After a solo tour in the fall of 2003, Alexakis decided to continue with Everclear, organizing a new band that made its debut in March of 2004. The new lineup consisted of bass player Sam Hudson, guitarist Dave French, and drummer Eric Bretl. In the summer of 2004, the band added keyboard player Josh Crawley, and swapped Bretl for former Everclear drum tech Brett Snyder. The new lineup released its first recording, a cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land, that summer. A self-released EP of performances recorded for XM Satellite Radio called Closure was given out at shows in the fall of 2004.
Free of a major label, Alexakis spent the ensuing year and half slowly recording material for a new Everclear release. He admitted that the time after the breakup of the original lineup served as a "wake up call", during which he suffered his third divorce and a filing for bankruptcy. Alexakis announced the completion of the album in early 2006,titled Welcome To The Drama Club. The new band is now on Eleven Seven Music.
In August of 2008, drummer Brett Snyder left the band after four years. He was then replaced by Tommy Stewart, who previously played in bands Fuel and Godsmack.
Pennsylvania Is
Everclear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They fell into a teenage love she'd grow to hate
He's in prison now since he beat her down
He got her pregnant and she made it go away
Hey hey hey hey Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
I got a card today from a girl I know
She had to leave the state for a choice she made
She says she feels just like a hostage in her home
Hey hey hey hey Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
You can close your eyes you can fall and die
You can make your laws and make it go away
You can close your eyes but you can't make it go away
Can't make it go away
I just got a call from my uncle Mike
He said he left his wife and he's not going back
Said she changed her mind about a desire child
I asked him if he wants a place mat or a wife
Hey hey hey hey Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is wrong
The lyrics of Everclear's song, "Pennsylvania Is" talks about three different situations of people in Pennsylvania. The first verse tells the story of Jackson who met a girl in a valley town and fell in love with her but ended up beating her down after he got her pregnant. The second verse talks about a girl who used to live alone in Philadelphia, but had to leave the state due to some choice she made. She feels like a hostage in her home now. The chorus of the song repeats "Pennsylvania" four times, probably signifying the state as a common location for these problems.
The bridge of the song has a powerful message. It says, "You can close your eyes, you can fall and die, you can make your laws and make it go away, but can't make it go away." It's referring to the problems and issues people face in Pennsylvania, and the fact that the state can't make it go away just by making laws or ignoring it. The problems persist, and they will continue to be a part of people's lives.
Overall, the song is a sad portrayal of the problems people face in Pennsylvania. It's a reminder that even in a beautiful state like Pennsylvania, there are problems and issues that need to be addressed. The song's lyrics make it clear that there's a lot of pain and suffering in the state that can't be ignored.
Line by Line Meaning
Jackson met a girl in a valley town
Jackson met a girl in a small town surrounded by hills and mountains
They fell into a teenage love she'd grow to hate
They started dating when they were teenagers but she ended up hating him
He's in prison now since he beat her down
Jackson is currently in jail because he physically assaulted the girl he was dating
He got her pregnant and she made it go away
He impregnated her, but she terminated the pregnancy
Hey hey hey hey Pennsylvania
Addressing the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Addressing the state of Pennsylvania
I got a card today from a girl I know
The singer received a card from a female acquaintance
She used to live alone in Philadelphia
The girl used to reside by herself in the city of Philadelphia
She had to leave the state for a choice she made
She had to depart from Pennsylvania because of a decision she made
She says she feels just like a hostage in her home
She feels trapped and powerless in her current living situation
You can close your eyes you can fall and die
You have the freedom to ignore the problem and suffer the consequences
You can make your laws and make it go away
You have the ability to enact laws that solve the problem
You can close your eyes but you can't make it go away
You can choose to avoid the problem, but it won't disappear
Can't make it go away
The problem cannot be solved by ignoring or avoiding it
I just got a call from my uncle Mike
The singer received a phone call from his uncle named Mike
He said he left his wife and he's not going back
Mike told the artist that he abandoned his wife and has no intention of returning to her
Said she changed her mind about a desire child
Mike's wife changed her stance regarding wanting to have a child
I asked him if he wants a place mat or a wife
The singer asked Mike if he wants a simple, inanimate object or a female partner
Pennsylvania is wrong
The state of Pennsylvania is problematic or dysfunctional in some way
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ART ALEXAKIS, CRAIG MONTOYA, RALPH SCOTT CUTHBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind