The band has 11 releases through Fat Wreck Chords: eight studio albums, one EP, one live album and a collection of B-sides, compilation tracks and demos. Lagwagon has never had, nor have they seemed to pursue, strong mainstream success, but they do have a devoted underground following in North America, Europe and Asia. Their moderate success reflected a growing interest in punk rock during the 1990s, along with fellow California bands Rancid, Green Day and The Offspring. Their song 'May 16' was also featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.
The story about the name Lagwagon is that Joey’s mom was often late picking him and his brother up from school. She drove a station wagon, which his brother dubbed the "lagwagon". After signing to Fat Mike's label Fat Wreck Chords, Lagwagon released their debut album for the label, Duh, in 1992. Frontman Joey Cape commented on how the album was made, "Back then, we were inexperienced in the studio. It was less about the recording process and more about rehearsing. We recorded and mixed Duh in 4 days. There's something to be said for a budget. You have to have your shit together before you go into the studio and the end result is a record that better reflects the band's sound at the time." Two years later, Lagwagon released Trashed, their second record on Fat, which turned out to be highly successful, leading to the eventual production of a video for "Island of Shame." During this time, a number of punk bands, such as Green Day, The Offspring and Rancid, had hit the mainstream and Lagwagon turned down offers to join several major labels. Hoss, the third Lagwagon album, was released on November 21, 1995. After the release of that album and an extensive tour in Europe, Australia, and Japan, both guitarist Shawn Dewey and drummer Derrick Plourde would leave the band and be replaced temporarily by Ken Stringfellow (The Posies) on guitar, and permanently by Dave Raun (RKL) on drums. Shawn Dewey, already in the side project band Buck Wild on Lobster Records would go on to release two full-length LPs Beat Me Silly and Full Metal Overdrive and do two European tours with Good Riddance and Ten Foot Pole.
After two more albums, Double Plaidinum and Let's Talk About Feelings, the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2000, due to all members working on side projects. Lagwagon resurfaced in 2002, and released their sixth album Blaze the following year. In 2004, frontman Joey Cape released a split album with No Use for a Name vocalist Tony Sly featuring acoustic versions of songs by both bands. On November 1, 2005, Lagwagon released Resolve, which is a homage to the life of Derrick Plourde, original drummer for Lagwagon and Bad Astronaut.
In 2008, Lagwagon released an EP titled I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon. Despite earlier reports that the band would begin recording their next full-length studio album by 2009, Lagwagon had gone on hiatus from touring and writing again, due to Cape launching a solo career, releasing Bridge in 2008 and Doesn't Play Well with Others in 2010.
In January 2010, Joey Cape announced during an interview with Canada's Exclaim! magazine[4] that Jesse Buglione had left Lagwagon, having been with the band since its foundation in 1990. However, Cape dismissed rumors of Lagwagon breaking up. While he was not sure if Lagwagon would record a new album or embark on another full-scale tour, he said that he was open to playing shows and possibly recording and releasing new Lagwagon songs sporadically. Jesse Buglione confirmed his departure on Lagwagon's official message board himself, as reported by sputnikmusic.com and punknews.org. Lagwagon toured with No Use for a Name that summer. In an interview with fasterlouder.com.au Joey Cape, revealed former RKL bassist Joe Raposo is Lagwagon's new bassist. In a June 2011 interview with ExploreMusic however, Joey Cape said that things didn't work out with Raposo, and the band is testing a new bassist. After first announcing Patrick Solem as the new bass player in August 2011, the band decided that Raposo would remain in the band permanently.
On September 22, 2011, Fat Wreck announced they would be re-issuing expanded editions of the first 5 albums on CD, vinyl, and digital download. The albums were available both separately and in a box set titled Putting Music In Its Place. The reissues were released November 22, 2011, with a short line-up of concerts in the USA played in December and January, and a European tour following in April 2012. As of October 2012, Lagwagon is headlining a full U.S. tour titled The Fat Tour 2012, with Dead To Me, The Flatliners, and Useless ID as support.
In October 2012, Joey Cape stated that there will be a new Lagwagon album, which will be their first since 2005's Resolve. While details and release dates are not yet known, the band announced on its Twitter feed that songs are being written for a new album. The September 22 Tweet reads, "Writing, writing, writing. New album... It's gonna happen!"
The band recorded their eighth album, Hang, with Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room, Ft Collins, CO. The album was released on October 28, 2014, and debuted at #95 on the Billboard 200.
On October 4, 2019, the band released their ninth studio album Railer.
Dancing The Collapse
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Combine and collapse.
Dancing with none
White is for "so dumb"
Blue is for "numb"
Yellow the streaks on their backs.
They all step in line I'm just a rug
Under the foot prints of strangers
This one's for Jimmy and two more for me
It's something you sell to your self
It absolves you of your role
Accidental
Pardoned the repeat offenders toll
They missed the last week's wake
It's cold
Find yourself here now.
Dance the collapse
Those aging children,
They all know the steps
I'm just a bug
Under the rug
Under the reap
Absent
Under the gray
Under the grief
Absent
Under the myth
Under the meek
Absent
Under courage
Under caring
Absent
Understudy
Understudy
Absent
Understudy
Understudy
Absent
The lyrics to Lagwagon's "Dancing the Collapse" are open to interpretation, but there are a few themes that come to mind: conformity, apathy, and the struggle to find meaning in life. The song opens with the lines "Already here now, already done / Combine and collapse." These lines suggest that the world is already set in motion and there is little we can do to change it. The next line, "Dancing with none," implies a sense of isolation or feeling out of place, perhaps because the singer does not conform to societal norms.
The next three lines use colors to describe emotions: "White is for 'so dumb' / Blue is for 'numb' / Yellow the streaks on their backs." White is associated with innocence or ignorance, while blue suggests sadness or depression. Yellow is a more ambiguous color, but could suggest cowardice or untrustworthiness. The following lines convey a sense of powerlessness: "They all step in line I'm just a rug / Under the footprints of strangers." The singer feels like a small, insignificant part of a larger system, unable to control his own fate.
The second half of the song introduces the idea of absolution: "This one's for Jimmy and two more for me / It's something you sell to yourself / It absolves you of your role." The singer seems to be trying to justify his own lack of agency or responsibility, perhaps by telling himself that he is not alone in his suffering. The final stanza repeats the phrase "Understudy / Absent" multiple times, suggesting a sense of emptiness or lack of purpose. Overall, the song conveys a sense of disillusionment and hopelessness, but also acknowledges the struggle to find meaning in a world that can feel overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Already here now, already done
The singer feels that time is passing quickly and every event is already over before they can even fully experience it.
Combine and collapse
The world around us is deteriorating and falling apart, and everything is coming together to cause this collapse.
Dancing with none
People are moving with purpose, but they are not actually dancing with anyone. They are isolated and disconnected.
White is for 'so dumb'
The color white often represents innocence and purity, but in this case, it represents ignorance and foolishness.
Blue is for 'numb'
Blue is usually associated with sadness, but here it represents numbness or a lack of emotion.
Yellow the streaks on their backs
The singer is referencing the yellow streaks left behind by animals, implying that these people are like animals mindlessly following one another.
They all step in line I'm just a rug
The singer feels like they are being walked all over and not given a chance to stand out in a world where everyone conforms to the same ideas.
Under the foot prints of strangers
The artist feels like they are being trampled on by people they do not know and who do not care about them.
All I need, all I know
The artist feels like they have everything they need, but they are also limited by the knowledge they possess.
This one's for Jimmy and two more for me
The artist is dedicating this moment or song to someone named Jimmy and two more for themself, possibly implying that they have lost people they care about.
It's something you sell to your self
The concept of happiness or success is something that people try to convince themselves they have achieved, even when they have not.
It absolves you of your role
The concept of success or happiness is often used to absolve people of their responsibilities and to justify neglecting them.
Accidental
Things often happen by accident or chance, and the outcomes cannot be controlled
Pardoned the repeat offenders toll
People who repeat the same mistakes are often forgiven, but this only enables them to continue in their negative behavior.
They missed the last week's wake
The people being referred to were not present at someone's funeral or memorial service, possibly implying that they do not appreciate or value human life.
It's cold
Life can be harsh and unfeeling, and people can become jaded and emotionally drained as a result.
Find yourself here now.
The artist is asking the listener to take a moment to reflect and evaluate their current situation in life.
Dance the collapse
Rather than being consumed by the collapse of society, people should embrace it and find a way to dance through the destruction.
Those aging children, they all know the steps
Even as people age, they still cling to the same ideas and routines they learned as children, and these habits are passed down from generation to generation.
I'm just a bug under the rug
The artist feels small and insignificant, like a bug hiding under a rug, and they are being ignored or overlooked by those around them.
Under the reap absent
Underneath the surface issues and struggles, there is a deeper sense of absence and emptiness.
Under the gray absent
The color gray represents neutrality and a lack of emotion, implying that there is a lack of substance or depth to life.
Under the grief absent
Underneath the sadness and pain in life, there is a deeper sense of absence or void.
Under the myth absent
Beliefs and myths that society holds onto are often used to fill a void or provide comfort, even if they are not true.
Under the meek absent
The meek and powerless are often ignored or oppressed by those with more power or influence, leading to a deeper sense of absence or void.
Under courage absent
Even with acts of courage or bravery, there can still be a sense of emptiness or lack of true purpose or fulfillment.
Under caring absent
Even when people try to show kindness and compassion, there can still be a sense of absence or lack of genuine connection or understanding.
Understudy
The idea of being an understudy implies being in the background or in a supporting role, rather than being in the spotlight or in control.
Understudy
Being an understudy means being prepared to step in when needed, but also being overlooked or undervalued most of the time.
Absent
Overall, the theme of the song is the absence or emptiness that people can feel, even in the midst of seemingly significant or exciting events or circumstances.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
G K
01:30.. goosebumps all over, everytime.
Bill Koni
Dance the collapse, bro
Sarah Schott
My youth = Lagwagon-I love them forever!
Matt Young
Listening to my old favorite band in 2021!
B Cary
i love this song and band.. amazin :P
Kevin Swift
thats right Joey Caper Cape! these guys are sick!
mark draker88
Much years listen too