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.
Hey Kid
The Ataris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when I'll wake up and be a star.
I dream of a diffferent world...
Somewhere where we will go far.
I bitch about my life.
I bitch about the scene.
I hate this fucking town,
wish that it was all a dream.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
That's all you ever do.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
Your ego will destory you.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
That's all I have to say.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
Now I'll just fade away.
Just as long as I act cool,
then people will suck up to me.
They won't realize that I'm a fake,
and that's what I'm always going to be.
A dreamer and a kid,
who changes every day.
Someone that has to talk,
when he's got nothing to say...
Nothing to say...yeah...
Hey kid, it's a great big world,
out there that you think you need to see.
Hey kid, go on and live that life...
But live it without me!
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
That's all you ever do.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
No one's more punk than you.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
Your life is just a trend.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
We'll see who's happy in the end.
The Ataris's song Hey Kid is a song about a young person who dreams of becoming a star one day. They are dissatisfied with their life, their town, and the music scene in general. The singer of the song recognizes that they are a dreamer and that they change every day, but they do not want others to know they are a fake. They try to present themselves as cool and unbothered because they believe it will make people like them. However, the song suggests that this is not a sustainable way of living and that their ego-obsessed behavior will ultimately be their downfall. The chorus, "Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all you ever do...Now I'll just fade away" suggests that the singer recognizes their negative and complaining behavior, but they do not know how to change it, so they will disappear instead.
The song, Hey Kid, is a critique of young people who are obsessed with fame and fortune. The singer in the song is waiting for their big break, and they hate their town and the scene they are in. They believe that becoming famous will solve all their problems, and they resent those around them who seem to have it all. However, the song's message is that chasing fame and fortune will not necessarily make you happy. The singer is a dreamer and a kid who needs to learn how to live in the real world. The chorus's line, "Your ego will destroy you" is a warning to young people who are obsessed with themselves and their image.
Overall, Hey Kid is a song that encourages young people to find their own way in life and not to be swayed by the glittering promises of fame and fortune. It's a reminder that being true to yourself is more important than conforming to what others think you should be.
Line by Line Meaning
I wait for the day to come
I am hopeful for a future where I become famous and successful.
when I'll wake up and be a star.
I dream about the moment when I become a famous and recognized celebrity.
I dream of a diffferent world...
I have an alternate, more appealing vision of a future that is different from the present.
Somewhere where we will go far.
This other world I imagine is a place where we can achieve our goals and become successful.
I bitch about my life.
I constantly complain and express dissatisfaction about my current reality.
I bitch about the scene.
I complain about the environment I'm in, possibly the music industry or a specific culture or subculture.
I hate this fucking town,
I despise the place where I currently live and possibly attribute my lack of success to it.
wish that it was all a dream.
I yearn for a way to escape my current situation and have it all just be a bad dream.
Bitch, bitch, bitch!
I constantly whine and complain about everything, making it difficult to be around me.
That's all you ever do.
Your entire personality and behavior consists of complaining, making it unbearable to be around you.
Your ego will destory you.
Your inflated sense of self-importance will lead to your downfall.
That's all I have to say.
My negative opinion of you and your behavior is all I want to express to you.
Now I'll just fade away.
Since I've expressed my disapproval, I'll now withdraw from this situation and possibly from our relationship altogether.
Just as long as I act cool,
If I maintain the image of being cool and collected, people will like me and respect me more.
then people will suck up to me.
I will receive flattery and admiration from others as long as I uphold the facade of being cool.
They won't realize that I'm a fake,
Those who admire me won't recognize that I'm being insincere and putting on a false front.
and that's what I'm always going to be.
I know deep down that I'm a phony, and that will likely never change.
A dreamer and a kid,
I consider myself to be an optimistic dreamer, full of ideals and imagination, although I'm still young and inexperienced.
who changes every day.
I am constantly evolving and growing, which can be both positive and negative.
Someone that has to talk,
I have a tendency to talk a lot, possibly to compensate for feeling insecure or inadequate.
when he's got nothing to say...
Sometimes I babble just to fill the silence or to project an image of being confident and knowledgeable when I'm really not.
Nothing to say...yeah...
In this moment, I am at a loss for words and have nothing insightful or witty to contribute to the conversation.
Hey kid, it's a great big world,
There is a vast, expansive world out there full of possibilities.
out there that you think you need to see.
You may feel compelled to explore this world and all the opportunities it holds.
Hey kid, go on and live that life...
You have the freedom to live your life as you please, without anyone else's influence or judgment.
But live it without me!
I am now asking to be excluded from your life and not be a part of your journey.
No one's more punk than you.
You consider yourself to be the most rebellious and non-conformist person around.
Your life is just a trend.
Your lifestyle and beliefs are not unique, but rather just part of a passing fad or fashion.
We'll see who's happy in the end.
In the long run, only time will tell who will truly be happy and fulfilled in life.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: Chris Morgan, Kristopher Lee Roe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leah Divine
I love the Atari’s I’ve seen them live in ‘01 at warped tour listened to them since 00’ they are an amazing band. When I’m phased off I like to listen to this song calms me some how!
NIRVANAmat
kind of reminds me of greenday
Sigfried Bigcheese Van MemeLord II
Yeah it's a full on ripoff of the When I Come Around riff plus Kris sounded so much like Billie Joe back then
TheDrapocalypse
GALERIANS!!!
Kendon L. Taylor
This song is on the soundtrack of Galerians: Rion. It feels out of place.
oleahitomaya
yeah me too, or more like pinhead gunpowde
untitled memories
Lmao. I was about to comment the same thing 2 years later i did when I was "kultangel2" before that account was terminated because i left the comment on the Rhianna song "S&M" "Rhianna says whips and chains excite her but i doubt her ancestors feel the same way"
Mr. BULLS
Lol good times 😂
FlybyNight
no. the offspring
Nicholas Alexander Posey
Used to be my favorite band in 1999! Terrible, but very nostalgic.