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
Fuck The Sex Pistols
Modern Life Is War Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was never purity.
Some say it's all over... stupid fucking jaded burnouts.
Young ones: carry on. Destroy and annoy.
Hey! x4
Fuck The Glory Days!
We don't care what you think.
We don't care what you say.
You don't get to decide
It's ours. Go Away. Shut up.
The opening lines of "Fuck The Sex Pistols" by Modern Life Is War paints a bleak image of the world - the grass was never green and there was never purity. These lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment and dissatisfaction with the society they are living in. The next line "Some say it's all over... stupid fucking jaded burnouts" is likely a reference to the Sex Pistols themselves, who were seen as symbolizing the end of punk rock's initial wave in the late 70s. The song encourages the younger generation to carry on the fight begun by the Sex Pistols, to "destroy and annoy" - in other words, to continue making noise and challenging authority.
The chorus of the song is a rallying cry against the idea of nostalgia for past "glory days" - "Fuck The Glory Days!" they shout. The repeating "Hey!"s that punctuate the chorus give it a sense of urgency and intensity. The final lines of the song are directed at those who would attempt to silence or patronize them - "We don't care what you think / We don't care what you say / You don't get to decide / It's ours. Go away. Shut up." This is a message to anyone who wants to reign in their youthful energy and rebellion, telling them that they won't be silenced or controlled.
Line by Line Meaning
The grass was never green.
The world was never a better place.
There was never purity.
There was never a time when everything was perfect.
Some say it's all over... stupid fucking jaded burnouts.
Some people believe that the good old days are gone and those still clinging to them are foolish and cynical.
Young ones: carry on. Destroy and annoy.
The younger generation should keep going, breaking down old barriers and causing disruption to bring about change.
Hey! x4
An exclamation to grab attention and rally support.
Fuck The Glory Days!
The past was not better, it was just different, and we should move forward instead of yearning for it.
We don't care what you think.
We are not interested in your opinions.
We don't care what you say.
We are not interested in listening to what you have to say.
You don't get to decide
You do not have the authority to dictate what we should do.
It's ours. Go Away. Shut up.
We have our own ideas and plans, so leave us alone and stop trying to impose your views on us.
Contributed by Carson J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.