In 1995, Jeff Rosenstock began playing with Joe Werfelman together and started The Arrogant Sons of Bitches. By 1996, the two had spent time writing and finding members for their band. At this time they recorded The Arrogant Sons of Bitches Demo Tape on tape but never released it. At this time they also began playing shows in their friends' basements and bedrooms.
Patric Santiago and Chris Valentino joined the band and the Greatest Hits Tape (1996) was made to play the Rockfest, at a local church. They were denied and instead played a show in Jeff Rosenberg's backyard with members of Taking Back Sunday, Bomb the Music Industry!, The Matt Kurz One, and Sevenwiser.
In 1997, Chris Baltrus joined playing bass and Joe Vazquez to play drums after Patric Santiago left the band because of a conflict with other members of the band who break into his house to get amplifiers. His parents were furious and forced him to quit.
In 1998, Joe Vazquez was replaced with Bryan Cohen and ASOB records the Integrity Tape in Joe's garage. Dave Dickerman joined on trombone and Bryan Cohen left the band. They began playing places like Q-Zar, Scotty Dee's Coffee Shop, and an outdoor festival with Post-Emo Indie Rock innovators, Inside. John DeDomenici then stepped in on drums and the band began planning their first album. They payed $1000 for 12 songs.
Mike Costa replaced John DeDomenici on drums. They recorded Built to Fail which was planned to be released by Zach and Breaking the Law Records, however, due to conflicts the band decided to self release it.
In 1999, ASOB started branching out, playing shows with Channel 59, Sprout, Microwave Orphans, Who Cares, WCF, Edna's Goldfish, Catch 22, The Toasters, and Step Lively. Arty's Taxi's member, Eric Bucello who plays the trumpet, and subsequently joined the band. In August, the band recorded "Fuck You" for a Runaway Records compilation with the Jestrebzki Family. They also started work on their new full-length, Pornocracy.
By 2000, the band entered the studio and finished up in June. It featured JT from Sprout. Soon after, Chris Baltrus left the band for college and Joe Bove from Arty's Taxi joined. They played a CD release show with Racecar Breakup.
In 2001 ASOB recorded "Built to Fail Motherfucker" for a compilation and began touring that summer. Many members quit and the remnants of ASOB played a show in upstate New York on a driving range with a new band featuring members of Shabooti. Joe Rosenstock stated to his girlfriend, "If this band ever gets big, I want you to kill me." The band ended up being Coheed and Cambria.
Rosenstock began writing new material and was to open a show for Thursday, but it fell through. A new roster was drawn up that included Tim Ruggeri (Channel 59/WCF/Tall Hannds), Jon Rossman (Everyone Else), and Chris Taylor but this also fell through. Mike, Baltrus, Dave, and a few members of the High School Football Heroes and Premarital Sax play with ASOB.
In 2002, ASOB tried to re-record Built to Fail unsuccessfully. They recorded an Arrogant Sons of Bitches 7'' that was never released. They did a CD release show for All the Little Ones Are Rotting and played a battle of the bands at The Downtown winning fourth place. They landed a deal with Kill Normal Records. They also played a Halloween show and did ska covers of Taking Back Sunday songs.
A year later, in 2003, ASOB re-released their EP with videos, a live set, and much more. They opened for Bowling for Soup and Count the Stars. They toured out to the west coast, and JT from Sprout joined full time. They played outside of the Idaho Warped Tour, and the next day played inside a hip-hop tent electrically. They stayed on Warped Tour and played to 3000 people in New York. Joe Werfelman was kicked out of the band.
Three Cheers for Disappointment was finished being written and they recorded with AJ Quashee, but the recording didn't go well and was scrapped. Sean Qualls was auditioned on guitar. Joe Bove had a panic attack on stage and leaves bass, giving Sean the spot on bass.
Afterward, the band recorded some more and started working on releasing a "Complete Discography". The band later got on Streetlight Manifesto shows that feature Big D and the Kids Table.
The band finally began recording Three Cheers for Disappointment at Moontower Studios in Boston, Massachusettes with Steve Foote. After it was finished, the band booked a tour, ordered merch, talked to record labels, and replaced Sean Qualls with James Lynch on bass. The band took a break in September.
In October, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches played two last shows at Mr. Beery's - one all ages, one 18+. Shortly afterward, Jeff Rosenstock started Bomb the Music Industry!, Sean started Bashi-Bazouk, JT started his solo project, Mike Costa started his solo project and Dave registered to finally go to college.
In 2005, they finish Three Cheers for Disappointment and in 2006, the band plays three shows in the Northeast in support of it.
In 2007, they play their last show and officially break up.
In 2012, the Arrogant Sons of Bitches reunite for one last show at the Warsaw in Brooklyn, New York.
Disappointment At The Taco Bell
The Arrogant Sons of Bitches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the clock is ticking and my shelf life is up
the clock is ticking and my shelf life is up
wrong side of the tracks, wrong side of the fence
wrong thing that i lack, i lack the common sense
my life
and this is all i know
i've got no mind
i've got nowhere to go
can't live in your world of the 9, 9 to 5
you'll get your 15 minutes and i've got my whole life
my life
and this is all i know
and I've got no time
i've got no mind
i've got nowhere to go
career tests all came back inconclusive
all that i can give is a half assed attempt
at being like you, i'm not normal like you
nothing i can say, i haven't said 5,000 times
cause you've got your way to live and i've got mine
there's nothing to say, i've said it 15,000 times
kiss it goodnight, kiss me goodbye
you think it never hurt, all the con, confusion
all the itches in my nerves, all the hate in my blood
my blood
this isn't what I need
occupational conformity won't put my mind at ease, so
the clock is ticking and my shelf life is up
and all bets have been placed for when the wheel's gonna stop
so stop
cause this what i need
this is life
and this is love
and this is my release (yeah)
pains my soul to separate like this
i guess that's how it is, i'll leave myself to mine
our paths can't cross now, i wish i had one more chance now
nothing i can say that i haven't said 5,000 times
you've got your way to live and i've got mine
there's nothing to say, i've said it 15,000 times
kiss it goodnight, kiss me goodbye
it's been a year or two since we've communicated
so don't tell me you're one for me to trust or believe in
i believe nothing, i will not trust anyone again
anyone again
i've said it 15,000 times
my brain keeps spinning and i still can't give up
i've run far off the course, i guess i'm never gonna stop
this clock's keeps ticking, sorry I got no more shelf life for ya baby
time bomb's ticking, i'll commence blowing up
i'll construe your rejection as a lack of trust
you won't love me
once i'm washed up
i'm all washed up, yeah
and i can't trust no one
there's nothing i can say, i haven't said 5,000 times
you've got your way to live and i've got mine (yeah, yeah, i've got mine, yeah)
there's nothing to say, i've said it 15,000 times
kiss it goodnight, kiss me goodbye
kiss it goodnight, kiss me goodbye
i've said it 15,000 times
In "Disappointment At The Taco Bell," The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches explore the feeling of being trapped and suffocated by societal expectations and the pressure to conform. The repetition of "the clock is ticking and my shelf life is up" expresses the urgency and anxiety of feeling like time is running out to live life on their own terms. The singer feels like they are on the "wrong side of the tracks" and lack common sense, which are traits valued by mainstream society. They reject the idea of living a traditional 9 to 5 life and see it as a form of "occupational conformity" that won't provide them with the release they need.
The lyrics also touch on the frustrations of feeling misunderstood and rejected. The singer feels like they've tried to fit in and be normal, but their "career tests all came back inconclusive" and they can only give a "half-assed attempt" to be like everyone else. They feel like they've repeated themselves 15,000 times without being heard or understood. The repetition of "there's nothing to say, I've said it 15,000 times" emphasizes this feeling of hopelessness and frustration.
Overall, the song expresses a sense of rebellion against societal norms and a desire for individuality and self-expression. The singer feels like they are running out of time to live on their own terms and is frustrated by their inability to break free from the expectations placed upon them.
Line by Line Meaning
the clock is ticking and my shelf life is up
I feel like I'm running out of time and that I have nothing to offer anymore.
wrong side of the tracks, wrong side of the fence
I feel like I don't fit in with society's norms and expectations.
wrong thing that i lack, i lack the common sense
I feel like I lack the ability to conform and make practical decisions in the way society expects.
my life
I feel like I'm stuck in this situation forever, and all that I know is this isolating feeling.
and this is all i know
I have no other perspective, and my feelings are all I understand.
i've got no time
I'm so consumed by my own struggles that I don't have time for anything else.
i've got no mind
I feel like I've lost my ability to think or make decisions for myself.
i've got nowhere to go
I feel like I'm trapped and have nowhere to turn for help or for a way out.
can't live in your world of the 9, 9 to 5
I can't conform to society's expectations of a typical career or job.
you'll get your 15 minutes and i've got my whole life
You might have success and attention now, but I have more time to figure out my own path and purpose.
career tests all came back inconclusive
I've taken tests to try and find a career path, but none of them gave me a clear answer.
all that i can give is a half assed attempt
I've tried to be like everyone else, but I can only half-heartedly attempt to be someone I'm not.
at being like you, i'm not normal like you
I can't conform to what society considers normal or typical.
nothing i can say, i haven't said 5,000 times
I've expressed my feelings and frustrations so many times, and yet it seems like no one understands me.
cause you've got your way to live and i've got mine
We have different beliefs and paths in life, and that's okay.
this isn't what I need
I know that following a typical career path won't make me happy or fulfilled.
occupational conformity won't put my mind at ease, so
Following a typical career path won't relieve me of my anxieties or frustrations.
and all bets have been placed for when the wheel's gonna stop
I feel like I'm running out of time and that my fate is already determined.
cause this what i need
I know that following my own path, even if it's unconventional, is what I need to be happy and true to myself.
pains my soul to separate like this
It hurts me that we can't see eye-to-eye and that we're going our separate ways.
i guess that's how it is, i'll leave myself to mine
We can't force ourselves to agree or feel the same way, so I have to focus on my own journey.
our paths can't cross now, i wish i had one more chance now
We're going in different directions, and I wish we could reconcile, but it's too late.
it's been a year or two since we've communicated
It's been a while since we've talked or tried to understand each other's perspectives.
so don't tell me you're one for me to trust or believe in
I no longer have faith in our relationship or your ability to understand me.
i believe nothing, i will not trust anyone again
I've lost faith and trust in others, and I won't let myself be vulnerable again.
my brain keeps spinning and i still can't give up
I can't stop thinking about my struggles and frustrations, but I can't give up either.
i've run far off the course, i guess i'm never gonna stop
I've strayed from the typical path and don't know how to get back, but I'll keep trying to find my way.
this clock's keeps ticking, sorry I got no more shelf life for ya baby
I'm running out of time and have nothing left to offer you or society.
time bomb's ticking, i'll commence blowing up
I feel like I'm about to hit a breaking point and explode with frustration and anger.
i'll construe your rejection as a lack of trust
I'll view your rejection of me or my ideas as a lack of trust in who I am or what I stand for.
you won't love me
I fear that if I can't conform or succeed in society's expectations, no one will love or accept me.
once i'm washed up
If I can't stay relevant or successful, people will forget about me and I'll be alone.
i'm all washed up, yeah
I feel like I've already failed in society's eyes and have nothing left to offer.
and i can't trust no one
I'm so consumed with my own struggles and anxieties that I can't trust anyone else, even if they try to understand me.
kiss it goodnight, kiss me goodbye
I'm ready to let go of my past struggles and move onto a new chapter in my life, even if it means saying goodbye to certain people or parts of my life.
Contributed by Luke T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.