With Schwarzenbach on guitar and vocals, Bauermeister on bass, and Pfahler on drums, the band gained recognition in the late eighties and early nineties for their melodic yet driven sound built on the foundation for Schwarzenbach's poignant, bleeding-heart lyrics and signature rasp.
The band's first full-length release Unfun was put out by Shredder in 1990. On this, the band stuck close to the sound coming out of their contemporaries in the nascent pop punk scene in their sound, with the exception of Bauermeister's prominent bass lines and Schwarzenbach's lyrics, at times walking the line of the melodramatic.
Unfun was followed by Bivouac on Tupelo/Communion in 1992. Bivouac proved thicker and darker - both thematically and melodically - yet served to elevate the band above a crowd of previously similar acts. This more ambitious release also artfully used pieces of found-audio, in what was becoming one of the band's signatures, weaving it in and out of the ten minute title track, "Bivouac."
Their third release, 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, produced by the ubiquitous Steve Albini, unveiled a sparse pop-punk with more carefully crafted lyrics. This album also holds what has become arguably their best known song, "Boxcar."
Jawbreaker had seemed poised for critical and commercial success by the time of their fourth, and last album, Dear You. Despite a vigorous marketing push, Jawbreaker's album sales were anemic in the wake of a post-Green Day market, and was one of the causes leading to the end of the band's career in 1996.
The group recently reacquired the rights to Dear You and have successfully put the long out-of-print album back into circulation on Pfahler's label, Blackball Records.
The band's cult status as the definitive nineties proto-pop-punk band has grown since its breakup, and songs like "Kiss the Bottle" and "Jet Black" are referenced as influences by bands such as Sparta, Lucero, and Rocky Votolato. In 2003, a Jawbreaker tribute album, Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault was released on Dying Wish Records, and featured covers by 18 bands including Fall Out Boy, Nerf Herder, Sparta, and Face To Face.
Singer Blake Schwarzenbach went on to form the New York City-based band Jets to Brazil, who have also since broken up, and is now an adjunct English professor at Hunter College (CUNY). In the fall of 2008, he debuted his new band, Thorns of Life, formed with Aaron Cometbus of Crimpshrine and Pinhead Gunpowder on drums and ex-Gr'ups bassist Daniela Sea.
Drummer Adam Pfahler is currently drumming in San Francisco-based Whysall Lane, whose LP was released in 2006 on his own Blackball Records.
Bassist Chris Bauermeister has been playing in post-hardcore band Horace Pinker and pop-punk band Shorebirds, which was formed with Matt Canino, formerly of Latterman; Shorebirds split in the summer of 2008.
In 2021, Blake Schwarzenbach teamed up with Joyce Manor on a release.
In spite of the similar name, the band Jawbreaker Reunion is unrelated.
Unlisted Track
Jawbreaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My world smells good enough to eat
So let's not eat, just smell the good and longing
Not owning
We'll circle like insects
Incensing the grieve liquored herd
Have you heard an encouraging word from them
They pretend
To be so above it all
Or so they would have you think
I think, no one thinks at all
You might show some interest
You're world looks good enough to eat
I see the ghost of a better world
Living in the disbelief in ghosts
Everyone tells me they're crazy
Well crazy people aren't so fucking boring
Wake me when your through being cool, cause I'm snoring
And hoping
To see you beside yourself
Show me the rose stuff of you
Would you
Do it for yourself
Or for me
We both need a change
Your fear or normalcy is hardly strange
Let's be freaks, plain clothes police
Let's be deliberate, because it's obvious to me
Weird is pretty obvious
So color me obvious
I just want to be happy half the time
And blue only when I have the time
The lyrics of Jawbreaker's song Unlisted Track have a coherent theme running throughout them, although it may seem to be a fragmented collection of thoughts at first. The song is about people's attempts to be something they are not and the realization that they do not need to constantly strive for more in order to find happiness. The first verse says that the world is already good enough as it is and there is no need for material possessions or the latest trends to enhance this goodness. The next verse continues to explore this idea, with the line "Living in the disbelief in ghosts" suggesting that people cling onto things that don't really exist, such as wealth and success, rather than appreciating the simple things in life. The third verse is an invitation to embrace one's weirdness and to reject the norms of society, with the line "Let's be freaks, plain clothes police".
However, throughout the song, there is a sense of longing for something more. The singer wants to see the "rose stuff" of people and desires change, although it is unclear whether this change is for oneself or for others. The final lines of the song are particularly poignant, as the singer expresses a desire to be happy but acknowledges that it is not always possible. The line "And blue only when I have the time" suggests that sadness or depression is something that must be scheduled into one's life, rather than just being an intrinsic part of it.
Overall, Unlisted Track reflects on the concept of happiness and what it means to be content with one's life. It encourages listeners to reject materialism and embrace their individuality, but also recognizes that life can be difficult and that it is okay to feel sad sometimes.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't sell me incense
I'm not interested in religious or spiritual experiences
My world smells good enough to eat
I am content with my life as it is
So let's not eat, just smell the good and longing
Let's enjoy the beauty of life without trying to change it
Not owning
Not being attached to material possessions or societal norms
We'll circle like insects
We'll live like small, insignificant creatures
Incensing the grieve liquored herd
Trying to awaken people from their unhappy and drunken existence
Have you heard an encouraging word from them
Is there anything positive to be said about their way of life?
They pretend
They pretend to be something they're not
To be so above it all
To act superior to others
Or so they would have you think
Or they want others to believe that
I think, no one thinks at all
I believe that people tend to follow the crowd without thinking critically
You might show some interest
You might be curious about my way of thinking
You're world looks good enough to eat
You seem to be satisfied with your life
I see the ghost of a better world
I envision a better world than the one we live in
Living in the disbelief in ghosts
Choosing not to believe in supernatural or mystical phenomena
Everyone tells me they're crazy
Others label unconventional or non-conformist individuals as crazy
Well crazy people aren't so fucking boring
People who challenge societal norms can be more interesting than those who conform
Wake me when your through being cool, cause I'm snoring
I'm not impressed with people who try to appear trendy or fashionable
And hoping
I still have hope for a better world
To see you beside yourself
To see you expressing your true self
Show me the rose stuff of you
Show me your true nature, your beauty and strength
Would you
Are you willing to do that?
Do it for yourself
Do it for your own happiness and fulfillment
Or for me
Or for me to see and appreciate
We both need a change
We both want to break free from societal expectations
Your fear or normalcy is hardly strange
It's normal to be afraid of stepping out of the norm
Let's be freaks, plain clothes police
Let's be unconventional and not conform to mainstream society
Let's be deliberate, because it's obvious to me
Let's be intentional about our actions and choices
Weird is pretty obvious
Being strange or unique is evident and noticeable
So color me obvious
I want to embrace my uniqueness
I just want to be happy half the time
I want to enjoy life and be content with what I have
And blue only when I have the time
I want to allow myself to feel sadness or melancholy at times, without dwelling on it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sharter189
i didn't know of them before the story so far not gonna lie.. but i like this version way more after learning it on guitar!
@daraarktotis4612
Sharter189 have you got the video how to play it? can you please share it with me?)
@penuts17
Jets to Brazil too mane
@flashholt4562
P pl
Lpl ll0lLL pill l. L0 ppl
@penuts17
Yes this is a tune of a lifetime
@penuts17
Still is :)
@robertthomas9126
I don't comment on videos too often but I didn't want the shithead who doesn't like jawbreaker to be the only comment. What an underrated band that deserves any praise they get.
@bennubyrd
i see myself in this songwriter(s) because i am a good songwriter but whenever i play my songs they have this raw sound that makes you think of the song as a form... a certain kind of aesthetic
@plkhggthfgtgfyghfhjhllhg2719
Great song!
@gybsinparris6426
Crazy people aren't so fucking boring too true