Their sophomore album "Worship and Tribute" was released in 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. Although it received some MTV airtime, a Grammy nomination and a peak at #82 on the Billboard top 200, "Worship and Tribute" was a departure from the debut and was met with mixed reviews from fans. Since then, Glassjaw went on a long hiatus, releasing the digital-only EP "El Mark" in 2005, a release that consisted of three unused songs from the "Worship and Tribute" sessions.
In 2005, all members spare Palumbo and Beck left the band for reasons which remain unclear. It is supposed that they left involuntarily. Ex-drummer Durijah Lang and ex-bass player Manuel Ragoonanan Carrero were soon inducted back into the band, so there was once again a functional lineup for playing shows. Indeed, the new four-piece Glassjaw played a handful of shows in Summer 2005. A new album was apparently in the works for a release in 2007, but never surfaced.
Daryl Palumbo also fronts electronic pop-rock band Head Automatica, and ex-Glassjaw drummer Larry Gorman also played for them; however, Gorman is no longer a member of the band for unknown reasons.
Ex-guitarist Todd Weinstock now plays in the similarly-styled band Men, Women, & Children.
After a two-year hiatus, the band played three shows in 2005, two at the now-defunct The Downtown in Farmingdale, NY, with proceeds going to charity, and a spot on The Used's tour at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
After some mysterious updates on their website, the 2007 Glassjaw tour had gone and ended, already hitting up spots including yet another venue in Farmingdale, NY, playing 2 shows in one day at The Crazy Donkey.
In an interview with Palumbo in the July, 2006 issue of AP magazine, he stated that the band were in the process of writing and recording new material for the next album, which they hoped to release in 2007. Palumbo hinted that there could be a unifying concept behind the album. In November, 2007, in the first Glassjaw interview in years, Beck revealed they had written "about eleven good songs -- seven i love, and four to six half-baked ideas we need to finish".
In an interview with Kerrang!, Palumbo stated that the new album should be released by "The end of this year or early 2009...I hope." Details emerged from The Grixer in May, 2008 that the album was "awaiting vocals" and "should be wrapped up and completed in the coming months". In a May, 2008 interview with Verse One magazine, Beck said: "Right now I’d just be happy to finish up this record. I’m sure if it’s not a giant pile of shit, we’d love to play it live. Exact dates, plans, don’t know yet." In a June, 2008 interview conducted by Glassjaw.net, Beck stated, "As far as I am personally concerned, there will be a release well before the end of the year."
On August 6–8, 2010, the band released a 7" vinyl single for "All Good Junkies Go to Heaven" spraypainted green and pink on either side of the vinyl at the UK's Hevy Fest. This is the first official Glassjaw release since 2005's El Mark EP[/album. On August 8, 2010 via MerchDirect, "All Good Junkies Go To Heaven" became available for purchase. Within hours of availability, the vinyl had sold out. Shortly thereafter, in addition to the launch of the single, a "one-take" live video of their 2008 song "You Think You're (John Fucking Lennon)" was posted on the official Glassjaw website. On September 8, Glassjaw announced the release of another vinyl single for release on September 9, 2010 for the song "Jesus Glue", as well as a digital download for "All Good Junkies Go To Heaven" in various formats. On September 23, GlassJaw posted a video for the song, "Stars", a reworked version of "Star Above my Bed", a fan favorite. As they did with "Junkies" and "Jesus Glue," October 10 saw the release of yet another vinyl, "Natural Born Farmer" and the digital release of "Jesus Glue."
At 11:11AM on January 11, glassjaw.com began streaming a studio recording of "Gold". The website's background was changed to a live band photo with the text "coloring book, the extended play. available exclusively at venue. gratis." After the first concert on their 2011 tour, February 13, 2011, the new EP Coloring Book was given away free to each fan that attended the concert. Glassjaw played two shows in the UK, at the London HMV Forum (March 30) and the Cardiff Solus (March 31), with support from Napalm Death and also headlined Soundfest (June 10), playing alongside other artists such as Brother Ali, Del the Funky Homosapien and If He Dies He Dies. The band also played the Radio 1 / NME Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival in August 2011.
Glassjaw played their first and only scheduled show so far in 2012 in support of Rise Against's Endgame tour. It was the only show Glassjaw opened for them on the tour. A Day To Remember, The Menzingers, Architects, Touché Amoré, and Title Fight are also supporting selected dates. Glassjaw have been added to the Sonisphere festival line-up and will perform Worship & Tribute in its entirety during their set. However, it was announced on March 29, 2012 via Sonishere's website that the festival was cancelled due to issues in setting up the festival. As a result, the band have scheduled a date at New York's Irving Plaza to play the album in its entirety. The band have also been announced to be playing Hevy Festival 2012, alongside acts such as Converge, Rolo Tomassi and Will Haven. This will mark Glassjaw's second time playing at the festival, and the first since headlining it in 2010.
On December 1st, 2017, after 15 years, Glassjaw finally released their anticipated third LP, "Material Control".
Radio Cambodia
Glassjaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with which dialect, which dialect marches best
and who reaches heaven in what order
when our kids are baptized in mortar.
it's a shame that our messiahs move their pawns
from different mountains
and we're left to dance these bodies 'round the fountain.
who'll be riding in a tank that says "just married"?
i'm not impressed, I guess i'm not impressed
with which dialect, which dialect marches best
we found that ultimately you can make it snow in the summer.
contrary to what you believe we oscillate and vary speed.
the food in jail is sulphury.
how do inuits spell relief?
summer's trudging closer and a flurry of white as well.
it's the heart of nuclear winter and I'm scared as hell.
it's a shame that our messiahs move their pawns
from different mountains
and we're left to dance these bodies 'round the fountain.
if a leader preaches worship to the sheep within the valley,
who'll be riding in a tank that says "just married"?
it's a shame that i (shame that i)
it's a shame that i (shame that i)
a shame that i
shame
The lyrics of Glassjaw's song Radio Cambodia carry a political message about the futility and peril of war. The opening lines convey a sense of disappointment with the way people uphold and fight for their beliefs, as if a certain dialect or ideology can bring salvation while the innocent children are caught in the crossfire. The reference to kids being "baptized in mortar" highlights the cruel and gruesome nature of war that affects even the most vulnerable.
The following verse questions the role of leaders who claim to guide and protect their followers but actually use them like pawns in a game of power. The image of dancing "round the fountain" suggests that people are trapped in a cycle of violence and manipulation without realizing it. In the next lines, the focus shifts to the absurdity of war itself, where a tank can be both a symbol of destruction and a vehicle to a new life. The repetition of "I'm not impressed" underscores the artist's disillusionment with the whole system and the lack of meaningful change.
The final lines seem to offer a glimmer of hope, as the lyrics mention that "ultimately you can make it snow in the summer." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the unexpected and miraculous events that can occur to disrupt the status quo. However, the mood remains bleak as the lyrics describe the impending nuclear winter and the fear it brings. Overall, Radio Cambodia is a poignant commentary on the human cost of war and the need for genuine leadership and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
i'm not impressed, I guess i'm not impressed
The current state of affairs doesn't impress me.
with which dialect, which dialect marches best
Which language or ideology is superior?
and who reaches heaven in what order
Who gets to triumph ultimately?
when our kids are baptized in mortar.
Our future generations are being baptized in war and turmoil.
it's a shame that our messiahs move their pawns
from different mountains
and we're left to dance these bodies 'round the fountain.
Our leaders are manipulating us from far away while we're left to suffer the consequences.
if a leader preaches worship to the sheep within the valley,
who'll be riding in a tank that says "just married"?
If our leaders are blind followers, who will protect us and give us hope?
we found that ultimately you can make it snow in the summer.
Anything can happen, even seemingly impossible things.
contrary to what you believe we oscillate and vary speed.
We're not stagnant and predictable, we change and move at different speeds.
the food in jail is sulphury.
Life behind bars is unpleasant and dehumanizing.
how do inuits spell relief?
What brings a sense of relief or comfort to one group of people may be different from another.
summer's trudging closer and a flurry of white as well.
it's the heart of nuclear winter and I'm scared as hell.
The summer is approaching but it's accompanied by the fear of a nuclear winter.
it's a shame that i (shame that i)
it's a shame that i (shame that i)
a shame that i
shame
The repetition of 'it's a shame' highlights frustration and disappointment.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BECK, PALUMBO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind