Two Lights

Five for Fighting

What is courage
Is it brave
What are lions
I've only seen them in parades
How is love supposed to read
In a footnote of history
What's a tap on your shoulder
That you're afraid to look over
A soldier's down in a fire fight
No one can look me in the eye

This is what it means to be alone.

Tear out my heart
Feed it to lions
For this one wish I beg you this tonight
Show me no mercy
But spare me my pride
I'm going for a drive

And if you find out he's coming home
When I come around the corner
I'll know that it's all right
Just leave me two lights

He was young just 23
Didn't have to go
But it was the man he wanted to be
Like every son he was an only one
One day he came to me, said
Freedoms nothing to look over
Till each man can stand upon its shoulder
I'll right you mountains of letters
Each one a little bit better
And know I'll never be alone

Tear out my heart
Feed it to lions
For this one wish I beg you this tonight
Show me no mercy
But spare me my pride
I'm going for a drive

And if you find out he's coming home
When I come around the corner
I'll know that it's all right
Leave me two lights

Silent Angels
Light the road up ahead
As the sentries guard the way
On the avenue of borrowed time

I'm almost home
The sun's to rise
I got to know
I've been driving all the night
There's our corner up ahead
I'm alive and I am dead
I drive right through the stop sign
I turn my head
As I lift my eyes
My eyes burn

Tear out my heart
Feed it to lions
For this one wish I beg you this tonight
Show me no mercy
But spare me my pride
I'm going for a drive


Lyrics submitted by billesque

Two Lights Lyrics as written by John Ondrasik

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Two Lights song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentDefinately a military reference. My grandmother, who was born in 1927 told me that returning soldiers would look for porch lights and if no light was on, then the spouse would either not want you to return or had somebody over. If they were alone and wanted a return, then 2 porch lights would be left on so the returning soldier knew that it was ok to enter the house or was welcomed home. that's all I could get from her about this story before she died. But i suspect there are many reasons for leaving 2 porch lights on back then in the 1940's.
    ToddZillaon June 05, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General CommentHere's my meaning.
    The singer's son goes off to fight a war. The father's too afraid to know whether he's alive or dead, so he goes out and drives aimlessly and tells his wife to leave the lights on if their son's alive and turn them off if he's dead. At the end of the song, he drives up to the house and sees the lights on. (my eyes burn)
    Unconsciouson January 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI was thinking pretty much the same - about a guy's son who's gone to war.. he hears rumours a soldier's been killed - and he thinks it could be his son so he's afraid to find out who the soldier was - I think that's why he's afraid to look over his shoulder. By the whole 'leave me two lights' thing, I was thinking maybe it was a sort of prayer.. like let him see two lights while he's driving around to show it wasn't his son who was killed, and that his son's ok? Anyway, great song :)
    imaginationburnon April 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commenti went to a five for fighting concert last night and John spoke about this song a bit. It's loosely based on a true stroy- he met a father and son one day right before the son was leaving for Iraq. John asked how hard it was for the father, and the father played it off (he fought in vietnam and was a tough guy) but said it was tough for the mother. John knew that it had to be rough for the father too, so he wrote a song talking about a father's worry.

    in the song a father learns a soldier in his son's unit has been killed- but he doesn't know if it was his son or not. He can't stand to sit at home and wait for the call, so he goes out on a drive and tells his wife to leave two lights on if the son is alive. At the end of the song when he says 'my eyes burn' it's meant to be either eyes burning from the two lights or eyes burning from the tears of not seeing the two lights. John meant to leave it open because he said "some stories have happy endings and some do not"

    but, the day before the concert, John heard from the father who inspired the song and found out that the son had served his time safely in Iraq and was safe at home. so i guess there were two lights.
    royal riveron April 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI dont think he saw the lights. just by at the end when he said Im going for a ddrive. He went for a drive at first when he was upset, to clear his mind. He coulda just said that line at the end just because but I dont think so. Hios songs seem to be very we ll thought out.
    white_stone_3on September 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commenton second thought the im going for a drive is part of the chorus and the way he said burn was a higher not wich could mean happy? and the rest of the song sunds a bit uplifting lol im so confused anyways I thought the way he said
    "im alive and I am Dead'
    Was really packed with emotion and was kinda sexy.
    white_stone_3on September 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentIf you watch the moving " Taking Chance" starring Kevin Bacon, you will see the meaning of the term Two Lights.. When they were escorting the remains to the soldier's hometown and when cars realized there was a casket of a dead soldier in the back of the hearse they all turned on thier headlights, giving the meaning "Two Lights" which I think is simply showing respect towards the soldier?
    Dan57423on August 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis is such a beautiful song. Could you please correct the typo in the first line where it says "brace" instead of "brave?" Sorry I'm being a little OCDish...
    foldsfan5on January 31, 2010   Link

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