Modern Life Is War 7-inch EP was released through Lifeline Records in early 2002. Their two subsequent studio albums, 2003's My Love. My Way. and 2005's Witness are now available through the Deathwish Inc. record label, which is owned and operated by Converge singer Jacob Bannon.
In mid-2005, after the release of Witness, guitarist Matt Hoffman and bassist Chris Honeck left the band. They were replaced by Sjarm 13 and Tim Churchman, respectively. On February 9, 2007, M.L.I.W. announced that they had inked a record deal with Equal Vision Records. The band's third full length album, Midnight in America, was released on August 21, 2007 to positive reviews.
On February 19, 2008, the band announced on their Myspace page that they would be breaking up, and that they were planning one final American tour, starting March 29 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and reconvening on April 26 in the band's hometown of Marshalltown. In a separate interview conducted several weeks before the tour, the band members discussed their hopes and achievements in playing together for the last six years: "I hope that we have made some people feel less alone. I hope we have motivated people to think for themselves; to be themselves and to take action. Punk rock changed our lives, and I hope that we as a band contributed something to keep the whole thing going. We are leaving soon, but the future is unwritten..."
In September 2012, the original lineup reunited and wrote an album in John Eich's basement. Modern Life is War formally announced its reunion in April 2013 and the intent to record and release the new album through Deathwish by September 2013. The band didn't expect to heavily tour during the reunion; as of April 2013, Modern Life Is War were only booked to headline This Is Hardcore Festival and a record release show. Retrospectively, Modern Life is War wished they hadn't broken up, but instead scaled back their efforts so they could do it, "without so much stress and life crushing commitment." The band released their fourth studio album Fever Hunting on September 9, 2013 through Deathwish, which was produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge. Modern Life is War embarked on a six-date tour in celebration of the new album in October 2013.
Jeffrey Eaton - Vocals
John Paul Eich - Guitar
Matt Hoffman - Guitar
Chris Honeck - Bass
Tyler Oleson - Drums
Big City Dream
Modern Life Is War Lyrics
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"You gotta be humble in this life."
But my shoulders tell me that ain't right
as I race down the stairs and step out into the night.
I scan the city skyline...
smoking like a neon mechanized Christ.
So I walk with intent towards my salvation.
Thoughts rise and fall... sharpen my mind into a razor.
I try to sense impending danger.
There's a bum on the corner with his shopping cart filled with plastic bags.
Somedays I would wonder how he got there.
Not tonight, I don't care.
Steam rising up from the gutter... shining in the headlights of passing cars.
The sound of distant sirens drowned out by thick concrete walls.
My state of mind makes me all alone on this platform in this subway station.
If you can make it here... no one will care.
I see faces cut by lines of weariness.
Intelligent eyes hardened by cynical resignation.
I catch my reflection... my face is changing too.
I find the reasons while I suffer
just like all the others.
Up the stairs into a hazy dream.
I hear the neons scream.
I hear the billboards scream.
Fields of concrete stretching infinitely.
The industries that made us free...
with money to spend on all the wrong things.
I get down on my knees.
The crowds rush past me.
I pray to no one and I feel nothing. x2
The song "Big City Dream" by Modern Life Is War is a reflection on the difficulties of living in a bustling metropolis. The lyrics describe the chaos and noise of the city, with the singer feeling overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of sensory stimuli. Despite the advice to "be humble in this life," the singer's shoulders tell him that he needs to be tough to survive in this harsh environment. He walks with purpose, trying to see into the future and sense any impending danger.
As he makes his way through the city, the singer observes the homeless and downtrodden, acknowledging their presence but ultimately feeling too overwhelmed to care. He feels alone, even on a crowded subway platform surrounded by weary and jaded faces. The city and its industries are portrayed as soulless, with people spending money on all the wrong things.
The song ends with the singer getting down on his knees and praying to no one, feeling nothing. This suggests a sense of hopelessness and despair in the face of the overwhelming challenges of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
The last words I heard before I slammed the door...
I remember the words of advice given to me as I was leaving, to stay humble in life
"You gotta be humble in this life."
Admonition to be modest in this existence.
But my shoulders tell me that ain't right
However, my body language tells me otherwise
as I race down the stairs and step out into the night.
As I take rapid steps down the stairway and emerge out into the dark streets
I scan the city skyline...
I observe and study the outline of the cityscape that spreads before me
smoking like a neon mechanized Christ.
A city that is ablaze with dazzling light similar to an automated religious figure of worship
So I walk with intent towards my salvation.
I stride with a determined purpose towards my personal liberation
Thoughts rise and fall... sharpen my mind into a razor.
My thoughts come and go, honing my mind into a sharp, cutting instrument
I try to see into the future.
I contemplate what lies ahead in time
I try to sense impending danger.
I attempt to detect any imminent harm or risk
There's a bum on the corner with his shopping cart filled with plastic bags.
On the street's edge there is a vagrant pushing a trolley filled with plastic receptacles
Somedays I would wonder how he got there.
Sometimes I speculate on how he ended up in this situation
Not tonight, I don't care.
Not today, I lack the curiosity to know
Steam rising up from the gutter... shining in the headlights of passing cars.
The mist rising up from the watercourse... reflected in the glint of moving vehicles' headlights
The sound of distant sirens drowned out by thick concrete walls.
The blaring sirens in the distant are stifled by the dense walls of concrete
My state of mind makes me all alone on this platform in this subway station.
My state of mind makes me feel solitary on this subway platform
If you can make it here... no one will care.
If you succeed in this environment of New York, nobody would mind
I see faces cut by lines of weariness.
I observe faces marked by tiredness and fatigue
Intelligent eyes hardened by cynical resignation.
Intelligent eyes that have become toughened by a cynical acceptance.
I catch my reflection... my face is changing too.
I glimpse a reflection of myself... witnessing a transformation in my features
I find the reasons while I suffer
I discover the motives for my hardship
just like all the others.
Like everyone else does
Up the stairs into a hazy dream.
Ascending a staircase into an uncertain, hazy realm
I hear the neons scream.
I hear the bright neon lights scream out to me
I hear the billboards scream.
I hear the advertisements squall from the billboards
Fields of concrete stretching infinitely.
Endless fields of concrete sprawl before me
The industries that made us free...
The commercial entities that promised liberty to us
with money to spend on all the wrong things.
With plenty of wealth to expend on all the unworthy aspects
I get down on my knees.
I descend on my knees
The crowds rush past me.
A swarm of people streams hurriedly beside me
I pray to no one and I feel nothing. x2
I pray aimlessly to nobody in particular and sense emptiness within me twice
Contributed by Gianna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.