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.
Unopened Letter to the World
The Ataris Lyrics
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Here is my...unopened letter to a world
that never shall reply
If I died tomorrow would this song live on forever??
Here is my… unopened letter to a world
that never shall reply, never shall reply
calling out my name. This table is set for one.
Even angels would be homesick in this forsaken town.
On random notes of parchment I'm scrawling my existence,
Dressed in white. This candle radiates throughout the night
And it's never burning out, Never burning out
From this second story window I can hear the children
down on Main Street. They're singing their songs tonight.
In the shadows, I will listen to their every movement.
Mr. Higginson, Am I not good enough for the world?
Am I destined only to die the same way that I lived...
In seclusion.
From high up on this mountain I can almost see
your lonely windowsill. They'll carry you off tonight.
There's a ghost in your old bedroom
And a candle burning bright.
If I died tomorrow
Would this song live on forever?
The song "Unopened Letter to the World" by The Ataris is about the feeling of isolation and loneliness. The lyrics describe the writer's feeling of being an outsider in a world that never seems to understand or appreciate them. The first two lines, "If I died tomorrow, would this song live on forever?" show the writer's desire to be remembered even after death. The unopened letter referred to in the song may be a metaphor for the writer's thoughts and feelings that they are unable to express to the world.
The second verse describes the writer's environment, a forsaken town where even angels would be homesick. The table set for one and the candle that never burns out represent the writer's isolation and the fact that they are always alone. The line "On random notes of parchment, I'm scrawling my existence," highlights the writer's desire to express themselves even if no one is listening. The writer hears the church bells and the children on Main Street, but they are still isolated and disconnected from the world.
The last verse shows the writer's desperation as they ask, "Mr. Higginson, am I not good enough for the world?" They feel that they are destined to be ignored and forgotten, living and dying in seclusion. The writer is looking out onto the world from a high mountain, and they can see someone else's windowsill, imagining the loneliness that they might be feeling. The ghost in the old bedroom and the burning candle emphasize the idea of a life left behind even after death. The repeated line, "If I died tomorrow, would this song live on forever?" reflects the writer's fear of being forgotten like so many others.
Line by Line Meaning
If I died tomorrow would this song live on forever?
Would this piece of art I created outlive me if I were to pass away suddenly?
Here is my...unopened letter to a world that never shall reply
This song represents my unsent message to the world which will never receive it but will only hear it.
From this second story window I can hear the church bells calling out my name. This table is set for one. Even angels would be homesick in this forsaken town.
I am in solitude and disconnected from the world, as even the angels would feel homesick in this deserted town, and there is nobody here with me to share a meal or a conversation.
On random notes of parchment I'm scrawling my existence, Dressed in white. This candle radiates throughout the night And it's never burning out, Never burning out
I am writing my life on any loose piece of paper I can find and dressing in white to detail my purity. The candle that never extinguishes lits up the stories of my life.
From this second story window I can hear the children down on Main Street. They're singing their songs tonight. In the shadows, I will listen to their every movement.
I am observing the children singing below my window, eavesdropping on their movements while hidden in the shadows.
Mr. Higginson, Am I not good enough for the world? Am I destined only to die the same way that I lived... In seclusion.
I am questioning my worth and whether I have a place in this world, as I reside in isolation, removed from society.
From high up on this mountain I can almost see your lonely windowsill. They'll carry you off tonight. There's a ghost in your old bedroom And a candle burning bright.
I can see your lonely window from atop this mountain, knowing that you are gone. There is a ghost haunting your old bedroom, with a candle that continues to burn bright as a tribute to your memory.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KRIS ROE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind