The Caterer brothers were raised on rock 'n' roll and crooners like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. In 1980 Matt got a guitar, Josh a bass guitar and Eli a drum set and they began to play together. Soon after, their eyes were opened to the world of the Ramones and punk rock. Other early musical influences included Mel Tormé, Tom Waits, The Replacements, The Smiths, early AC/DC, The Cars, and Dinosaur Jr.
In 1990 Matt and Josh, calling themselves Speedstick, got a gig at a party and played approximately 10 original punk-style compositions. About this time, Matt switched to bass and Dave Martens joined as drummer. Josh became an Elvis Costello fan and his style, accordingly, became more pop influenced. Speedstick recorded 10 songs in their first studio session, including "Brand New Hairstyle," which would become a staple of the Smoking Popes repertoire.
They changed the band's name, taking "Smoking" from Matt and Josh's penchant for excessive cigarette smoking and "Popes" from the movie "The Pope of Greenwich Village." (The band's original name was simply the "Popes", but it was decided to add the adjective to distinguish the band from the Chicago gang The Popes.)
Martens, disenchanted with the band's musical direction, stopped attending rehearsals and the Caterers recruited Mike Felumlee of Article One to replace him.
In 1991, the band released five tracks recorded during their Speedstick days as the Innoculator EP, with local indie label Radius Records. With the proceeds and what other funding they could scratch together, the Smoking Popes bankrolled the recording of the Break Up EP in 1992. In February Eli Caterer joined as a second guitarist and in October Break Up was released. They played as often as possible in the Chicago area and ventured occasionally to small venues in Indiana and Tennessee.
In 1993 the band recorded their best-yet compositions on the 2 EP. They also recorded a split 7" single with Groovy Love Vibes. GLV vocalist Erik Pertl guested on the Popes' track "Leather and Lace" and Josh guested on the GLV track "Goodtime Music."
The band got a break when pop punk icon Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel became a fan and used his connections to recruit Mass Giorgini of Squirtgun to produce the Smoking Popes' first LP, Get Fired. With their improved status, the band scored a three-week tour with The Bollweevils and played to bigger audiences.
That year also saw the release of two Popes tracks from the same sessions as the Break Up EP. "Run Away" and "Let's Hear It for Love" appeared on the "It's a Punk Thing... You Wouldn't Understand" compilation on Shakefork Records.
For the follow-up to Get Fired the band worked with producer Phil Bonnet, who also produced much of their early material. "Need you Around," which would later launch Smoking Popes to a huge audience via the soundtrack to the movie Clueless, was recorded in December.
In early 1994 the band opened for Green Day, who extended the invitation after hearing Get Fired. In mid-1994 the Popes finished their new album, Born to Quit. After "Need You Around" took off on alternative radio, they opened for Elastica and gained the attention of record label scouts. They signed with Capitol Records, which rereleased Born to Quit. In a promotional blitz, they toured America with the Goo Goo Dolls and Tripping Daisy.
In 1996 The Clueless soundtrack was released in the UK and "Need You Around" was dropped as a single to capitalize on their newfound popularity there. It was promptly designated "Single of the Week" by the New Musical Express. They toured England and Scotland for a couple of weeks, then crossed back over the Pond to tour with Jawbreaker.
Despite the touring, album sales didn't meet Capitol's expectations and it became clear that the band had to deliver a hit. Producer Jerry Finn, who had added gloss to the sound of Green Day and Rancid, was brought in to do the same for Smoking Popes. In September they toured with labelmates Jimmy Eat World.
The start of 1997 brought dissatisfied label execs who insisted they didn't hear a single among the tracks Smoking Popes submitted for the new album. The band spent six months writing and demoing songs until Capitol was finally determined that new song "I Know You Love Me" had commercial potential. However, the label fired the Popes' A&R representative and the new album was shelved.
After negotiations, Destination Failure was released in August. At this point Tom Counihan, a.k.a Tom Daily, joined the band as a touring guitarist. In October they began to tour with alternative icon Morrissey, who said of Born to Quit, "[it's] extraordinary, the most lovable thing I'd heard in years."
Album sales picked up and the band garnered new fans at every stop. Still, the label couldn't be convinced to devote significant resources to promotion.
In 1998 the band toured with Triple Fast Action and Menthol. Afterward, the band decided to record a covers album, which would fulfill their contract with Capitol.
Around this time Josh became very involved in Christianity and wanted to devote his work to his faith. The label rejected the new album but released Smoking Popes from their contract. The band played several large shows before Josh quit, effectively breaking up the band.
In a later interview, Josh commented about this time "I became a Christian in May 1998 and I quit the Popes in January 1999. I tried to incorporate my faith into what we were doing in the Popes, but it just didn't seem like a good fit."
In 2001, record label Double Zero finally released the covers album The Party's Over.
In November of 2005 the Smoking Popes reunited for a packed and much-anticipated show at the Chicago club The Metro with Rob Kellenberger replacing Mike Felumlee on drums. The tickets sold out in a mere 36 minutes. In that show — immortalized on a DVD called At Metro, bundled with a CD of the performance — Josh, Matt and Eli were conspicuously happy and energized. Eli remarked that he hadn't had that much fun in seven years, a reference to the time since the band's previous break-up. Josh has become somewhat more accepting of much of the music of his former band, and the Popes have decided to reunite on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. They embarked on a U.S. tour in early 2006 with the band Bayside. Several older, pre-1999 songs in the band's repertoire Josh retired from their set list, owing to their expression of views incongruent with his Christianity. During this time, the Popes have acquired a new drummer, Ryan Chavez, who replaced Kellenburger, who had prior commitments. Chavez now seems to be the permanent replacement. During August 5th of Lollapalooza 2006 in Chicago, Josh introduced and played two new songs which he announced would be on the forthcoming Popes album, though no release date or album title was given. The new songs, entitled "If You Don't Care" and "Stay Down", are now available to hear on the band's MySpace page.
End Of Your Time
Smoking Popes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I heard them wrong
I never knew what they were
I was singing a different song
This could be what we need right now
Tell me how it feels to be
The living end of your time
The stupid things that they say
About what he's supposed to be
This kid believes what he reads
And he's taking 'em seriously
This could be just what we're looking for
Tell me more about how you became
The living end of your time
And when you look into the bathroom mirror
Can you see an entire generation
Crying through those eyes?
A certain kind of despair
Pompous and terrified
This fish jumped out of the bowl
Flopped around for a while and died
This could mean anything we want it to
I wish I knew just how I might become
The living end of my time
They seemed like innocent words
Maybe I heard them wrong
I never knew what they were
I was singing a different song
This could be just what we're looking for
The lyrics of Smoking Popes's song "End of Your Time" can be interpreted in different ways depending on the perspective of the listener. At face value, the lyrics talk about the confusion caused by words that were seemingly innocent but were later found out to be misleading. The singer admits not fully catching what those words meant and having a different interpretation of them. The lyrics also touch on a certain kind of despair that is "pompous and terrified." The references to "this fish jumped out of the bowl" and "flopped around for a while and died" suggest someone who has been out of their comfort zone or usual circumstances and who is unable to cope with it.
The chorus is where the song's power lies, as it talks about the notion of an individual's time coming to an end. The line "This could be what we need right now" suggests that the end could mean a new beginning, and the line "Tell me how it feels to be the living end of your time" poses a crucial question that invites introspection. The line "And when you look into the bathroom mirror, can you see an entire generation crying through those eyes?" adds another layer to the song's meaning, suggesting a bigger picture beyond an individual's struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
They seemed like innocent words
The spoken words appeared harmless or guiltless
Maybe I heard them wrong
There is a possibility that what was heard was incorrect
I never knew what they were
The meaning of the words were never understood
I was singing a different song
The artist's focus and perspective were on something else
This could be what we need right now
The current situation may require what is being presented
Tell me how it feels to be
Requesting for insight on how it is to experience a certain state or condition
The living end of your time
Being at the end of one's existence or life
The stupid things that they say
Meaningless and absurd comments made by others
About what he's supposed to be
Regarding what someone else is expected to do, act or be
This kid believes what he reads
The younger individual trusts the information they encounter in publications
And he's taking 'em seriously
The person is being sincere or genuine about something they read
This could be just what we're looking for
What is happening right now may be exactly what is sought after
Tell me more about how you became
Asking for more information on how something was achieved or accomplished
The living end of your time
Reaching the conclusion or death of one's life
And when you look into the bathroom mirror
When you gaze at your reflection in the restroom mirror
Can you see an entire generation
Are you able to observe a whole group of people or individuals
Crying through those eyes?
Are tears evident in that gaze?
A certain kind of despair
A specific and profound feeling of hopelessness
Pompous and terrified
Arrogant and frightened
This fish jumped out of the bowl
This fish leapt out of its container
Flopped around for a while and died
The fish thrashed about briefly and then perished
This could mean anything we want it to
The interpretation or significance of something can be altered to our desire
I wish I knew just how I might become
The singer desires to understand how they could attain a specific state or condition
The living end of my time
The artist's demise at the conclusion of their lifetime
They seemed like innocent words
The words appeared blameless or harmless
Maybe I heard them wrong
It is possible the singer misheard what was said
I never knew what they were
The singer never comprehended the true essence or meaning of the words
I was singing a different song
The artist's focus and viewpoint were different from what was expressed by the words
This could be just what we're looking for
What is happening could be precisely what the artist or group is searching for
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSH CATERER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind