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.
Pretty Pathetic
Smoking Popes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I drove home that night
Got into bed and stayed there
For days I just laid there
Having been permanently changed
But we won't get into that now
Let's take it from the start
Like the world was mine
She used to call me baby
Softly, sometimes
But if I dwell on those days too long
I feel like my life is over
And that's no good
So let's move on
To the part where I begin to sense
Her distance
I panic and hold on tighter
But that makes it worse
How am I supposed to take it
When she said:
"This is something I'm going through,
It's got nothing to do with you"
I had a special evening all planned out
Desperately determined to reignite
Some spark between us
She had to feel something for me
A love as strong as ours
Doesn't just go away
You can't just turn it off
Unless she was lying all those times
But I don't think so
I really don't think so
The way she used to look at me
Made me a thousand feet high
The meaning of the word cool
Not the same geek
Who fumbled through his words that night
The ugliest night
I said some pretty awkward things
I got the feeling that she felt sorry for me
I should have seen it was hopeless and left it alone
But I had to go on embarrassing myself
"I miss what we had I need you so badly,
I miss what we had I need you so badly"
I must have sounded pretty pathetic, I know
That's why I don't blame her for what she said
But listen to me rambling
We don't know each other that well
But you're so easy to talk to
I feel like I can tell you almost anything
I hope I haven't put you off
I have a tendency to do that
Why don't I just be quiet?
The lyrics of Smoking Popes's song Pretty Pathetic describe a deeply emotional story of a person who is coping with heartbreak and trying to move on. The song tells the story of a relationship that seemed to be going well but eventually fell apart. The singer is struggling to come to terms with this and find closure, as he is still holding on to the memories of when things were good. At times, he reminisces about the good old days, when his lover would call him "baby" and make him feel loved. However, as he begins to sense her growing distance, he panics and tries to hold on tighter, hoping that things will get better. But, unfortunately, this only makes things worse.
The singer's desperation reaches its peak when he plans a special evening to reignite the spark between them. However, his vulnerability and insecurity shine through when he awkwardly expresses his feelings and misses what they had. He knows that he sounds pretty pathetic, but he can't help it. He feels that his love is too strong to just go away, but he ultimately comes to terms with the fact that "this is something [she's] going through, it's got nothing to do with [him]."
The lyrics of Pretty Pathetic are a heartfelt and relatable depiction of the aftermath of a breakup. They offer an honest portrayal of the pain and confusion that people often experience during such times. The song is a beautiful reminder that it is okay to feel vulnerable and emotional, that it takes time to heal, and that it's important to reach out to others for support.
Line by Line Meaning
You should have heard me sobbing
I was crying uncontrollably due to my emotional upheaval
As I drove home that night
I was driving and in a vulnerable state after going through a painful experience
Got into bed and stayed there
I didn't want to face the world and was avoiding all my responsibilities
For days I just laid there
I was in a state of emotional and physical exhaustion, unable to move on
Having been permanently changed
My experience has altered me irreversibly and left me with emotional scars
But we won't get into that now
I am not ready to discuss the extent of the change that has happened to me
Let's take it from the start
I want to recount my story from the beginning
You should have seen me smiling
I was happy and carefree before my relationship started to fall apart
Like the world was mine
I felt like I could conquer the world with the love I had in my life
She used to call me baby
My partner used to address me with affectionate names, indicating the intimacy between us
Softly, sometimes
She would use a gentle tone of voice when calling me baby, which made me feel loved
But if I dwell on those days too long
If I think about our past happy moments for an extended time, it causes me emotional pain
I feel like my life is over
I feel like my happiness and purpose in life have vanished since our relationship started deteriorating
And that's no good
It's not a healthy state of mind to be in
So let's move on
I want to divert my attention from these negative thoughts and remember the time when things started to go downhill
To the part where I begin to sense
I started to become aware of a change in my partner's behavior
Her distance
I started to feel a sense of emotional disconnection from her side
I panic and hold on tighter
I became nervous and clung on to her in an attempt to maintain the relationship
But that makes it worse
Sadly, it had the opposite effect and pushed her further away
How am I supposed to take it
I didn't know how to handle this shift in our dynamics
When she said:
My partner communicated to me that what was happening was not a result of my actions
"This is something I'm going through,
She told me that this is her own personal struggle,
It's got nothing to do with you"
And that I was not to blame for it
I had a special evening all planned out
I prepared a special occasion to rekindle our relations and communicate my feelings
Desperately determined to reignite
I was extremely motivated to make her feel the love between us again
Some spark between us
I wanted to restore the intimacy between us
She had to feel something for me
I was hopeful that she had love for me despite the hardships and turbulence in our relationship
A love as strong as ours
I believed that we had a love that was powerful and could overcome any obstacle
Doesn't just go away
I couldn't believe that such an intense feeling could vanish completely
You can't just turn it off
I believed emotions and feelings needed more than just a switch to turn off
Unless she was lying all those times
I could not fathom the possibility of her love being fake
But I don't think so
I did not want to believe that the love that existed between us was based on deception
I really don't think so
I held on to the belief that we had something special and true
The way she used to look at me
I remembered her gaze and how it made me feel special
Made me a thousand feet high
Her affection made me feel euphoric and invincible
The meaning of the word cool
I associated her love with the highest form of admiration
Not the same geek
My perception of myself changed due to her love, and I felt cooler and more confident in myself
Who fumbled through his words that night
I regretted my behavior that one night when I got tongue-tied and expressed myself awkwardly
The ugliest night
That night was the worst for me in terms of coming off as unappealing and awkward
I said some pretty awkward things
I remember being unable to articulate my love convincingly
I got the feeling that she felt sorry for me
I sensed her pitying me for my inability to express myself well
I should have seen it was hopeless and left it alone
I realized too late that the relationship was beyond repair and should have moved on
But I had to go on embarrassing myself
I kept trying to make the relationship work, even though I knew it was doomed
"I miss what we had I need you so badly,
I confessed my feelings to her and the extent of the impact she had on me
I must have sounded pretty pathetic, I know
I realize that my actions could have come across as needy and clingy
That's why I don't blame her for what she said
I understand that her response was due to my behavior and the situation at the time
But listen to me rambling
I tend to go on and on when talking about my past experiences
We don't know each other that well
We might not be close enough to be discussing my past relationship to this extent
But you're so easy to talk to
I find it comfortable to open up to you and feel understood
I feel like I can tell you almost anything
I have a sense that you would not judge me negatively or dismiss my experiences
I hope I haven't put you off
I apologize if I have shared too much and come across as overbearing or negative
I have a tendency to do that
I acknowledge that I have a habit of oversharing and relying on others for emotional support
Why don't I just be quiet?
I feel embarrassed for sharing so much and want to stop talking about myself now
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSH CATERER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind