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.
Name Dropping
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kevin hates the girls he dates
Mia says she's gonna snap I need a new car to drive away
Derek beats up all his girlfriends
Jessie like to comb his hair
Hanacek is on the wagon, I tried not to speak today
[Chorus]
I left them there and found them here
I was rarely smart enough to dodge the careless words
You find them everywhere it breaks you into two
Emily had sex with Joey
Chris is weird he must be gay
Everyone is smoking h and I tried hard to laugh today
Every word you hear you repeat
Every word you repeat you change
Here's a quarter there's a phone, why don't you call someone who cares
[Chorus]
I left them there and found them here, it breaks me into two
The lyrics to Lagwagon's "Name Dropping" depict a group of friends with various problems and issues. Cristy is struggling with pressure, Kevin hates the girls he dates, Mia is on the verge of snapping, Derek abuses his partners, Jessie is vain about his appearance, and Hanacek is in recovery. The chorus speaks to the idea that no matter how hard you try, life's careless words will always come back to hurt you, and the repetition of these words alters their meaning over time. The final lines of the song suggest a desire to escape these toxic relationships and find solace elsewhere.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of frustration and helplessness in the face of the problems of those around you. The repeated theme of careless words and their destructive power speaks to the idea that sometimes the most harmful things can be unintentional, but that doesn't negate their impact. The final line, "It breaks me into two," reinforces the idea that these relationships and situations have a real, tangible effect on the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Cristy can't take all the pressure
Cristy is struggling to cope with the demands placed on her.
Kevin hates the girls he dates
Kevin is unhappy with the women he sees romantically.
Mia says she's gonna snap. I need a new car to drive away
Mia is close to breaking down, and feels that getting a new car will help her escape her problems.
Derek beats up all his girlfriends
Derek is abusive towards his romantic partners.
Jessie like to comb his hair
Jessie is preoccupied with his appearance and grooming habits.
Hanacek is on the wagon, I tried not to speak today
Hanacek has given up alcohol, and the singer is making an effort to not mention it or potentially cause him to relapse.
[Chorus] You slip and fall they pick you up and throw you down again
Life is full of setbacks, and people can sometimes help you recover from them only to hurt you again.
I left them there and found them here
The artist has moved on from their previous friends, but has since encountered similar toxic patterns in new people.
I was rarely smart enough to dodge the careless words
The artist has a tendency to internalize other people's negative remarks and insult themselves as a result.
You find them everywhere it breaks you into two
Toxic people and situations can be found in many places, and can have a damaging impact on one's emotional state.
Emily had sex with Joey
Emily and Joey had a sexual encounter.
Chris is weird he must be gay
Chris behaves in a way that the artist perceives as unusual or unconventional, leading them to assume he is gay (which is not a fair or accurate assumption).
Everyone is smoking h and I tried hard to laugh today
Those around the singer are using drugs and it's causing them distress, but they are trying to hide their true feelings by laughing.
Every word you hear you repeat
The singer takes what others say to heart and may unintentionally echo their words or attitudes.
Every word you repeat you change
As the singer internalizes and repeats others' words, their meaning for those words may shift or evolve.
Here's a quarter there's a phone, why don't you call someone who cares
The artist is dismissive of those around them, believing that they won't find genuine support or concern from anyone nearby.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MattChacal
tha chorus in this song are amazing!
@CelsiusDrumz
fukn rad when there's so many you can't even decide. That's when you know a band rules
@BrandenWerthRules
Derrick was a drumming god.
@johnrot7790
Maybe the best Lagwagon song of them all? Best guitar solo?
@ilcobradiravacciano
GREAT song
@tommyposer1234
Agree that it's among the top 3, but I also think the ones from "Rifle" are sick, as well a couple from Trashed (how about Stokin the Neighbours and Rust?).
@destroyreligion
best lagwagon riff? yeahhhhhhh
@BuBuBDunk
@destroyreligion Used to put this song on repeat just for the riff hahaha
@noddynuff7100
I've got signed drumsticks from 98 in Australia. Dave bug