The Get Up Kids were viewed throughout their existence as a prototypical emo band, having been major players in the Midwest emo movement of the mid-1990s.[4] However, like many early emo bands, The Get Up Kids sought to dissociate themselves with the term, as it was considered dismissive to be seen as an "emo band."Years later, guitarist Jim Suptic even apologized for having the influence they did on many of the modern third-wave emo bands, commenting that "the punk scene we came out of and the punk scene now are completely different. It’s like glam rock now . . . If this is the world we helped create, then I apologize.”
Influential Kansas City five piece, The Get Up Kids, return in January 2011 with a new studio album,There Are Rules – the band’s fifth full-length collection, and the first on their own Quality Hill Records imprint.
Seven years after what looked to be their final album Guilt Show, with the group disbanding a year later in 2005 after 10 years of constant touring, The Get Up Kids returned to the studio in 2009, sparked by a spur-of-the-moment decision to start writing songs together again, made while they were rehearsing to promote the tenth anniversary edition of their breakout album ‘Something to Write Home About’.
The first fruits of these new recordings was ‘Simple Science’, released in April 2010 - an EP that burst, unannounced, into the Billboard Top 200. But that was just a taste – a precursor to the full-length album, which Alternative Press magazine, upon hearing a whisper of its existence, placed on their “most anticipated…” list.
The band re-convened at their Black Lodge studio in Eudora, KS at various times in 2010 to complete the recordings, and so ‘There Are Rules’ came to be - twelve new songs that will prove to be both surprising, and familiar. The result is a collection of songs that are fresh and inspired, created by a band that has been given new life and isn’t looking back. In some fashion, the new tracks mark a return to the early days of The Get Up Kids, when they formed fifteen years ago above a drum store in downtown Kansas City. The recording involved lots of analog 2” tape – live takes and a feel for the unexpected. Long time producer Ed Rose was once again seated behind the mixing desk, and the band even turned to Chicago luminary Bob Weston, who recorded their debut, Four Minute Mile, to master the album. “This record came together really organically. We'd throw out an idea and if it didn't work after 30 minutes we'd scrap it and move on to another one. We all wrote together really spontaneously and then fleshed it out with Ed in the studio," says Matt Pryor.
At the same time, ‘There Are Rules’ marks a new chapter for The Get Up Kids, as they return to their independent roots, forming their own label – Quality Hill Records – and reigniting the DIY spirit that originally launched the band onto the worldwide stage. Says Pryor, “"We had a really great relationship with Vagrant but we felt that with the proverbial rebirth of the band we wanted to start our own label. Do everything ourselves like we did in the beginning." And as to naming the imprint? "Quality Hill is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City. It's not far from where we first formed the band. It seems like an appropriate name for the label." And of course, echoing their formative years, there is a 7” single involved. That 45 would be ‘Automatic’ – a limited edition release due in January 2011.
And so, after touring across four continents to sold out crowds too many times to count, after becoming a crucial part of what has been called the “second wave of emo” in the 90’s along with bands like Braid and The Promise Ring and influencing a list of bands as long as your arm, after 15 years, 4 acclaimed studio albums, a collection of rarities, a live record, numerous 7"s and EPs the Kansas City five piece – Matthew Pryor on vocals and guitar, Rob Pope on bass, Jim Suptic on guitars and vocals, James Dewees on keyboards and Ryan Pope on drums - are excited to unveil ‘There Are Rules’ in 2011, proving that the final chapter for The Get Up Kids has yet to be written.
Close to Home
The Get Up Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waited for you to come around
Every word you wrote
Down, we read it over to know
Would they believe in us now?
There's no shame like no
Sound from sources hits close to home
Says make your own destiny, but
You're unaware that you should be scared
Maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
Not waiting forever
We know you'll never be there
Not waiting forever
If you get out, see you there
Summer swallowed us whole
Waited for you to come around
There's no shame like no
Sound from sources hits close to home
Everything that we've found
Says make your own destiny, but
You're unaware that you should be scared
Maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
Not waiting forever
We know you'll never be there
Not waiting forever
If you get out, see you there
You're not awake as I'm aware
Maybe we had all you figured
Absolutely wrong
There's been a misunderstanding
We've had all along
Maybe we had all you figured
Absolutely wrong
You can read about
About it when we're gone
In "Close to Home," The Get Up Kids explore themes of youthful uncertainty, self-discovery, and the confusion that often comes with growing up. The verses' opening line, "Summer swallowed us whole," conjures an image of the singer and his companions surrendering to the season's sticky heat and emotional intensity. As they wait for their friend to "come around," they pore over his written words, wondering if they still believe in each other. The chorus touches on the isolating feeling of not being heard, the searching for one's own path, and the hope of reuniting with a friend who has drifted away. The bridge adds a layer of complexity as the singer and his friends realize they may have misjudged their friend, and both parties might be better off letting go. Ending with the line, "You can read about it when we're gone," suggests that their blended stories hold as many interpretations as the song itself and may never be resolved.
In terms of songwriting, "Close to Home" features a strong structure with clear verses, chorus, and bridge sections that progress the story naturally. The repeated line in the verses, "Every word you wrote down, we read it over to know" mirrors the themes of examining written words in contrast with the in-person interactions that form the heart of the song. The song's instrumentation and melody are simple, allowing the lyrics to take center stage.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer swallowed us whole
The summer engulfed and consumed us completely
Waited for you to come around
We hoped and waited for you to show up
Every word you wrote
We read and analyzed every word of your writing
Down, we read it over to know
We read and re-read to understand precisely
Would they believe in us now?
We wondered if others would have faith in us after reading your words
There's no shame like no
Nothing compares to feeling embarrassed or disappointed
Sound from sources hits close to home
Hearing certain things hits right at the heart and makes us vulnerable
Everything that we've found
From our experience, we have learned that
Says make your own destiny, but
It's preferred to create your path, but
You're unaware that you should be scared
It's possible that you don't realize the potential danger
Maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
Perhaps you'll gain insight from our errors
Not waiting forever
We're not going to wait for too long
We know you'll never be there
We're aware that you're unlikely to show up
If you get out, see you there
If you decide to participate, we'll see you then
You're not awake as I'm aware
It seems like you're still not fully conscious
Maybe we had all you figured
Perhaps we understood you completely
Absolutely wrong
But we were entirely mistaken
There's been a misunderstanding
We've had a misinterpretation all along
You can read about
In case you're curious, you can learn about
About it when we're gone
Once we're no longer here to explain it in person
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: JAMES DAVID SUPTIC, JAMES MATTHEW DEWEES, MATTHEW PATRICK PRYOR, ROBERT STEVEN POPE, RYAN MICHAEL POPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
morijustice
summer swallowed us whole;
we waited for you to come around
every word you wrote down,
we read it over to know... would they believe is us now?
there's no shame like no sound from sources hits close to home
everything that we've found says make your own destiny
but you're unaware that you should be scared
maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
strungoutboy21
This song brings back some great memories. What a great band.
William Junior
Eu amo essa música desde de adolescente de uma forma que nem sei explicar
theinfamousped
I believe there will never be, nor was there ever before, a better "WOOO!" thrown into a song.
Shawn Ryan
2:23
Crashdrums
One of their most underrated songs, ever.
Furious Hawk
"Summer swallowed us Whole....... waiting for you to come around"
Gets me ❤️
d t
every single time
Scott
This song, and album, and this band in general is soooo underrated.
Mark Carey
I wish I was born before the 90s so I could listen to the get up kids as a teen when it was the trend.I love these guys
Nelson3300
86 😘