Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
''Season of Defiance'' from the EP Endless Play.
We close out our 20th year together with the release of the Endless Play EP. The three-song EP also marks the end of three years of constant music-making, where each of us has been writing songs from our own soft spots (or sore points / tender buttons).
''Season of Defiance'' was written by Peter, who shared:
As quite a few of my PBJ-songs started in a different time-signature as a fingerpicked acoustic thing that we sped & jingle-jangled up in the grand tradition of The Byrds popifying folk. Like a lot of material from the Endless Dream album, the final version is 90% based on a live take of the 3-piece and beautiful things happening between us in the spur of the moment. John added some percussive elements and I added a couple of different acoustic guitars for chiming textures as well as some choirboy-baroque-harmonies. The song is supposed to sound like a fresh spring new morning, still a bit chilly but with warmth coming on, and I think it does. Light but with weight if that makes sense. Lyrically it has the same ethos as the rest of my contributions to Endless Dream. It takes notice of all the darkness and shit around us (the "darker days" if you will) but are determined to look forward with a positive outlook and a glimmer of hope. Granted even harder to do now than when I wrote it but nevertheless. We sure do need to stay defiant these days and not be scared into silence and submission. So it's a very gentle call to arms I suppose, in a couple of coupled together sentences that you can read a lot into if you like… or not. – Peter
VIDEO CREDITS
Produced by Vast & Awesome
Illustration by Graham Samuels
Listen, merch store and all other links to Peter Bjorn and John:
bio.to/peterbjornandjohnYT
open.spotify.com/artist/6u11Qbko2N2hP4lTBYjX86?si=V1xu6_eLSqiA2KKK6oS-OA
peterbjornandjohn.com
https://x.com/peterbjornjohn/
instagram.com/peterbjornjohn
facebook.com/peterbjornandjohn
LYRICS:
Like a warm night in midst of a cold wave
Though torn and frayed our strategy will keep us safe
Hold your own when the wind blow up the blues
Astray they run with headlights on the wrong idea
You look tired, I am tired too
But carry on, we'll carry on, we won't get fooled
Sail against a clearer sky
Open up our how to why
Let us be awakening
To new days not just tainted dreams
Itchy old world is fretting on my nerves
Have you heard such stupid words, my ears go red
Yet all thats brutal has a softness just below
Scratch the surface, let it bleed then let it glow
Make believe, we can still last long!
Until the last refrain of the last singalong
Sail against a clearer sky
Open up our how to why
Let us be awakening
To new days not just tainted dreams
#endlessplay #seasonofdefiance
''Season of Defiance'' from the EP Endless Play.
We close out our 20th year together with the release of the Endless Play EP. The three-song EP also marks the end of three years of constant music-making, where each of us has been writing songs from our own soft spots (or sore points / tender buttons).
''Season of Defiance'' was written by Peter, who shared:
As quite a few of my PBJ-songs started in a different time-signature as a fingerpicked acoustic thing that we sped & jingle-jangled up in the grand tradition of The Byrds popifying folk. Like a lot of material from the Endless Dream album, the final version is 90% based on a live take of the 3-piece and beautiful things happening between us in the spur of the moment. John added some percussive elements and I added a couple of different acoustic guitars for chiming textures as well as some choirboy-baroque-harmonies. The song is supposed to sound like a fresh spring new morning, still a bit chilly but with warmth coming on, and I think it does. Light but with weight if that makes sense. Lyrically it has the same ethos as the rest of my contributions to Endless Dream. It takes notice of all the darkness and shit around us (the "darker days" if you will) but are determined to look forward with a positive outlook and a glimmer of hope. Granted even harder to do now than when I wrote it but nevertheless. We sure do need to stay defiant these days and not be scared into silence and submission. So it's a very gentle call to arms I suppose, in a couple of coupled together sentences that you can read a lot into if you like… or not. – Peter
VIDEO CREDITS
Produced by Vast & Awesome
Illustration by Graham Samuels
Listen, merch store and all other links to Peter Bjorn and John:
bio.to/peterbjornandjohnYT
open.spotify.com/artist/6u11Qbko2N2hP4lTBYjX86?si=V1xu6_eLSqiA2KKK6oS-OA
peterbjornandjohn.com
https://x.com/peterbjornjohn/
instagram.com/peterbjornjohn
facebook.com/peterbjornandjohn
LYRICS:
Like a warm night in midst of a cold wave
Though torn and frayed our strategy will keep us safe
Hold your own when the wind blow up the blues
Astray they run with headlights on the wrong idea
You look tired, I am tired too
But carry on, we'll carry on, we won't get fooled
Sail against a clearer sky
Open up our how to why
Let us be awakening
To new days not just tainted dreams
Itchy old world is fretting on my nerves
Have you heard such stupid words, my ears go red
Yet all thats brutal has a softness just below
Scratch the surface, let it bleed then let it glow
Make believe, we can still last long!
Until the last refrain of the last singalong
Sail against a clearer sky
Open up our how to why
Let us be awakening
To new days not just tainted dreams
#endlessplay #seasonofdefiance
