An Index: Arcade Fire Songs For Advent (on the themes of waiting, preparing, arriving, and the light

As I have noted before, Arcade Fire have written a number of songs against the themes of Advent. I call them ANTI-Advent songs, "songs that portray light in a conflicted, confused, convoluted, ambivalent, and often negative tone"; songs that encourage us to enter into the darkness."

Even so, as I acknowledge in this article, perhaps their songs aren't against Advent at all, but are in fact promoting the principles of Advent just in a counterintuitive way. In fact, if one looks at a number of their songs, most notably off of their album Funeral you find a number of the themes of Advent made prevalent. I reflect in detail on those songs in this article, but here I wanted to provide another list, this time in regards to their PRO-Advent songs. These are songs that speak of waiting and actively preparing and use the concept of "light" in a positive way—all of them primary themes of the season of Advent.

You can read my reflections on some of these songs here:
"We Use to Wait": A Very Special Arcade Fire Advent Reflection (Part 1)
and here:
"Sleeping is Giving In": A Very Special Arcade Fire Advent Reflection (Part 2)

Here now are the songs and their lyrics, listed in chronological order according to album.
(For my alternate list, on their songs against Advent, please see this article: An Index: Arcade Fire Songs Mentioning Light, Darkness, Mirrors, and Reflections)

Demo (2001)

"Can't Let Go of You"

Where we gonna go 

I'm gassed up, I'm ready to go

Grab your jacket, Let's hit the road

We can't wait any longer, Let's go

"The Great Arcade Fire"

When I was a little kid

I was sleeping in my bed

My mom said, "Wake up, sleepyhead

The house is on fire, follow me"

We ran downstairs past the burning Christmas tree

Christmas on fire

Christmas on fire

Christmas on fire

Christmas on fire

Christmas on fire

My god, Christmas on fire

My good god, Christmas on fire

Tonight

This happens every time

This happens every time

This happens every time

This happens every time

Funeral (2004)

"Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"

I woke up with the power out,

not really something to shout about.

Ice has covered up my parents hands

don’t have any dreams don’t have any plans.

I went out into the night,

I went out to find some light.

Kids are swingin’ from the power lines,

nobody’s home, so nobody minds.

I woke up on the darkest night,

neighbors all were shoutin’ that they found the light.

(”We found the light”)

Shadows jumpin’ all over my walls

some of them big, some of them small.

I went out into the night.

I went out to pick a fight with anyone.

Light a candle for the kids,

Jesus Christ don’t keep it hid!

Ice has covered up my parents hands

don’t have any dreams don’t have any plans.

Growin’ up in some strange storm,

nobody’s cold, nobody’s warm.

I went out into the night,

I went out to find some light.

Kids are dyin’ out in the snow,

look at them go, look at them go!

And the power’s out in the heart of man,

take it from your heart put in your hand.

What’s the plan?

Is it a dream? Is it a lie?

I think I’ll let you decide.

Just light a candle for the kids,

Jesus Christ don’t keep it hid!

Cause nothin’s hid, from us kids!

You ain’t foolin’ nobody with the lights out!

And the power’s out in the heart of man,

take it from your heart put in your hand.

And there’s something wrong in the heart of man,

you take it from your heart and put it in your hand!

Where’d you go?

Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)

I am waitin’ ’til I don’t know when,

cause I’m sure it’s gonna happen then.

Time keeps creepin’ through the neighborhood,

killing old folks, wakin’ up babies just like we knew it would.

All the neighbors are startin’ up a fire,

burning all the old folks the witches and the liars.

My eyes are covered by the hands of my unborn kids,

but my heart keeps watchin’ through the skin of my eyelids.

They say a watched pot won’t ever boil,

well I closed my eyes and nothin’ changed,

just some water getting hotter in the flames.

It’s not a lover I want no more,

and it’s not heaven I’m pining for,

but there’s some spirit I used to know,

that’s been drowned out by the radio!

They say a watched pot won’t ever boil,

you can’t raise a baby on motor oil,

just like a seed down in the soil you gotta give it time.

"Wake Up"

Somethin’ filled up

my heart with nothin’,

someone told me not to cry.

But now that I’m older,

my heart’s colder,

and I can see that it’s a lie.

Children wake up,

hold your mistake up,

before they turn the summer into dust.

If the children don’t grow up,

our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.

We’re just a million little god’s causin rain storms

Turnin’ every good thing to rust.

I guess we’ll just have to adjust.

With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’

I can see where I am goin’ to be

when the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.

With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’

I can see where I am goin’

With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’

I can see where I am go-goin’

You better look out below!

"Haiti"

Tous les morts-nes forment une armee, (All the stillborn form an army)

soon we will reclaim the earth. (Soon we will reclaim the earth)

All the tears and all the bodies (All the tears and all the bodies)

bring about our second birth. (Bring about our second birth)

"Rebellion (Lies)"

Sleeping is giving in,

no matter what the time is.

Sleeping is giving in,

so lift those heavy eyelids.

People say that you’ll die

faster than without water.

But we know it’s just a lie,

scare your son, scare your daughter.

People say that your dreams

are the only things that save ya.

Come on baby in our dreams,

we can live our misbehavior.

Every time you close your eyes

Lies, Lies!

People try and hide the night

underneath the covers.

People try and hide the light

underneath the covers.

Come on hide your lovers

underneath the covers,

come on hide your lovers

underneath the covers.

Hidin’ from your brothers

underneath the covers,

come on hide your lovers

underneath the covers.

People say that you’ll die

faster than without water,

but we know it’s just a lie,

scare your son, scare your daughter,

Scare your son, scare your daughter.

Now here’s the sun, it’s alright! (Lies!)

Now here’s the moon, it’s alright! (Lies!)

Now here’s the sun, it’s alright! (Lies!)

Now here’s the moon it’s alright (Lies!)

But every time you close your eyes. (Lies!)

"In The Backseat"

I like the peace

in the backseat,

I don’t have to drive,

I don’t have to speak,

I can watch the country side,

and I can fall asleep.

My family tree’s

loosing all it’s leaves,

crashing towards the driver’s seat,

the lightning bolt made enough heat

to melt the street beneath your feet.

Alice died

in the night,

I’ve been learning to drive.

My whole life,

I’ve been learning.

I like the peace

in the backseat,

I don’t have to drive,

I don’t have to speak,

I can watch the country side.

Alice died

in the night,

I’ve been learning to drive.

My whole life,

I’ve been learning.

Neon Bible

"Keep the Car Running"

They know my name ’cause I told it to them.

But they don’t know where And they don’t know

When It’s coming, when It’s coming

The Suburbs (2010)

"Modern Man"

So I wait my turn, I’m a modern man

And the people behind me, they can’t understand

Makes me feel like

Makes me feel like

So I wait in line, I’m a modern man

And the people behind me, they can’t understand

Makes me feel like

Something don’t feel right

Like a record that’s skipping

I’m a modern man

And the clock keeps ticking

I’m a modern man

Makes me feel like

Makes me feel like

"City With No Children"

The summer that I broke my arm

I waited for your letter

I have no feeling for you now

Now that I know you better

"We Used To Wait"

I used to write

I used to write letters

I used to sign my name

I used to sleep at night

Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain

But by the time we met

The times had already changed

So I never wrote a letter

I never took my true heart

I never wrote it down

So when the lights cut out

I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown

Now our lives are changing fast

Hope that something pure can last

Hope that something pure can last

It may seem strange

How we used to wait for letters to arrive

But what’s stranger still

Is how something so small can keep you alive

We used to wait

We used to waste hours just walking around

We used to wait

All those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown

Ooooo we used to wait

Sometimes it never came

Ooooo we used to wait

Sometimes it never came

Ooooo we used to wait

Still moving through the pain

I’m gonna write a letter to my true love

I’m gonna sign my name

Like a patient on a table

I wanna walk again

Gonna move through the pain

Now our lives are changing fast

Hope that something pure can last

Hope that something pure can last

Ooooo we used to wait

Sometimes it never came

Ooooo we used to wait

Sometimes it never came

Ooooo we used to wait

Still moving through the pain

We used to wait for it

We used to wait for it

And now they’re screaming

“Sing the chorus again!”

I used to wait for it

I used to wait for it

Hear my voice screaming

“Sing the chorus again!”

Wait for it!

Wait for it!

Wait for it!

Reflektor (2013)
"Porno"

You say love is real

Like a disease

Come on tell me please

I'm not over it

I'm not over it

Wait...

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Have a happy Arcade Fire Advent everyone!
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Other articles on Arcade Fire:
"An Awful Sound is Coming Down": 3 Ways Relationships Die in Arcade Fire's "Oh Eurydice"
The Explanation and Inspiration Behind Aracade Fire's Reflektor
Wake Up! Uncovering Arcade Fire's Grand Narrative
Reflektor: A Listening Guide
The Reflected Lyrics of Arcade Fire's Reflektor: A List
6 Possible Meanings to Arcade Fire's LGBT-themed "We Exist"
Continual Themes and Subjects in the Work of Arcade Fire
"Little Boys With Their Porno": Arcade Fire's Search For Love in the Reflective Age