The band formed in December of 1996, originally consisting of Skiba, Rob Doran (bass/vocals), and Glenn Porter (drums/vocals). 1997 saw the release of the band's first EP, Sundials. This was followed shortly after by the departure of Doran. He was replaced by Andriano, who had been the singer for Tuesday and bassist for the ska band Slapstick. The band released their second EP, entitled For Your Lungs Only, in 1998, which began to build them a sizable fan base in the American Midwest. Later that year, they released their first full-length album, Goddamnit, followed by Maybe I'll Catch Fire in 2000. Both were released on Asian Man Records. Also in 2000, the band released a collection of their previously-released EPs on a self-titled album.
Following the success of their Asian Man releases, Alkaline Trio signed to Vagrant. Joined by new drummer Mike Felumlee (previously of the Smoking Popes), From Here to Infirmary was released in 2001. It was their first album to see any interest from alternative radio and the mainstream media, with the semi-hit punk single "Stupid Kid" and the inclusion of the song "Armageddon" on the Tony Hawk's Underground as well as Tony Hawks American Wasteland video games. Their cover of "Over at the Frankenstein Place" was included in the compilation The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show, an album made to pay tribute to the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
After the release, Felumlee left the band too and was replaced by Grant, previously of The Suicide Machines.
Their next full-length album was Good Mourning, released in 2003, with the album's launch single "We've Had Enough" seeing a considerable amount of commercial success. The album was a significant departure from earlier works, featuring greater production value and a noticeable move toward a more mainstream sound.
The band has also appeared on various compilation albums, notably Plea for Peace Vol. 1 and Rock Against Bush Vol. 1. Skiba and Andriano have both independently recorded split records, Skiba with Kevin Seconds on Asian Man Records and Andriano with Mike Felumlee on Double Zero Records, as well as jointly performing backing vocal duties on the album This is Unity Music by Common Rider. They have also recorded two split EPs with bands who are no longer together: one with Hot Water Music in 2000 and the other with One Man Army in 2004.
Alkaline Trio released their fifth studio album on Vagrant Records, entitled Crimson, on May 24, 2005, which featured the single "Time to Waste." The single for this song also included bonus tracks produced by Mass Giorgini. The tracks "Mercy Me" and "Burn" have also been released as singles from the album.
In 2004 Andriano became a member of The Falcon, a super-group of consisting of The Lawrence Arms' bassist/co-vocalist Brendan Kelly (with who he had played with in Slapstick), and Neil Hennessy, drummer from The Lawrence Arms. The band released a 5-song EP in 2004, and its first full-length Unicornography in September of 2006.
In 2006 Matt Skiba collaborated with Josiah Steinbrick for the band Heavens.
In 2008 Alkaline Trio released Agony & Irony on Epic Records. The album charted at #13 on the Billboard 200.
Alkaline Trio's 7th studio album, This Addiction,was released on February 23rd 2010. This was their first album under their own label, Heart & Skull, an offshoot of Epitaph, and the album debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest the band has ever charted to date.
Alkaline Trio's eighth studio album, Damnesia,, was released July 12, 2011. Consisting of "a selection of beloved fan favorites selected from the group's extensive catalogue and presented in an intimate semi-unplugged format", the album also included two new songs, "Olde English 800" and "I Remember a Rooftop", as well as a cover version of the Violent Femmes' "I Held Her in My Arms".
On April 2nd, 2013, Alkaline Trio released "My Shame Is True".
On August 31st, 2013, Alkaline Trio released "Is This Thing Cursed?".
On June 8th, 2023, longtime drummer Derek Grant left the band due to mental health reasons and intentions to pursue music production as well as graphic design. He was replaced by Atom Willard, formerly of bands such as Rocket from the Crypt and Against Me!. The band then released the single, "Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs" on October 17th, 2023, and announced an album of the same name due for a release date of January 26th, 2024.
metro
Alkaline Trio Lyrics
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My four walls follow me through my past.
I was on a Paris train
I emerged in London rain and you were waiting there swimming through apologies.
I remember searching for the perfect words.
I was hoping you might change your mind.
I remember a soldier sleeping next to me. Riding on the metro.
You wore white.
Smiling as you took my hand.
So removed, we spoke of wintertime in France.
Minutes passed with shallow words.
Years have passed and still the hurt.
I can see you now, smiling as you pulled away.
I remember the letter wrinkled in my hand.
"I'll love you always" filled my eyes.
I remember a night we walked along the Seine.
Riding on the metro.
I remember a feeling coming over me!
The soldier turned, then looked away.
I remember hating you for loving me!
Riding on the metro!
I'm alone, sitting with my broken glass.
My four walls, follow me through my past.
I was on a Paris train
I emerged in London rain
And you were waiting there swimming through apologies. (Fucking asshole).
I remember searching for the perfect words!!
I was hoping you might change your mind!
I remember a soldier sleeping next to me!
Riding on the metro!
Alkaline Trio's song Metro tells the story of a past relationship and the lingering pain that remains. The singer is alone, sitting with their empty glass and haunted by memories of their past. They recall a time when they took a Paris train and emerged into London rain, where they found their ex-lover waiting for them, swimming through apologies. The two talk of shallow things, but the singer remembers searching for the perfect words, hoping to change their mind.
As the song goes on, the memories become more vivid. They recall a night they walked along the Seine, riding on the metro. They remember a feeling coming over them, but the memory is mixed with the soldier sleeping next to them. The pain of the breakup is palpable, as the singer remembers hating their ex-lover for loving them.
Overall, Metro is a powerful song that captures the emotions of a difficult breakup. The vivid imagery of Paris and London combined with the raw pain of the singer's memories make for a haunting and emotional experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm alone, sitting with my empty glass.
I feel lonely and lost, with nothing but an empty glass to keep me company.
My four walls follow me through my past.
The walls around me remind me of my past memories and experiences that keep haunting me.
I was on a Paris train
I emerged in London rain
and you were waiting there swimming through apologies.
I was on a train from Paris to London and when I got off the train, it was raining. You were there apologizing for something you did wrong and trying to make amends.
I remember searching for the perfect words.
I tried so hard to find the right words to say to you to make things right between us.
I was hoping you might change your mind.
Despite everything, I still hoped that you would change your mind and come back to me.
I remember a soldier sleeping next to me.
Riding on the metro.
I have a vivid memory of a soldier who was sleeping next to me while we were traveling on the subway together.
You wore white.
Smiling as you took my hand.
I can remember the way you looked - you were wearing white and had a smile on your face as you took my hand.
So removed, we spoke of wintertime in France.
Minutes passed with shallow words.
We were very distant from each other and only talked about surface-level things, like the weather in France, as time slowly passed us by.
Years have passed and still the hurt.
Despite the passage of time, the pain of the past still lingers within me.
I can see you now, smiling as you pulled away.
I can clearly envision the image of you walking away from me with a smile on your face.
I remember the letter wrinkled in my hand.
"I'll love you always" filled my eyes.
I have a clear memory of holding a letter in my hand, the words "I'll love you always" causing tears to well up in my eyes.
I remember a night we walked along the Seine.
Riding on the metro.
I can remember a night where we walked along the Seine, traveling on the subway together.
I remember a feeling coming over me!
The soldier turned, then looked away.
I had a strong emotional response rising within me before the soldier next to us turned and looked away, interrupting the moment.
I remember hating you for loving me!
Riding on the metro!
I remember feeling anger towards you for loving me, even as we rode on the subway together.
I'm alone, sitting with my broken glass.
My four walls, follow me through my past.
Now, I find myself alone again, with nothing but a broken glass to keep me company. The walls around me still seem to be a reminder of my past experiences.
I was on a Paris train
I emerged in London rain
And you were waiting there swimming through apologies. (Fucking asshole).
Once again, I found myself on a train from Paris to London, but this time when I got off, you were there apologizing again. But this time, I cannot forgive you for what you have done.
I remember searching for the perfect words!!
Even now, I am still searching for the perfect words to convey the depth of my emotions towards you.
I remember a soldier sleeping next to me!
Riding on the metro!
Once again, I have a vivid memory of a soldier who was sleeping next to me while we were traveling on the subway together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL MICHAEL ANDRIANO, DEREK R. GRANT, MATTHEW THOMAS SKIBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind