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.
Hello and Goodbye
The Ataris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just give me one last kiss beneath this glowing sky.
we'll go walking through the park
and hang out in the rain.
tell a joke and watch me smile
as we drink away the day.
and know the next time that you
I'll be wishing on the same one that you do
and every night I'm all alone
in some burn out highway town
I'll be thinking of the day that I met you.
hello again, it's been to long.
what happened to our love
since the last time I was gone?
I detach myself again
and lose something everytime.
the solutions in the problem
temporarily alright.
and know the next time that you
make a wish upon a star
that sometimes it might actually come true.
our conversation can't consist of hello and goodbye
and the silence between saying I love you.
and sometimes I wonder 'bout that too.
The Ataris’s song "Hello and Goodbye" speaks about the paradoxical feelings associated with the end of a relationship. The song suggests that there is a complex web of emotions involved; it’s not as simple as just saying hello and goodbye. In the first stanza, the singer bids farewell to their friend, but rather than parting with a final goodbye, they choose to share one last kiss underneath a glowing sky. The image evokes an idyllic and romantic scene, which is all the more poignant because of the fact that the singer acknowledges that they will not be in the same place again.
In the following lines, the singer looks back on their time together with a fondness that is tempered with sadness. They recall walking in the park and spending time in the rain, telling jokes and laughing together. These scenes of joy are contrasted with the present, where the singer is alone in a deserted highway town, thinking about the day they met their friend. The lyrics are designed to evoke a sense of longing and sadness, and they capture the bittersweet nature of saying goodbye.
The second stanza of the song finds the singer reuniting with their friend after a long absence. The singer remarks on the changes that have taken place since their last meeting, and they touch on the difficulties of maintaining connections over time. They express the feeling of detachment and loss that comes with repeated goodbyes, and they acknowledge that while there may be a temporary solution to these problems, they can’t make up for the loss that they feel. The song ends on a hopeful note: the singer recognizes that sometimes wishes come true, and they express the hope that they will one day be reunited again with their friend.
Line by Line Meaning
so long my friend, don't say goodbye
Let's part ways without formally saying goodbye because we will always be friends.
just give me one last kiss beneath this glowing sky.
Let us share a special moment before we part ways under the beautiful night sky.
we'll go walking through the park
Let's take a leisurely walk together through the park.
and hang out in the rain.
Let's enjoy each other's company even if it means getting a little wet in the rain.
tell a joke and watch me smile
Make me laugh and see the joy you bring to me.
as we drink away the day.
Let's spend the day drinking and having fun together.
and know the next time that you
Remember that the next time you
make a wish upon a star
wish upon a star
I'll be wishing on the same one that you do
I will also be making the same wish as you.
and every night I'm all alone
When I am alone at night
in some burn out highway town
in a dreary town along the highway
I'll be thinking of the day that I met you.
I will think about the day we met and the memories we shared.
hello again, it's been too long.
It's been too long since we've seen each other.
what happened to our love
What caused our love to diminish
since the last time I was gone?
since the last time we were separated?
I detach myself again
I am distancing myself again
and lose something everytime.
and I am losing something every time.
the solutions in the problem
The key to the problem lies within it.
temporarily alright.
It's only okay for the time being.
and know the next time that you
Remember that the next time you
make a wish upon a star
wish upon a star
that sometimes it might actually come true.
Occasionally, wishes do come true.
our conversation can't consist of hello and goodbye
We need to talk more than just a simple greeting or farewell.
and the silence between saying I love you.
We also need to express our love, not just in words but also in actions.
and sometimes I wonder 'bout that too.
I also think about these things.
Contributed by Cole G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.