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.
Dividers
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As they describe your dreams
All that they deride
Until you have no allies
They depict a world where we aren't safe
Without hate
An angry mob of one
United we must kill
Here comes the fade
They will inflate your god
By default accomplice to their war
But I know where I stand
Born into the geographic call
But I won't elect to let my mind fall
No dividers
The lyrics of Lagwagon's song "Dividers" portrays a cynical view of society, where people are quick to judge and alienate each other. The "mirrors" symbolize the collective consciousness of society, which amplifies and distorts our individual dreams and desires, ultimately deriding us into isolation. The song criticizes the notion of hatred and its dangerous consequences. The phrase "An angry mob of one" implies how the power of anger and hate can drive individuals to act violently, leading to a perpetual cycle of war and destruction. The song emphasizes the importance of togetherness, asserting that we must stand united to combat these social evils. The phrase "United we must kill" depicts how we must eliminate the divisiveness caused by our prejudices and biases, which can only be achieved by collective effort.
In conclusion, Dividers is a thought-provoking song that calls for social awareness and action. It urges listeners to confront their own biases and prejudices and work together to create a more inclusive and harmonious society. The song serves as a warning against the dangers of hate and division, urging us to remain steadfast and united in the face of adversities.
Line by Line Meaning
All the mirrors scream
Reflecting back at you, the world around is so loud that it's impossible to ignore
As they describe your dreams
The world around you judges your aspirations and topics of interest
All that they deride
They mock and ridicule the things you believe in and the path you're taking
Until you have no allies
Their constant criticism and negativity make you feel all alone and powerless
They depict a world where we aren't safe
The media and society portray a bleak and terrifying world full of danger
Without hate
However, they say that the only way to fight this danger is with hatred towards those who are different from us
An angry mob of one
Each person becomes a single angry voice, shouting into the abyss, disconnected from others
Author of the unstoppable will
The individual becomes the mastermind behind a force that can't be stopped, with disastrous consequences
United we must kill
The solution that's being presented is one where we all unite to destroy the enemy, with violence as the means
Here comes the fade
This future that they're painting is empty and fading away before our very eyes
They will inflate your god
The people in power try to manipulate and control our beliefs and values for their own purposes
By default accomplice to their war
If we don't speak out against this manipulation and aggression, we become complicit in the harm that's being caused
But I know where I stand
Despite this overwhelming pressure, the singer is confident in their own beliefs and values
Born into the geographic call
They acknowledge that their background and upbringing do play a role in shaping their views, but it's not everything
But I won't elect to let my mind fall
However, they refuse to let their mind be corrupted by hate and fear, and will stand up for what they believe in
No dividers
Finally, the artist emphasizes that there should be no divisions between people based on differences, and we should all work towards unity and understanding
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ceaseless Cischarge
My favorite album from them. Also I love how in the outro they are channeling their inner All via Carnage. Anyone else hear the similarity?
SithBerserker1488
There's Another Version of this song I had on an old CD unfortunatelly it doesnt works any more, but that version kicks ass over this one, does anyone know about that? I've been searching for that version without results, and yes its "NO DIVIDERS" They say that same phrase with the same rythm but the whole song its much more hardcore and no its no "live" version.
THCMband
Best track on the album imo.
Kevin Siegel
this is the Very Song that made me start listening to LAGWAGON decades ago
Max Fect
Lagwagon a dictee ma vie!! Joublierai jamais !
Frank drunk & mostly Punk Cover songs
C’était fou à soir au Club soda !!! MTL !!!
Arthur Gerhardt
Best Album
acrophobe
most epic bridge in music history?
will H
good song.
kingblackhart
I think the other one they say "Oh divide us", but yea the lyrics are like totally different, idk what they were thinkin puttin this one on Blaze