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.
Sleep
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All is well I'm not insane
I've been drunk for seven days,
Everything is fine
I made some friends, broke the ice,
Then I some ate bread and cheese
To gain some weight,
Keep me warm everything's o.k.
[Chorus]
It's me delivering psychosis,
Over the phone to you
I color your world blue,
Ten thousand miles from you
I'm sinking all alone,
Treading new waters, I miss my buoy
The van smells like a dirty sock,
Everyone has got the flu
I'd rather be sick of you,
I'd rather be asleep
[Chorus]
When I get home, the band will have,
It's first hit song
you and I, will buy some rings,
And a suburban home
I'll bring home, the bacon bits,
We'll make our parents grandparents
I'll take you out, to breakfast at night,
And then we?ll go to sleep
The lyrics to Lagwagon's "Sleep" paint a picture of a lonely and bored musician who has been on the road for too long. The opening lines, "Hi it's, me I'm bored again, all is well I'm not insane" suggest that the singer is trying to convince himself that he's okay, even though he's clearly struggling.
The second verse talks about how he's been drunk for seven days and has made some friends, but still feels alone. He eats bread and cheese to gain weight and keep himself warm, which implies that he's not taking care of himself very well. The chorus is the most revealing, as the singer confesses to feeling psychotic and lonely, and describes sinking all alone, treading new waters while missing his buoy.
The third verse is more optimistic, as the singer daydreams about returning home where his band will have a hit song and he will settle down with someone special. He imagines buying rings and a suburban home, bringing home the bacon bits, and making his parents grandparents. The closing line, "And then we'll go to sleep" suggests that the singer is hoping for a peaceful and happy future.
Overall, "Sleep" is a poignant and honest exploration of the toll that life on the road can take on a musician. The lyrics capture the loneliness, boredom, and isolation that can go hand in hand with being away from home for extended periods of time. At the same time, the song also offers a glimmer of hope, as the singer looks forward to a future where he can find love and stability.
Line by Line Meaning
Hi it's, me I'm bored again,
I'm back to my same-old monotonous life
All is well I'm not insane
Despite the boredom, I'm not losing my sanity
I've been drunk for seven days,
In order to cope with this boring lifestyle, I've turned to alcohol
Everything is fine
I know things aren't really fine, but I'm trying to convince myself otherwise
I made some friends, broke the ice,
I managed to make a few friends to deal with the boredom
Then I some ate bread and cheese
To add some variation to my meals, I decided to eat bread and cheese
To gain some weight,
I'm trying to bulk up a bit, probably to increase my self-confidence
Keep me warm everything's o.k.
As long as I have food and warmth, I can tolerate this lifestyle
It's me delivering psychosis,
I'm going through a mental breakdown/episode
Over the phone to you
I'm confiding in someone, likely a loved one, through a phone call
I color your world blue,
My negative emotions are affecting those around me, making them feel sad as well
Ten thousand miles from you
I'm physically far away from the person I'm talking to
I'm sinking all alone,
I'm struggling with my own problems and facing them alone
Treading new waters, I miss my buoy
I'm trying new things, but I miss the comfort of my old ways
The van smells like a dirty sock,
The conditions I'm living in aren't ideal
Everyone has got the flu
The people around me are sick and feeling miserable
I'd rather be sick of you,
I'd rather be dealing with the problems of someone I love, rather than my own
I'd rather be asleep
I'd rather not deal with my problems and just sleep through them
When I get home, the band will have,
When I return home, the band will have achieved success
It's first hit song
Their music will be well-known and appreciated by many
you and I, will buy some rings,
When I return home, my partner and I will get engaged
And a suburban home
We'll start building our new life together in a peaceful suburban area
I'll bring home, the bacon bits,
I'll be able to provide for my partner and give them comfort through financial stability
We'll make our parents grandparents
We'll get married and start a family
I'll take you out, to breakfast at night,
I'll surprise my partner with romantic and unconventional dates
And then we'll go to sleep
We'll end our day together by falling asleep in each other's arms
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Fretwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Crenshaw Pete
One of the most underrated punk bands of that era. I know no one was really doing anything unique, but for some reason these guys had a dope sound.
bassage13
@ethan stern I LOVED all of these bands in the early 90's. Skating all day and listening to these bands. I still love them, but none of them were unique. They were all a mix between Bad Religion and Descendents. Nothing more. But , that's ok. I still love this stuff.
ethan stern
@bassage13 by that logic the ramones and the misfits werent unique either
Aceboom
I had no idea this song existed last week. I am now addicted.
Mauricio Solorzano
U should
Carlos Matos
check out the impossibles if you like lagwagon
Doug Kunkel
Welcome to the addiction of punk rock. 40+ years of addiction for me and still going.
a St
Used to listen to this on my mp3 back in the day before I went to sleep...
hidden gem
Melanorrhoea N
love this song
Tipi83
Love this whole album. \m/ :)