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.
My Hotel Year
The Ataris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And watched the tail lights fade away
As the sun began to witness a new day.
I drove five hundred thousand miles
To find a world unlike my own,
And now middle of nowhere seems like my home.
Could be scarier than any crowded room.
I'm more alone with you than when I'm by myself.
Another night stuck on the vine,
Another low lit memory
Where time will slowly have it's way with me.
We live our lives to expect the worst
But once it happens what is left?
We will never have to be surprised again.
Just you and me not saying much of anything
Sometimes could mean more than a thousand words
Goodbye, farewell to this fucked up world that was my former self.
We never seem to have the time until we waste it
All gone, goodbye.
Think and think alike, never seemed to have the time
Until one day it's all gone, you've thrown it all away.
I'm glad you were a part of my hotel year.
The lyrics to The Ataris' song "My Hotel Year" are both melancholic and reflective, drawing on the emotions felt when experiencing the unknown and feeling detached from one's past. The opening line, "I saw the stars fall from the sky / And watched the tail lights fade away / As the sun began to witness a new day," sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the imagery being powerful and evocative.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about how they've driven "five hundred thousand miles" in search of a world that is different from the one they knew, ultimately ending up feeling most at home in the "middle of nowhere." The feeling of being alone and unknown is strong, but it's also noted that being with someone else can sometimes amplify that sense of loneliness.
The song concludes with the thought that, while we often spend our lives expecting the worst, getting to a point where we're already experiencing it then opens up the opportunity to live without fear and surprise. Ultimately, the lyrics are a reflection on the idea that people come into our lives and leave just as suddenly, but that even if it was hard, it was worth experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw the stars fall from the sky
I witnessed a moment of awe as I watched the stars fall from the sky.
And watched the tail lights fade away
At the same time, I saw the tail lights of a car fade away into the distance.
As the sun began to witness a new day.
But then, a new day dawned as the sun rose in the sky.
I drove five hundred thousand miles
In pursuit of a different reality, I went on an arduous journey covering half a million miles.
To find a world unlike my own,
My aim was to find a world that was different from what I knew.
And now middle of nowhere seems like my home.
Now I find comfort in solitude, and it feels like the middle of nowhere is where I belong.
Alone, unknown... Yet fearing nothing but ourselves
Despite being alone and unknown, the only thing we fear is ourselves.
Could be scarier than any crowded room.
The fear of being with oneself could be more daunting than being in a crowded room.
I'm more alone with you than when I'm by myself.
Being with you makes me feel more alone than when I'm actually by myself.
Another night stuck on the vine,
Another night passes by being stuck in the same place.
Another low lit memory
A memory that isn't the brightest, but still significant.
Where time will slowly have it's way with me.
A place where time takes its own sweet time to influence my mind and body.
We live our lives to expect the worst
We live our lives in anticipation of the worst possible outcomes.
But once it happens what is left?
But, when the worst does happen, we're left with nothing.
We will never have to be surprised again.
Once the worst has happened, nothing else can surprise us.
Just you and me not saying much of anything
We don't need to say much to each other.
Sometimes could mean more than a thousand words
Not saying much could express more than words ever could.
Goodbye, farewell to this fucked up world that was my former self.
I'm saying goodbye to the world that made me into someone else than who I am now.
We never seem to have the time until we waste it
We never really value our time until we waste it away.
All gone, goodbye.
The time is up, and it's time to say goodbye.
Think and think alike, never seemed to have the time
We spend our time thinking, but we never seem to have the time.
Until one day it's all gone, you've thrown it all away.
Suddenly, everything is gone, you've wasted all the time you had.
I'm glad you were a part of my hotel year.
I'm grateful that you were part of my year spent in solitude.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kris Roe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aleksandar Haber
amazing song and the atmosphere it conveys
PETERPOOP
Nostalgic. sigh
JonesiBoy Beastmode
Agreed
Donovan McCormick
Why didn’t they do the whole song on this record. I like the electric version but this one is better.
Mack27
this song was so many life mistakes ago. better times.
Vandal lolwut
You too?
Leon Prowse
Wheres the non acoustic version?
Terry Olde
Its on the EP look forward to failure