1) Slapstick was a Chi… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Slapstick was a Chicago-based (many members were from Elgin, IL) ska/punk band active from 1993-1996, consisting of Brendan Kelly (vocals), Dan Andriano (bass), Dan Hanaway (trumpet), Matt Stamps (guitar), Rob Kellenberger (drums), and Peter Anna (trombone). They toured extensively and played endless shows in the greater Chicagoland area. They were signed to Asian Man Records. Reports exist that Slapstick turned down large amounts of money to sign to a major label, and instead broke up in 1996.
Following their 1996 breakup, the members of Slapstick went on to form a number of notable groups. Andriano, Stamps and Kellenberger formed Tuesday. Likewise, Kelly and Hanaway formed The Broadways with Rob DePaola and Tricky Dick guitarist Chris McCaughan. Tuesday eventually broke up in 1998 when Andriano took over bass duties for Alkaline Trio. The Broadways also broke up in 1998 with Kelly and McCaughan starting The Lawrence Arms, still active today. A little later, Hanaway and DePaola started The Honor System. In 2004, Andriano, Kelly, Neil Hennesey and former Rise Against guitarist Todd Mohney formed the supergroup The Falcon.
The Lawrence Arms recently performed Slapstick songs at the Asian Man Records 11th anniversary show after years of refusing, and occasionally mocking, fans' requests to play them at shows. They since added "Broken Down" to setlists on their 2007 tour.
2) Pre-Antidote (Netherlands) band.
Eighteen
Slapstick Lyrics
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Some days I just feel like looking far away
Well I've never understood why the closer you come to make your own decisions and be self-sufficient
Well you've gotta conform to the will of the world
Well she left right before I turned eighteen
Well I just really started missing her now
I know a girl who spent her summer here on my street
Freedom was her name
Now a new change tries to hold me in place
maturity and responsibility
where did she go, where did she go
Some days I don't feel like being inside
All day outside doesn't look too cold
She taught us how to play games and hold hands and be friends with each other
but we're not friends with each other anymore whoa
Well I guess this has got to be that way
Well I don't want any part of it at all
I know a girl who spent her summer here on my street
Freedom was her name
where did she go, where did she go
Now a new change tries to hold me in place
maturity and responsibility
where did she go, where did she go, where did she go
The lyrics to Slapstick's "Eighteen" speak to the struggle of growing up and facing the expectations and pressures of the adult world. The singer expresses a feeling of being trapped and yearning for a simpler time, all while acknowledging the need to conform to society's expectations. The song also touches on the idea of lost friendships and the passing of time.
The opening lines convey a sense of nostalgia for a time when the singer could escape from the realities of adult life. They long for the freedom to simply look far away and escape the pressures of being grown-up. The lyrics lament the fact that even though one may be self-sufficient and making their own decisions, they still have to conform to the will of society. The singer then reveals that someone special, a girl, left shortly before they turned eighteen, and they are just now beginning to miss her. The repetition of “where did she go” speaks to the fleeting nature of youth and how quickly time passes.
The second verse speaks to the longing for escapism and the sense of being trapped by new changes and responsibilities. The lyrics describe the singer’s desire to be outside and have fun, but they are now held back by the need to be mature and responsible. The song then touches on the idea of lost friendships, as the singer recalls a girl who spent a summer on their street and taught them how to be friends with each other. However, as they have grown older, they are no longer friends with each other anymore.
Overall, "Eighteen" conveys the universal struggle of growing up and facing the expectations of the world around us, while yearning for the simplicity and freedoms of youth.
Line by Line Meaning
Some days I don't feel like being grown-up
Sometimes I don't want to conform to the expectations of being an adult
Some days I just feel like looking far away
Sometimes I want to escape from reality
Well I've never understood why the closer you come to make your own decisions and be self-sufficient
I don't understand why taking control of my own life means I have to follow society's rules
Well you've gotta conform to the will of the world
But in reality, I have to follow the rules and expectations of society
Well she left right before I turned eighteen
The person who I cared about left me when I became legally an adult
Well I just really started missing her now
I am realizing how much I miss her now that I am more aware of my emotions
I know a girl who spent her summer here on my street
I know someone who was carefree and wild
Freedom was her name
She embodied the feeling of being free and unrestricted
where did she go, where did she go
I wonder where that carefree spirit went
Now a new change tries to hold me in place
Now I am expected to adhere to maturity and responsibility
maturity and responsibility
I am expected to grow up and fulfill my societal obligations
where did she go, where did she go
I still wonder where that carefree spirit went
Some days I don't feel like being inside
Sometimes I want to be free and enjoy the outdoors
All day outside doesn't look too cold
Even if it's cold outside, being free and unrestricted is worth it
She taught us how to play games and hold hands and be friends with each other
That carefree spirit showed us how to have fun and connect with others
but we're not friends with each other anymore whoa
But now that we are expected to fulfill our societal obligations, we have lost that connection with each other
Well I guess this has got to be that way
I guess this is just the way things are
Well I don't want any part of it at all
But I don't want to conform to it
where did she go, where did she go
I still wonder where that carefree spirit went
Contributed by Emily W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.