on, the fireflies are fame-hungry may achieve this lasting legacy through using others.

The entertainment industry has some fresh blood. The good friend is starting to achieve recognition and "coming 'round the bend" to a certain level of fame.

"You're making friends with the fireflies I can't say that that comes as a surprise" With that status, the friend is mingling with the folks in the business which doesn't surprise the narrator, possibly because this friend is a very social person.

The friend doesn't realize people may only pretend to value you-- "they say, 'my good friends, best friends'"-- and try to earn your trust so they can take advantage of you. The narrator has warned the friend, "It's a plot, though. I told you so." He has encountered people like this before and knows their intentions may not be the most honest. They may be cooking some way to sabotage the friend's act, use the friend's connections, etc.

"You've been called to tell us what they mean," could be the narrator putting the friend on the spot, telling him or her to think about what's happening, because this friend is smart enough and ought to know the fireflies' true intentions.

Cheers to Chris Garneau for these lovely lyrics. Songs about fame tend to alienate the common listener, and disguising it as a delightful tale of whimsy is a clever way of making it something more refreshing instead of tritely providing commentary on the desperate and destructive hunger for fame. (...That is, if my interpretation was actually Garneau's mindset when writing the song!)

The full length version of "Fireflies" from the upcoming album EL RADIO has been uploaded to Chris Garneau's MySpace. I think the lyrics go a little like this:

"Fireflies"

It's not easy, so take it slow. You're coming up. You're coming round the bend. You're my good friend. Best friend. And you're coming up, you're coming round the bend

You're making friends with the fireflies. I can't say that that comes as a surprise. But the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

It's a plot though, I told you so. I'm wising up. I'm wising up to them. They say, "My good friends. Best friends." But I'm wising up. I'm wising up to them.

You're making friends with the fireflies. You know when they die their light stays alive. And the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

You're making friends with the fireflies. I can't say that that comes as a surprise. But the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

I interpret the song to be about not knowing who to trust anymore due to fame. The "fireflies" are stars/entertainers. "When they die their light stays alive," means the legacy of their art lives on even after death. Reading on, the fireflies are fame-hungry may achieve this lasting legacy through using others.

The entertainment industry has some fresh blood. The good friend is starting to achieve recognition and "coming 'round the bend" to a certain level of fame.

"You're making friends with the fireflies I can't say that that comes as a surprise" With that status, the friend is mingling with the folks in the business which doesn't surprise the narrator, possibly because this friend is a very social person.

The friend doesn't realize people may only pretend to value you-- "they say, 'my good friends, best friends'"-- and try to earn your trust so they can take advantage of you. The narrator has warned the friend, "It's a plot, though. I told you so." He has encountered people like this before and knows their intentions may not be the most honest. They may be cooking some way to sabotage the friend's act, use the friend's connections, etc.

"You've been called to tell us what they mean," could be the narrator putting the friend on the spot, telling him or her to think about what's happening, because this friend is smart enough and ought to know the fireflies' true intentions.

Cheers to Chris Garneau for these lovely lyrics. Songs about fame tend to alienate the common listener, and disguising it as a delightful tale of whimsy is a clever way of making it something more refreshing instead of tritely providing commentary on the desperate and destructive hunger for fame. (...That is, if my interpretation was actually Garneau's mindset when writing the song!)

It's not easy, so take it slow. You're coming up. You're coming round the bend. You're my good friend. Best friend. And you're coming up, you're coming round the bend

I feel Chris is talking to someone, a best friend, who is 'coming around the bend' or accepting either that he, himself is gay, or that Chris is.

You're making friends with the fireflies. I can't say that that comes as a surprise. But the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

Fireflies is a nice term for faghags. Thus, if he's his best friend, making friends with other friends isn't weird. OR, he's obviously gay, so it's not weird or unexpected. BUT, they're gossipy 'The things they sat are not what they seem.'

It's a plot though, I told you so. I'm wising up. I'm wising up to them. They say, "My good friends. Best friends." But I'm wising up. I'm wising up to them.

The 'fireflies' are attempting to get them together. A plot. But he's realizing.

You're making friends with the fireflies. You know when they die their light stays alive. And the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

There's a crap load of gossip now, even when they and the fireflies are no longer friends, it still follows them around.

Chris Garneau is talking to a friend who is discovering that he's indeed not straight but in fact, gay. Chris is telling him that this experience of self-discovery isn't an easy one:

      It's not easy, so take it slow.
      You're coming up. You're coming round the bend.
      You're my good friend. Best friend.
      And you're coming up, you're coming round the bend

Whilst his friend is on this journey of self-discovery he begins to make friends with "fireflies." Now, I'm almost sure that the fireflies symbolize prostitutes: you can find them easily during the night hours but during the day hours they're not nearly as easy to find. Then, Chris debunks the honesty of the prostitutes. Chris seams a bit worried about his friend and wants him to elaborate on his actions:

You're making friends with the fireflies. I can't say that that comes as a surprise. But the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

Chris states that the whole plot is systematic and empirical. Chris seems to hint heavily at the fact that he may have have previously experimented with prostitutes--in the chorus he says that it doesn't come as a surprise.... Chris is giving advice to his friend because he knows where he faulted in the same sort of situation and doesn't want his friend to make those same faults. Again, he debunks their veracity by saying he's smarter then them after he quotes the prostitute:

It's a plot though, I told you so. I'm wising up. I'm wising up to them. They say, "My good friends. Best friends." But I'm wising up. I'm wising up to them.

Same thing here, except, Chris acknowledges the fact that when the prostitutes are gone, the sexual lust and the addiction to sex and the addiction to prostitutes still resonates.

You're making friends with the fireflies. You know when they die their light stays alive. And the things they say are not what they seem, So you've been called to tell us what they mean. Yes, you've been called to tell us what they mean.

That's basically the song's meaning for me! I hope that many more of you can connect to this song and possibly to my rendition of the song's connotations.