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.
Move the Car
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The story is no story here
I never knew what it is,
And there's no sign of it ending
As I am it and ought to be,
They're telling me I am
[Chorus]
Superficial hitman you're
On the list at every door,
You don't bowl or race fast cars
Composition competition you drive
Just because I don't go,
To the church where you reside
I might as well go for it,
The nineties won't be back again
Until I'm forty-eight years old
I can be the hungry,
As I eat my words again,
Appealing yet apalling
Rising to my falling,
I'm going to extreme ends,
I'm gagging on their scene
[Chorus]
You shift, I'm the driver,
Over time in it's defense,
I move their car
And for a moment it makes sense,
But I fail them in the end
In the arms of old age,
Knowing only one to lose
Feeling nothing more to hide,
Consider life a forgery
As you're gagging on your scene,
Admit to fraudulence
Driven to this thought,
Death is certain, faith is not
[Chorus]
Composition competition
You drive competition
Competition
I'm losing I fail it in the end
The song “Move the Car” by Lagwagon represents a struggle of identity, the fear of conformity and death. The opening lines, “The story it grows older, the story is no story here /I never knew what it is, and there’s no sign of it ending /As I am it and ought to be, they’re telling me I am” suggests that the singer's story, (possibly his life), is dull or unfulfilling, unaccomplished and stagnant. He's struggling with his identity, trying to understand who he is and where he stands in relation to the rest of the world. He's questioning the expectations others have on him based on his projected image or persona.
The chorus is a commentary on the pressure to conform to societal norms, to be someone you're not, or to be good at things that aren’t important to you. The lines, “Bowling race car driver, superficial hitman you're /On the list at every door, you don't bowl or race fast cars” suggest someone who is trying to fit in by pretending to be good at activities they are not. It is a critique of our society's obsession with status symbols and the need to perform and compete to maintain a certain image or position.
The lines, “In the arms of old age, knowing only one to lose /Feeling nothing more to hide, consider life a forgery” captures a sense of despair towards the end of the song. As the singer ages, he realizes that his life wasn't meaningful, and he has nothing to show for it. He's accepted his fate, admitting that he is guilty of being fake or insincere in his life choices. The final line, “Driven to this thought, death is certain, faith is not” is a reflection on the inevitability of death and the uncertainty of an afterlife. It's an introspective moment and the singer taking stock and accounting for it.
Overall, the song's message is a commentary on identity, conformity, and the inevitability of death. The singer is grappling with the reality of his life and the pressure to conform to societal norms. The song warns against the dangers of faking it and pressures to compete and encourages authenticity and individualism.
Line by Line Meaning
The story it grows older,
The situation keeps evolving over time.
The story is no story here
There is no clear plot or narrative in this situation.
I never knew what it is,
I don't understand what's going on or why.
And there's no sign of it ending
It seems like this situation will never be resolved.
As I am it and ought to be,
I am who I am supposed to be, according to others.
They're telling me I am
Others are defining my identity for me.
[Chorus]
Refrain
Bowling race car driver,
You claim to be something you're not.
Superficial hitman you're
You prioritize surface-level appearances and instant gratification.
On the list at every door,
You try to be a part of everything, but don't commit to anything.
You don't bowl or race fast cars
You don't actually participate in the things you claim to be good at.
Composition competition you drive
You are constantly comparing yourself to others and trying to outdo them.
Just because I don't go,
I don't conform to your expectations or beliefs.
To the church where you reside
To the places or groups you identify with.
I might as well go for it,
I might as well pursue my own goals and desires.
The nineties won't be back again,
The things you're nostalgic for are long gone and won't come back.
Until I'm forty-eight years old
It will be a while for me to gain the wisdom and experience to understand this.
I can be the hungry,
I can be ambitious and driven.
As I eat my words again,
As I admit my mistakes or failures.
Appealing yet apalling
The things that attract us can also be the things that repulse us.
Rising to my falling,
Trying to succeed despite previous setbacks or failures.
I'm going to extreme ends,
I'm taking drastic measures to achieve my goals.
I'm gagging on their scene
I'm sick of conforming to others' expectations and beliefs.
You shift, I'm the driver,
You try to control me, but I'm the one making the decisions.
Over time in its defense,
As this situation progresses, I realize its value or importance.
I move their car
I try to influence or change the course of events.
And for a moment it makes sense,
For a brief period of time, everything seems clear and logical.
But I fail them in the end
Ultimately, my attempts to control or influence the situation are unsuccessful.
In the arms of old age,
As I get older and closer to death.
Knowing only one to lose
Realizing that we can't win them all, and that loss is inevitable.
Feeling nothing more to hide,
Being completely open and honest about who we are and what we want out of life.
Consider life a forgery
Viewing life as something fake or inauthentic, because of the pressure to conform to the expectations of others.
As you're gagging on your scene,
As you're struggling to reconcile your own desires with the expectations of others.
Admit to fraudulence
Acknowledging that we are not perfect, and that our attempts to conform to others' expectations may be insincere.
Driven to this thought,
Coming to the conclusion that we need to live our own lives and follow our own goals, rather than trying to please everyone else.
Death is certain, faith is not
Acknowledging the inevitability of death, and the uncertainty of what comes after.
Composition competition
A constant struggle to compete with and outdo others in terms of creativity or achievement.
You drive competition
You are driven to compete and outdo others, even if it's at the expense of your own desires or authenticity.
Competition
The drive to succeed at all costs, even if it means sacrificing our own identity or happiness.
I'm losing I fail it in the end
Acknowledging that sometimes, despite our best efforts, we cannot overcome the pressure to conform to others' expectations, and ultimately fail to achieve our own goals or desires.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Hierholzer
R.I.P. Derrick. Your style will never be replicated.
Santiago
Great song from the most creative punk/melodic-hardcore band i've ever heard. I'm not very sure what are the lyrics about, but i guess they refer to apathetic and fearful people who let circunstances and beliefs guide their lives. Similar to "Roadhouse Blues" from The Doors: "Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel". Well, I think this song is a critic to those who don't follow Morrison's advice.
Dmitrii Belov
an amazing combination of melody, rhythm, energy.
AwnChron
Love this song. A classic.
mike throwmason
ain't no doubt about it brah!! Every song on this album rips!!!!!!!
jawtruck519
Derrick was fucking tight, especially this song. RIP brother
New Hire
You can really hear RKL influence in the older Lagwagon stuff.
afrodita resaqueada
Fucking great drummer...
fuzzygreenturtle _
I heard this in Hot Topic the other day and had to Shazam it cause I had to know what it was.
BallsAtFace
Fucking great everything