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.
Rocket Rocket Rocketship
The Arrogant Sons of Bitches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i torture myself, can i just be happy
when everybody jumps on everything I said
and everybody's telling that me we're best friends
i'd rather be dead or dying
so someone cut me a check (let me out now)
cashed for all that i'm worth (let me out now)
and calculate my net worth
i never got nothing for anything
i feel i've done everything for nothing
and maybe we can fly away from here
surf on the debris of our broken scene
sub suburban wasteland
pack up everything and get out of here
everything i fight for is dead to me
some suburban wasteland
you were wrong
i'll buy the farm tonight
i'd like to spend time where no one can see me
and i'm pissing down the cracks your broken dreams
united we can change our whole destiny
come on, nobody's with me
just send me off with a check (let me out now)
cashed for all that i'm worth (let me out now)
and i'd say i feel better
but i really feel worth worse
i never feel like feeling anything
i only feel anything for nothing
and maybe we can fly away from here
surf on the debris of a broken scene
sub suburban waste
pack up everything and get out of here
everything I fight for is dead to me
some suburban wasteland
go, go
and maybe we can fly away from here
surf on the debris of a broken scene
pack up everything and get out of here
everything I fight for is dead to me
some suburban wasteland
and maybe we can fly away from here
surf on the debris of a broken scene
some suburban waste
pack up everything and get out of here
everything I fight for is dead to me
some suburban wasteland
we're breaking down while breaking in (repeat)
The lyricist in The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches's song "Rocket Rocket Rocketship" expresses their disappointment with the world and the people around them. The opening lines suggest that the singer has tried everything they love but has grown exhausted and unhappy, feeling as though they've done everything for nothing. They wish to escape from their current life and start anew somewhere else, away from the suburban wasteland they're trapped in. They imagine themselves flying away from there and surfing on the debris of a broken scene. The singer also feels alienated from their friends and longs to retreat from society, feeling as though they only exist for nothing.
The middle section of the song suggests that the singer wants to leave everything behind and "buy the farm tonight". They mention "pissing down the cracks" of broken dreams and wanting to change their whole destiny. The singer also expresses feelings of worthlessness and the desire to be set free, possibly from a job or a relationship that is causing them distress. They ask for a check that will allow them to escape and calculate their worth, suggesting that they feel as though they are not being valued.
Overall, this song seems to express feelings of dissatisfaction with life and a longing for escape. The singer is unhappy with the world around them and doesn't feel valued or understood by the people they know. The song suggests a desire for change and a willingness to leave everything behind in search of something better.
Line by Line Meaning
exhausted all the things i love
I've tried everything that I love and nothing seems to work
i torture myself, can i just be happy
I'm struggling to find happiness and it's painful
when everybody jumps on everything I said
Everyone is always quick to criticize and judge my every word
and everybody's telling that me we're best friends
Everyone claims to be my friend, but they're not really there for me
i'd rather be dead or dying
I feel so hopeless that death feels like a better alternative
so someone cut me a check (let me out now)
If someone could pay me and release me from all these struggles, that would be great
cashed for all that i'm worth (let me out now)
If only there was a way to monetize my worth and leave everything behind
divide by what i spent
Calculate how much I've put into things compared to what I've gotten out of them
and calculate my net worth
Determine my true value based on the balance of everything I've invested in
i never got nothing for anything
I haven't received any rewards or benefits for all that I've done
i feel i've done everything for nothing
I've given my all to everything and it's all amounted to nothing
and maybe we can fly away from here
Perhaps there's a way we can escape our current situation
surf on the debris of our broken scene
We could use what's left of our shattered community to propel ourselves forward
sub suburban wasteland
Our neighborhood represents a dead end and we need to move on
pack up everything and get out of here
We need to gather our belongings and leave this place behind
everything i fight for is dead to me
The things that used to motivate me to fight have lost all meaning
some suburban wasteland
Our suburban surroundings are devoid of any real purpose or fulfillment
you were wrong
Someone who I believed in and looked up to was ultimately incorrect
i'll buy the farm tonight
I'm willing to put everything on the line and take risks for the sake of change
i'd like to spend time where no one can see me
I desire isolation and seclusion away from the world's judgment
and i'm pissing down the cracks your broken dreams
I'm expressing my frustration at how your failures have negatively impacted me
united we can change our whole destiny
Together, we can motivate change and alter our future
come on, nobody's with me
I feel alone in my beliefs and aspirations for a better life
and i'd say i feel better
Although I'd like to believe otherwise, things are not actually improving
but i really feel worth worse
Everything seems to be getting worse and I don't know how to cope
i never feel like feeling anything
I'm so emotionally exhausted that I've lost the ability to truly feel much of anything
i only feel anything for nothing
The only emotion I seem to have left is despair and hopelessness
we're breaking down while breaking in
As we try to fit into norms and systems that don't resonate with us, we're slowly falling apart
Contributed by Benjamin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.