Kris Roe also took on the role of managing other punk bands such as Useless ID from Haifa, Israel. They collaborated on a split EP entitled "Let It Burn". Kris also acted as co-producer with Mass Giorgini (whose other production credits include working alongside Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day) for a ]label]Cincinnati, OH-based band called the National Trust in 2004, an album which is as-of-yet unreleased..
After a long delay, the album End Is Forever was released in 2001. This album was a testament to Kris Roe's increasing maturity as a songwriter. Most of the songs, especially "Fast Times at Dropout High", touched on very personal and emotional topics such as losing a sibling because his parents gave his newborn brother away for adoption. Once again the lineup changed, with John Collura replacing Peña on guitar.
On the 24th of June 2002 The Ataris left Kung Fu Records and signed with Columbia Records. Later in that year they recorded their 6th album, "So Long, Astoria", released on March 4th, 2003. This album was responsible for giving them their break into the mainstream audience and generated many successful singles, including "In This Diary" and their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer".
After touring behind the album for most of 2003, the band began writing the follow-up to "So Long, Astoria". Much of 2004 was spent in inactivity. In February of 2004, the band released "Live At The Metro", an album containing a full concert at The Metro in Chicago, as well as acoustic tracks. Mike Davenport and Chris Knapp left the band in early 2005.
Recording of "Welcome the Night" began in February 2005. Along with it came five new members - Sean Hansen filling the bass position, Shane Chickeles on drums, and guitarist Paul Carabello, Angus Cooke (Who played Cello on "End Is Forever"), and Bob Hoag on 3rd guitar, Cello, and Keyboards respectively. The group spent all of spring and summer recording at Seedy Underbelly in Los Angeles. "Welcome the Night" was orginally due out in April or May of 2006 but as of March 2006 the release date was pushed back to July of 2006. The release date of this album was once again been pushed back to possibly early 2007 after The Ataris asked to be released from their contract with Columbia Records, which the label agreed too. The "Welcome the Night" album was released in late February to an eager Ataris fan base. Unfortunately, it was not what they expected. The "Welcome the Night" album took a completely different approach to music. In a drastic deviation from his past traditions of whimsical, nostalgic pop songs, Roe used the new album to pursue a much more mature post-rock/progressive sound, an initiative which many speculate arose from the divorce of his wife and other personal conflicts. While "Welcome the Night" is certainly a great departure from The Ataris' roots, Roe has indicated that their upcoming release will attempt to return to the happy, youthful overtures that older fans have grown accustomed to.
Better Way
The Ataris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where will I sleep tonight, even I don't know.
You ask yourself , "is this how I want to live?"
When empty hands have nothing more to give.
So I drive around and pray that I will make it through today
There's got to be a better way.
You left them stranded in a different world.
Can you forgive yourself for all the time you've lost?
I wouldn't give that up at any cost.
There's more to life than being in a band,
Your friends are what will matter in the end.
I just want the chance to keep those promises I made
There's got to be a better way.
The Ataris's song "Better Way" speaks about the struggles of finding a place to call "home" and the internal conflicts this may present. This feeling of uncertainty is shown in the opening line "Looking for a place to call my home, where will I sleep tonight, even I don't know." The lyrics present the idea that sometimes we have to choose between what we want and what we need in life. The line "You ask yourself, 'Is this how I want to live?'" presents the internal struggle of wanting to have a sense of belonging but also wanting to live a certain way.
The song also touches on the idea of regret and missed opportunities. The line "Can you forgive yourself for all the time you've lost?" presents the idea of the singer feeling regret for missing out on time with loved ones. The lyrics also highlight that there's more to life than just pursuing a selfish dream, as shown in the line "There's more to life than being in a band, your friends are what will matter in the end." The song ends on a hopeful note of the singer wishing to keep promises and find a better way.
Overall, "Better Way" speaks to the universal experience of feeling lost and searching for a sense of purpose, while simultaneously struggling with sacrificing certain aspects of life to achieve it.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking for a place to call my home
I am searching for somewhere to belong.
Where will I sleep tonight, even I don't know.
I don't even know where I'll be sleeping tonight.
You ask yourself , "is this how I want to live?"
You question if this is the life you really want.
When empty hands have nothing more to give.
When you have nothing left to give.
So I drive around and pray that I will make it through today
I drive around hoping to survive another day.
There's got to be a better way.
There must be a solution to this hard life.
You miss your wife, you miss your little girl.
You long for your family you left behind.
You left them stranded in a different world.
You left them in a new place without knowing what will happen.
Can you forgive yourself for all the time you've lost?
You wonder if you can ever forgive yourself for all the missed time with your loved ones.
I wouldn't give that up at any cost.
You wouldn't sacrifice your family for anything.
There's more to life than being in a band,
Life is more than just your career.
Your friends are what will matter in the end.
Your friendships will be the most important thing in the long run.
I just want the chance to keep those promises I made.
You want the opportunity to fulfill the commitments you've made to others.
There's got to be a better way.
You believe there must be a better solution to your problems.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kristopher Lee Roe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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