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
Midnight In America
Modern Life Is War Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stare across the street at the funeral home.
And drive out past the factories on the gravel roads where it gets so dark.
And I can see all the stars and I feel so small 'round midnight.
The paper says the whole world is on fire. But this street is quiet.
The paper says the whole world is on fire. But this street is quiet...
And the silence is the violence of sex and dying in the middle classes.
The silence is the violence of sex and dying in the lower classes.
My love overflows. My skull overflows. But my heart never breaks.
We pray for petty things in our petty lives as if god has the time.
There is a reason we feel so small when we've lost our reason to thrive.
Everyone is fucked. Everyone is damned. But no one will open their eyes.
Have you ever heard a joke like this before? I raise a toast to a genius god.
I live in a big house with all of my friends. I sing these stupid songs.
I roam all these highways. I hope it never ends.
And when I think about it all it's almost too much to bear.
It's hell and it opens your eyes.
When I think about it all it's almost too much to bear.
It's heaven and it opens your eyes.
The song “Midnight in America” by Modern Life Is War is a powerful meditation on the state of the world and the way we live in it. The first few lines set the scene: the singer is sitting on his roof, smoking, looking out at the funeral home across the street. He drives past factories on gravel roads, and under the night sky, he feels small. The paper says that the world is on fire, but his street is quiet. Here, we see a dichotomy between the larger global issues that the singer is aware of and the smallness and mundanity of his own life.
The chorus speaks to a deeper sense of violence in the world. The silence of the night is underscored by the violence of sex and dying, which affects every class of society. The singer’s heart never breaks, but there is a sense of overwhelming apathy and despair: everyone is fucked, everyone is damned, but no one is willing to open their eyes. The final lines of the song offer a glimmer of hope: even though it’s almost too much to bear, the singer still roams the highways, still plays music with his friends. There is something to be found in camaraderie and the joy of living.
Line by Line Meaning
I sit on my roof and I smoke.
I sit on the rooftop smoking while looking across the street at the funeral home.
Stare across the street at the funeral home.
I gaze at the funeral home standing across the street.
And drive out past the factories on the gravel roads where it gets so dark.
I drive through the dark roads past factories located in remote areas.
And I can see all the stars and I feel so small 'round midnight.
Amidst the midnight sky, I witness countless stars making me feel tiny and insignificant.
The paper says the whole world is on fire. But this street is quiet.
While the newspaper displays the global chaos, my silent neighborhood contradicts the news.
And the silence is the violence of sex and dying in the middle classes.
Despite the calmness, the middle classes' silence connotes the turbulence of their sex and dying realities.
The silence is the violence of sex and dying in the lower classes.
The lower classes' silence exposes the violence within their sexual and death-related circumstances.
The silence is the violence of sex and dying in the upper classes.
The upper classes' silence reveals the cruel facets of their sex and death realm.
My love overflows. My skull overflows. But my heart never breaks.
I have excessive love, thoughts, and emotions, yet my heart remains intact.
We pray for petty things in our petty lives as if god has the time.
We pray to God for insignificant aspects of our mundane lives, as if God has the time to bother with it all.
There is a reason we feel so small when we've lost our reason to thrive.
When we lose our motivation to succeed in life, it is natural to feel insignificant and powerless.
Everyone is fucked. Everyone is damned. But no one will open their eyes.
We all live in a messed-up world, but no one acknowledges its chaos and misery.
Have you ever heard a joke like this before? I raise a toast to a genius god.
I make a toast to a brilliant God while asking if anyone has heard such humor previously.
I live in a big house with all of my friends. I sing these stupid songs.
I reside in a mansion with my pals where we sing trivial songs.
I roam all these highways. I hope it never ends.
I traverse through the long highways with a hope of endless wandering.
And when I think about it all it's almost too much to bear.
The more I reflect on everything, it almost becomes unbearable.
It's hell and it opens your eyes.
The reality is dire, but it delivers a harsh truth.
It's heaven and it opens your eyes.
Despite the darkness, it puts forth the truth that might lead you to salvation.
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.