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.
E Dagger
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can do anything [repeat]
Come on E; we got it covered
We can stop anytime [repeat]
Come on E; it's just a party
Let's go to party town
Then we can party down
Check out my funny hat
My name is Randal
I wrote you this song
Can't you see that all we need
Is one night to release?
It's bound to be the last
In all of its glory
Come on E;
Raise your glass to the sky
Drink to the song that plays,
Olden days, whatever
I just want to get
Randical
Don't be a bummer
Look at this summer day.
The sun is rising once again.
Yeah!
Can't we have just one night
Without all this self-destruction?
I just love my husband.
I can't live without him
Come on E; we're goin easy
It 's just a party
Time to get gnarly
Come on E; try to go easy
My name is Randal
It's nice to meet you
We are always here to make you laugh
The song "E Dagger" by Lagwagon is a high-energy, upbeat song about partying and letting loose. The song opens with the line "Come on E; try to go easy", which seems to be a plea to a friend or companion to set aside any reservations and enjoy the festivities. The chorus reinforces this message, repeating the lines "We can do anything" and "We can stop anytime". The focus is on living in the moment and having a good time without worrying about the consequences.
The lyrics continue with references to drinking ("Raise your glass to the sky / Drink to the song that plays"), as well as a playful description of the singer's funny hat and his introduction as Randal. The song continues to build in intensity as the singer implores everyone to let loose and "get gnarly". The final lines suggest that the party is a way to escape from the stresses of daily life, with the singer declaring "Can't we have just one night / Without all this self-destruction?".
Overall, "E Dagger" is a fun, high-energy song that celebrates the joys of living in the moment and letting loose. It is a perfect soundtrack for a night out with friends or a summer party.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on E; try to go easy
Let's take it slow and steady
We can do anything [repeat]
We are unstoppable
Come on E; we got it covered
We have everything under control
We can stop anytime [repeat]
We have the power to stop at any moment
Come on E; it's just a party
Let's not take things too seriously
Let's go to party town
Let's go out and have some fun
Then we can party down
Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest
Come on E;
Let's do this
Check out my funny hat
Look at this silly thing I'm wearing
My name is Randal
This is who I am
I wrote you this song
This is how I express myself
Can't you see that all we need
All we really need is this moment
Is one night to release?
Can we just let loose and have fun tonight?
It's bound to be the last
This may be our only chance to have this experience
In all of its glory
This is going to be amazing
Come on E;
Let's keep going
Raise your glass to the sky
Let's make a toast to this moment
Drink to the song that plays,
Let's celebrate the music
Olden days, whatever
Let's not think about the past
I just want to get Randical
I just want to have a great time
Don't be a bummer
Don't bring the mood down
Look at this summer day.
It's a beautiful day outside
The sun is rising once again.
A new day has started
Yeah!
Let's keep the energy high
Can't we have just one night
Can't we just have one moment of fun
Without all this self-destruction?
Without causing harm to ourselves
I just love my husband.
I'm dedicated to him
I can't live without him
He is an important part of my life
Come on E; we're goin easy
We're taking it easy
It's just a party
It's a simple social gathering
Time to get gnarly
Time to have some rough fun
My name is Randal
This is who I am
It's nice to meet you
Let's get to know each other better
We are always here to make you laugh
We're here to bring joy to your life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ovidio
on Never Stops
twin towers coming down