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.
Infectious
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thoughts unattached
Each one a failed synapses detached from fact
One positive, one negative
Desperate, holding on to healthy images
Remember witness, wattness, matters, we're not gonna make it
Provoking everyone but no one gives a
Half-sad, half-smile
Losing ability to recall his half-life
Burn from the stove
Keys locked inside
Dazed as impending anger turns up in reprise
Remember green light, keeper, easy and eyes on the road ahead
Provoking everyone with all the words he said
Infectious
I won't speak of all that would have been
Gained, lost, spent
But I won't think of all that could have been
Controlled, consumed
Thoughts unattached
Outburst, these images are melding in my head
Remember Franken, Milkweg, Lintfabrik
The weirdest we have seen
Fires and blown-out tires
Perfect tragedy
Infectious
I won't think of all that should have been
Waste, lost, spent
But I won't think of all that could have been
Goodbye old friend I won't speak of all that could have been
The lyrics of Lagwagon's "Infectious" are a somber reflection on the state of mental health of a person. The song highlights the uncontrollable thoughts experienced by the singer, thoughts detached from fact, and the inability to hold onto them. The person's negative thoughts are constantly provoking people, but no one seems to give them any attention, leading to a half-hearted response from everyone. The person's ability to recall their past is slowly diminishing, and they are consumed by anger due to their situation. The song ends with the singer bidding farewell to an old friend and trying to come to terms with the lost opportunities in their life.
The lyrics evoke a deep sense of melancholy, despair, and regret, making it one of Lagwagon's most emotional offerings. The song is a reminder of how important it is to pay attention to the mental well-being of those around us and seek help if required. It is a call to action for people to be more empathetic and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Controlled, consumed
Overwhelmed and dominated by a force that they have no control over
Thoughts unattached
Random, illogical thoughts that do not align with reality
Each one a failed synapses detached from fact
The person is experiencing a breakdown in their thought processes, and the synapses in their brain are not firing correctly
One positive, one negative
The person is experiencing contrasting emotions and feelings
Desperate, holding on to healthy images
Trying to cling to positive thoughts or memories to stave off negative feelings
Remember witness, wattness, matters, we're not gonna make it
Recalling past experiences where things did not go as planned and realizing that the outcome may be similar this time
Provoking everyone but no one gives a
Trying to stir up reactions from others, but nobody is responding
Half laugh, half sigh
Half-heartedly trying to mask negative emotions
Half-sad, half-smile
Feeling both happy and sad at the same time
Losing ability to recall his half-life
Feeling like they have barely lived and achieved anything significant
Burn from the stove
Getting hurt by something mundane and everyday
Keys locked inside
Feeling helpless and trapped in a situation that is their fault
Dazed as impending anger turns up in reprise
Feeling disoriented and confused while feelings of anger are resurfacing
Remember green light, keeper, easy and eyes on the road ahead
Recalling past advice to stay focused and look ahead instead of dwelling on the past
Provoking everyone with all the words he said
Causing others to react to their negative behavior and actions
Infectious
Their negative thoughts and behavior are spreading to others
I won't speak of all that would have been
Refusing to dwell on what could have been done differently in the past
Gained, lost, spent
Referring to time, energy, and resources that were either successful or resulted in failure
I won't think of all that could have been
Choosing to focus on the present and future instead of dwelling on what could have been
Outburst, these images are melding in my head
Experiencing a sudden and intense burst of negative thoughts and emotions
Remember Franken, Milkweg, Lintfabrik
Recalling unusual or unexpected past experiences
The weirdest we have seen
Those experiences were particularly strange or out of the ordinary
Fires and blown-out tires
The person has experienced unexpected and unfortunate events or accidents
Perfect tragedy
Describing the feeling of something going wrong that seemed inevitable or expected
Goodbye old friend
Possibly referring to the person's old self, which they are saying farewell to
I won't speak of all that could have been
Refusing to dwell on what could have been done differently in the past
Waste, lost, spent
Referring to time, energy, and resources that were either successful or resulted in failure
But I won't think of all that could have been
Choosing to focus on the present and future instead of dwelling on what could have been
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tonatiuh Ornelas
Controlled, consumed
Thoughts unattached
Each one a failed synapses detached from fact
One positive, one negative
Desperate, holding on to healthy images
Remember witness, wattness, matters, we're not gonna make it
Provoking everyone but no one gives a--
Half laugh, half sigh
Half-sad, half-smile
Losing ability to recall his half-life
Burn from the stove
Keys locked inside
Dazed as impending anger turns up in reprise
Remember green light, keeper, easy and eyes on the road ahead
Provoking everyone with all the words he said
Infectious
I won't speak of all that would have been
Gained, lost, spent
But I won't think of all that could have been
Controlled, consumed
Thoughts unattached
Outburst, these images are melding in my head
Remember Franken, Milkweg, Lintfabrik
The weirdest we have seen
Fires and blown-out tires
Perfect tragedy
Infectious
I won't speak of all that should have been
Waste, lost, spent
But I won't think of all that could have been
Goodbye old friend I won't speak of all that could have been
K V
"Goodbye old friend" always hits me right in the feels.
Arthur Gerhardt
Essa música parece infectada! Lagwagon é uma banda de incrível expressão psicodélica
Mike O'Malley
Another great lagwagon song with real substance. Definately looking forward to the new album.
J. Figueiredo
awesome song
Den E
great fuckin album!! RIP Derrick
ck
RIP MAN!!!!!!
Cha Cha
to who?
tonedefhimfan
Fire