Early years (1992 - 2000)
In 1993, drummer Trevor Reilly, guitarist John Carvalho and bassist Jonathan Teves formed the band Adam's Crack and recorded a Nirvana-inspired demo cassette. In 1994 Reilly and Carvalho started a side band with Nuno Pereira on vocals, and others. The side band played one show before disbanding. Members from the two bands would merge into one, taking the name Koen. The lineup of Koen consisted of Pereira (vocals), Reilly (drums), Teves (bass), Carvalho (rhythm guitar) and friend Mat Demelo (lead guitar and trumpet). Under the name Koen, the band released one cassette titled "The Big Fall...", this time with their sound evolving more into skate punk and ska. In 1997, the band changed its name again, this time to Smackin' Isaiah, and released a cassette titled "Give Girls More Beer...". Mat Demelo left the band shortly after. During this time, Reilly would switch between drumming and guitar duties, with an unknown drummer playing in the band for a brief amount of time. Nicholas Angelini was eventually tapped to play drums on a permanent basis. In 1998, the band released another demo cassette, titled "Gets Eaten Alive".
Tank Records era (2000 - 2001)
The band's first CD release was on Tank Records, a record label created by Carvalho and Teves. The CD was a split release with the bands Moronique and Merrick, entitled "6:6:6" after the number of tracks each band contributed. Soon after, the band released its debut album, "The Way to a Girl's Heart Is Through Her Boyfriend's Stomach". The band considers this their first "real" release, as all the songs had been written after Angelini joined the band. In retrospect, they consider it their most cheerful record. It was reissued the following year on All About Records, but the band stayed with Tank Records to release its second album, "Benefits Of Thinking Out Loud. During the album's recording, the band members had a strained relationship as they argued over its production. Six outtakes from the album's recording sessions were compiled onto an EP entitled "The Champagne of Bands... We Know Sexy" released by Fork in Hand Records. Following its release, Carvalho left the band. Christopher Levesque quickly replaced him.
Final name change and move to Nitro (2002 - present)
With the band moving to a more serious style with Benefits, they decided to once more change their name, finally settling on A Wilhelm Scream. Signing with new label Jump Start Records, they re-released "Benefits of Thinking Out Loud" under their new name. After touring the United States and Canada a few times, they then began recording their next album, "Mute Print", with Jump Start Records. For the recording of the album, the band decided to put "as much shit as you can possibly fit into a song and pull off live" into the songs, to which they attribute their faster, more aggressive and more technical sound. The album was produced by Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, whom the band looked up to. Although the album was finished while the band was signed to Jump Start Records, the rights to the album were then bought by Nitro Records, who released it in 2004.
Only a year after "Mute Print", the band released a second record on Nitro Records, again produced by Stevenson and Livermore. The record, entitled "Ruiner", was released on August 16, 2005. Following stress from touring, founding member Jonathan Teves left the band, and was replaced by bassist Curtiss Lopez. They then embarked on their first European tour with Lagwagon, and also toured with Less than Jake. Midway through the latter tour, Lopez abruptly quit the band. This left A Wilhelm Scream without a permanent bassist until Brian J. Robinson joined in April. The band continued to tour throughout 2006. They also released an 7-inch Extended play titled "Diver" on Jump Start Records. This was because the title track was recorded during the "Mute Print" sessions, but left off the album, and thus was not purchased by Nitro Records.
In 2007, the band returned to the studio with Stevenson and Livermore to record their third album with Nitro Records. The record, according to the band, was "very, very fast" and a few songs were dropped for not being fast enough. The record, "Career Suicide", was released on October 9, 2007. However, only two weeks before its street date, long-time guitarist Chris Levesque announced that he was leaving the band, elaborating with the following statement:
"I have maintained for the duration of my time in Smackin' Isaiah/A Wilhelm Scream that when it stopped being fun, I would give it up. The bottom line here is that I just don't enjoy the day-in, day-out grind of being on tour anymore.... There are no personal or creative differences between any of us. None of that bullshit. I still love this band and everything it stands for. The six years that I've spent in SI/AWS have been the best of my life. We've accomplished more than I ever expected, and I take with me with more amazing memories than most people experience in a lifetime."
The band began their tour in support of "Career Suicide" with several rotating guitarists, before Mike Supina, formerly of the Detroit-based band Alucard, was announced as Levesque's permanent replacement. The tour brought the band to over eighteen different countries, finishing in September 2008. Following its conclusion, guitarist Trevor Reilly announced in his blog that the band would take a break for the rest of the year, but implied that they would write new songs soon.
www.awilhelmscream.com
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The Kids Can Eat A Bag Of Dicks
A Wilhelm Scream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey operator, stop acting civilized.
I want to be you.
And the ones to resurrect sex and death bought the copyright.
They ate shit on the record. Did you get the mix right?
Not quite.
I want to be you.
With a graceful fall did you waste it all?
I found a way for the rest of you.
I missed me too.
Tell me that I'm not so weak.
Tell me that I'm not alone.
Fuck me if it pours, you're not built for this.
But it's not raining is it?
I want to be you.
And we've got the rest of our lives to be our fathers.
What a dream to wet the eyes!
I want to be you.
With a graceful fall did you waste it all?
I found a way for the rest of you.
I missed me too.
Tell me that I'm not so weak.
Tell me that I'm not alone.
Do I hear you crawling on your back?
Do I hear you folding up to fear?
Brave you, I missed me too.
We are all we have.
The lyrics of A Wilhelm Scream's song The Kids Can Eat A Bag Of Dicks may seem nonsensical at first, but upon closer inspection, they reveal a deep sense of angst and confusion. The opening lines, "The sudden sight of mirrors brought the hero's demise. Hey operator, stop acting civilized," suggest that the singer is experiencing a sudden realization of their own mortality and the futility of trying to conform to societal norms. The lyrics "I want to be you" are repeated throughout the song and can be interpreted as both a desire to become someone else and a plea for someone else to become them.
The lines "And the ones to resurrect sex and death bought the copyright. They ate shit on the record. Did you get the mix right? Not quite." may refer to the music industry's tendency to exploit and monetize taboo subjects. The chorus "With a graceful fall did you waste it all? I found a way for the rest of you. I missed me too" suggests regret and a sense of loss, while the lines "Tell me that I'm not so weak. Tell me that I'm not alone" express a need for reassurance and validation.
In the bridge, the lyrics "Fuck me if it pours, you're not built for this. But it's not raining is it?" contrast the idea of facing challenges head-on with the reality that there may not be any obstacles to overcome. The final lines of the song, "Do I hear you crawling on your back? Do I hear you folding up to fear? Brave you, I missed me too. We are all we have," are a call to action and a reminder that we are all in this together.
Line by Line Meaning
The sudden sight of mirrors brought the hero's demise.
The hero's downfall was caused by seeing his own reflection in mirrors.
Hey operator, stop acting civilized.
The singer is requesting the operator to stop pretending to be polite or civilized.
I want to be you.
The singer desires to be someone else.
And the ones to resurrect sex and death bought the copyright.
Those who brought back the themes of sex and death have taken control over them.
They ate shit on the record. Did you get the mix right?
The record producers failed and the artist is asking if the sound balance was properly achieved.
Not quite.
The mix wasn't perfect.
With a graceful fall did you waste it all?
Did the person waste everything they had with a dignified tumble?
I found a way for the rest of you. I missed me too.
The artist has discovered a solution for the others but has also missed themselves.
Tell me that I'm not so weak.
The artist is seeking assurance that they are not feeble.
Tell me that I'm not alone.
The artist desires to be told that they are not solitary.
Fuck me if it pours, you're not built for this. But it's not raining is it?
The singer is saying that if it gets tough, the person won't be able to handle it. But, the situation is not currently difficult.
And we've got the rest of our lives to be our fathers. What a dream to wet the eyes!
The artist and their peers have a long time to become like their dads. This idea is emotionally poignant.
Do I hear you crawling on your back?
The singer is questioning if the person hears themselves retreating or submitting unassertively.
Do I hear you folding up to fear?
The singer is asking if the person is giving into their anxieties.
Brave you, I missed me too.
The singer acknowledges the person's courage and admits to missing themselves as well.
We are all we have.
The people present are all that each other has.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
blaine dupuis
@sidrosteel are u kidding me? there is no other band that sounds remotely similar to this... one of the best post punk melodic punk bands ever.. definitely UNDERRATED
danhasnoface
This is also one of my fav. Scream songs...ill be seeing them in a week in Gainsville, Fl. Fucking can't wait@!
ben nu
seems like a perfect beginning for a dive into melodic hardcore. this is really excellent music.
dkane411
These guys are the beginning and the end of melodic hardcore. Why search further when you have perfection!
arnout12
I wonder if they would ever make a bad song, or even less good.. maybe in 2050 when they are like 70 years old, but they probably will even be better than
Mikros Voudas
WE ARE ALL WE HAVE
Iraqi Terror
It sounds like "I don't want to be you." not "I want to be you."
jjcdrummer
Dude, eat your mushrooms and you will grow.
ZakkandtheJ
@heyface30000 Their first album was released by Smackin Issiah
BISH CARD
*me 1 foot away from singer on stage singer puts mic in crowd on chorus for "I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz"* microphone literally in my face as I sing lyrics from a band I had listened to for 3 years at that point. I submit that nothing will top that feeling in my life ever. So much fucking energy live and they dicked The Unseen by playing 3 songs into their set bahaha, manager had to shoo them off stage.