Norm Arenas (guitar), guitarist for the hardcore Hare Krishna band Shelter, formed Texas Is the Reason with friend and then fellow Hare Krishna devotee Chris Daly (drums), formerly of the band 108, which played music of a similar kind to Shelter's, some time in the early 1990s in New York City. They both desired to leave the macho attitude and religious preaching of their former projects. With former Fountainhead bassist Scott Winegard (bass), the three recruited one-time bassist for Buffalo's Copper, Garrett Klahn (guitar/vocals), to round out the quartet.
The name "Texas Is the Reason" is lifted from a Misfits song, entitled "Bullet". It also makes reference to a conspiracy theory about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, in which the president was killed in a plot arranged by Texas Democrats in order to give Lyndon B. Johnson control of the White House. Releasing three songs on an EP, Texas Is the Reason became an underground smash and helped usher in an era of similarly motivated and styled emo bands. They then released a split single with The Promise Ring through Jade Tree Records. The following year (1995) they released another split single with Samuel through British record label Simba.
What followed was their first and only full-length album, Do You Know Who You Are?, named after the last statement John Lennon supposedly heard. Produced by Jawbox's J.Robbins and released on Revelation Records , Do You Know Who You Are? brought a lot of major-label courtship to Texas Is the Reason, who were being hailed as the "next big thing" in the growing punk explosion on MTV. Song titles from the album, such as "The Magic Bullet Theory" and "Back and to the Left", continued the allusion to one of the Kennedy assassination theories.
In 1997, on the eve of signing with Capitol Records, the band flew overseas for a European tour. Ongoing intra-band tensions arising from the major label attention reached their apex. The night of the final stop of the tour in Bielefeld, Germany, Daly and Arenas agreed before the show that if the show was "awesome", it would be their last. Arenas later related, "I walked on stage and we opened with 'Antique' and when Garrett started singing, there were eight hundred Germans singing along with us. I looked at Daly and knew that this was over."
The members headed to various different musical projects, with Klahn to New Rising Sons and Daly to indie outfit Jets to Brazil. Winegard started putting out other bands' records through an imprint he co-owns called GrapeOS, while playing with other musicians in a band called the Americans. The only member to go inactive in the world of indie rock was guitarist Norm Arenas, living in Chicago and DJing for almost three years.
Winegard and Arenas joined Charlie Walker of Chamberlain and Jonah Matranga of Far and Onelinedrawing to form the band New End Original, which lasted from 2000 to 2003. Klahn's New Rising Sons released two EPs through GrapeOS, were dropped by Virgin Records, and then disbanded; he now plays in the band Solea. Daly left the now-defunct Jets to Brazil sometime after their 2002 release, Perfecting Loneliness.
Klahn now plays in Solea, with members of Samiam and Sense Field.
After nine years apart, the band decided to reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of the release of Do You Know Who You Are. A single show was scheduled for New York City's Irving Plaza on November 25, but a second show was added for the following night due to an unexpectedly quick sell-out of the first show. In interviews leading up to the reunion, the band noted their long-time disappointment at not playing a final show in their home city. The band also insisted that the reunion shows were a one-time event, and that they had no plans for further shows: "While we empathize with everyone who wants to come to the show, but can't come for any reason, this will not become a tour and we are not reforming the band. That is as clear a statement as anyone can make."
In January 2012, it was announced that Revelation Records would be holding a 25th anniversary celebration at The Glass House in Pomona, California in July of the same year. The band was approached to reunite once more, but ultimately refused the opportunity. Daly, however, traveled to California for the show, featuring a reunited Quicksand, and returned excited about the prospect of another reunion for Texas is the Reason. The band then agreed to headline the opening night of Revelation's east coast event in October 2012 at New York's Irving Plaza. The show sold out immediately upon going on sale, and the band announced a second night held at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Daly was quoted as saying, "It's like we have this really cool old car that's in really great shape…it's not built for, like, a cross-country trip, but it's good to take out and drive around the neighborhood."
After high demand, the band decided to embark on a brief 8-date 2013 North American tour in that began in Chicago and ended in Los Angeles. That April, the band announced a European tour that they called their "final shows ever," that were to begin in Germany in the summer.
Paying homage to their past, the band decided in July 2013 to play a one-off show at the legendary venue of Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey to celebrate the club's legacy before its closing at the end of that month. Tickets went on sale three days after the initial announcement and were sold out instantly.
On Sunday August 4th, 2013, the band played their "Grand Finale" at London's Electric Ballroom. A post on their official Facebook mentioned that "It is never happening again."
Antique
Texas Is the Reason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've never seen anything quite like this
I always miss
I'm asking you to smile because that's what I like best
I need to be this far away from you to understand that I can do this
You act like I don't know my own way home
The lyrics to Texas Is the Reason's song Antique are open to interpretation, but they seem to be about a relationship that's struggling to find common ground. The first verse is confrontational, with the singer challenging their partner to contradict them, suggesting there's a power dynamic at play. The next two lines suggest that the relationship is unique in some way - "I've never seen anything quite like this" - but also that the singer finds it difficult to connect with their partner. "I always miss" could refer to missing them physically, or missing the mark in terms of understanding each other emotionally.
The second verse provides more context. "I'm asking you to smile because that's what I like best" could imply that the singer is trying to please their partner, but not succeeding. They need distance to figure things out - "I need to be this far away from you" - and suggest that their partner is trying to control the situation with their superior knowledge ("You act like I don't know my own way home").
Overall, the song presents a complex portrait of a relationship that's struggling to find balance. The lyrics suggest that both partners are trying to assert themselves in different ways, but not effectively communicating with each other. It's a poignant commentary on the challenges of relationships, and the difficulties that come with trying to understand and connect with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
So now it's your turn to tell me that I'm wrong
It's time for you to point out my mistakes and correct me
I've never seen anything quite like this
This situation is unique and I've never experienced anything like it before
I always miss
I tend to make mistakes or miss opportunities
I'm asking you to smile because that's what I like best
I'm requesting you to smile because it makes me feel happy and content
I need to be this far away from you to understand that I can do this
I have to distance myself from you to prove to myself that I'm capable of achieving things on my own
You act like I don't know my own way home
You assume that I lack basic knowledge and abilities when I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
facgce
Sunny Day Real Estate, The Get Up Kids, Penfold and Texas Is the Reason all give me some type of vibe I can't explain. Love them
idonteatcheetos
yo i forgot about penfold, thanks for reminding me of them
Alaska to burning men
I dig all those bands but just have to add Samiam,Farside, Gameface, Far, Shades Apart, Jimmy Eat World and above all Sense Field to that list.
In my opinion nothing really comes close to S.F. in that genre.The weird otherworldly, spiritual feel of Sense Field. The spacey guitar leads, the complex and, at the same time, insanely catchy songs and the vocals, my god, the vocals...
I would say, they are among the most original bands of the 90's.
Emotions & Suburban Housing
90’s emo, it’s a heartwarming thing
Kevin Gilkenson
I love SDRE, TGUK, and TITR. I had never heard of Penfold. So good. Thank you.
Loraxnine
Fallen exactly. I’d add Christie Front Drive in there as well.
DJ Anthony
one of the greatest emo songs ever
bernardo
have you ever heard (¼) Um Quarto - 27?
Breathingspace
Consider yourself blessed that you know the true emo music instead of most of your peers. =)
Charles Csb
MELHOR BANDA DE TODOS OS TEMPOS