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.
Ten Minutes
The Get Up Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is ten minutes too far?
When my friends all say I'm crazy
Maybe I'm being selfish
Maybe I'm just scared
Don't be gone when I get home, I need you there
I wouldn't know where to start
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Ten minutes to downtown
Is ten minutes too far?
When my heart is saying you're crazy
Maybe things are getting better
Maybe things aren't so bad
Don't be gone when I get home, you're all I have
If I had to explain it
I wouldn't know where to start
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Pockets empty
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
A pointless fight
When you're always right and everything will work out
It works out
Sometimes I miss you more
Whenever I'm at home
I've been home all summer
Now I'm leaving you alone
Pockets empty
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
A pointless fight
When you're always right and everything will work out
Everything will work out
Everything will work out
The first verse of The Get Up Kids' "Ten Minutes" seems to be about the push and pull of going out versus staying in. The singer questions whether going out ten minutes to downtown is too far, possibly indicating a reluctance to leave home or uncertainty about the night ahead. He acknowledges that his friends might see him as crazy for staying home or being indecisive. The lines, "Maybe I'm being selfish/Maybe I'm just scared," suggest that the decision is not entirely rational, but could be emotionally driven. The repetition of "don't be gone when I get home, I need you there" reinforces a sense of insecurity and dependence.
In the second verse, however, there is a shift. This time, the heart is saying "you're crazy," indicating that perhaps the indecisive singer is conflicted about the relationship. The singer seems to hope that "maybe things are getting better," but is unsure. The line, "you're all I have," suggests a deep investment in the relationship, but the implication is that it may not be enough.
The final lines echo the first verse, with a repetition of "pockets empty," possibly indicating a financial strain or other kind of pressure beyond the relationship. The lines, "how can you tell me that everything will work out?/A pointless fight/when you're always right and everything will work out," suggest an argument in which the singer feels unheard or dismissed. The repetition of "everything will work out" is either reassuring or ironic, given the uncertainty expressed earlier in the song. The final line, "sometimes I miss you more/whenever I'm at home/I've been home all summer/now I'm leaving you alone," indicates a sense of regret and longing that suggests the relationship may not work out after all.
Overall, "Ten Minutes" is a complex depiction of a relationship in which the singer is struggling with uncertainty and insecurity. The repetition of certain phrases, such as "don't be gone when I get home" and "everything will work out," suggest an attempt to cope with that uncertainty through repeated affirmation. The tension between staying home and going out, and the distrust both of the self ("maybe I'm just scared") and the other ("you're crazy"), reinforces the sense of anxiety and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten minutes to downtown
The distance from my place to downtown is very short.
Is ten minutes too far?
Is it too much to ask for a small distance to maintain a relationship?
When my friends all say I'm crazy
Although my friends question my choices, I still believe in them.
Maybe I'm being selfish
Perhaps I am only looking out for my own interests.
Maybe I'm just scared
I could be afraid of failure or of the uncertainty of the future.
Don't be gone when I get home, I need you there
I rely on you to be there for me when I return home.
If I had to explain it
It's difficult to articulate the complex and subtle emotions I am feeling.
I wouldn't know where to start
It's hard to know where to begin when trying to explain the situation.
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Even though it seems as if you are becoming more invested in our relationship, I am struggling to maintain it.
When my heart is saying you're crazy
Although I am emotionally invested in you, others may not see the same value in your role for me.
Maybe things are getting better
There may be signs of progress and improvement for our relationship.
Maybe things aren't so bad
Perhaps the situation is not as dire as it first seemed.
Don't be gone when I get home, you're all I have
I am dependent on you as a source of support and comfort in my life.
Pockets empty
I am financially struggling and may have difficulty providing for myself and others.
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
There are too many variables in play to guarantee a certain outcome.
A pointless fight
The disagreements we have are often insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
When you're always right and everything will work out
You tend to be optimistic and believe that everything will eventually work itself out.
It works out
Despite the odds, things have a way of resolving themselves in the end.
Sometimes I miss you more
There are moments when the absence of your presence is felt more acutely.
Whenever I'm at home
Being in the comfort of my own home reminds me of our memories together.
I've been home all summer
Despite being in a familiar and comfortable environment, I still feel disconnected from you.
Now I'm leaving you alone
I am separating myself from you physically or emotionally.
Everything will work out
Despite the uncertainties and hardships we face, things will ultimately resolve themselves in time.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: JAMES SUPTIC, MATTHEW PRYOR, ROBERT POPE, RYAN POPE, JAMES DEWEES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GlacieredHornet
Ten minutes to downtown is ten minutes too far
When my friends all say I'm crazy,
Maybe I'm being selfish
Maybe I'm just scared
Don't be gone when I get home, I need you there
If I had to explain it I wouldn't know were to start
It's like you're falling in love, while I just fall apart
Ten minutes to downtown is ten minutes too far
When my heart is saying you're crazy maybe things are getting better, maybe
Things aren't so bad
Don't be gone when I get home, you're all I have
If I had to explain it,
I wouldn't know where to start
Its like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Pockets empty, how can you tell me
That everything will work out
A pointless fight when you're always right
And everything will work out
Sometimes, I miss you more whenever I'm at home
I've been home all summer, now I'm leaving you alone
Pockets empty, how can you tell me that everything will work out
A pointless fight when you're always right and
Everything will work out
Rixis X
Ten minutes to downtown
Is ten minutes too far?
When my friends all say I'm crazy
Maybe I'm being selfish
Maybe I'm just scared
Don't be gone when I get home, I need you there
If I had to explain it
I wouldn't know where to start
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Ten minutes to downtown
Is ten minutes too far?
When my heart is saying you're crazy
Maybe things are getting better
Maybe things aren't so bad
Don't be gone when I get home, you're all I have
If I had to explain it
I wouldn't know where to start
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Pockets empty
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
A pointless fight
When you're always right and everything will work out
It works out
Sometimes I miss you more
Whenever I'm at home
I've been home all summer
Now I'm leaving you alone
Pockets empty
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
A pointless fight
When you're always right and everything will work out
Everything will work out
Everything will work out
...There you go, you lazy fucks
Julia Reyes
Ten minutes to downtown
Is ten minutes too far?
When my friends all say I'm crazy
Maybe I'm being selfish
Maybe I'm just scared
Don't be gone when I get home, I need you there
If I had to explain it
I wouldn't know where to start
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Ten minutes to downtown
Is ten minutes too far?
When my heart is saying you're crazy
Maybe things are getting better
Maybe things aren't so bad
Don't be gone when I get home, you're all I have
If I had to explain it
I wouldn't know where to start
It's like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Pockets empty
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
A pointless fight
When you're always right and everything will work out
It works out
Sometimes I miss you more
Whenever I'm at home
I've been home all summer
Now I'm leaving you alone
Pockets empty
How can you tell me that everything will work out?
A pointless fight
When you're always right and everything will work out
Everything will work out
Everything will work out
löded diper fan
theres something playfully innocent about this type of music. it makes me feel nostalgic even though im a teenager myself
ryuken347
that is the most teenager thing to say
Roddy Dykes
The late 90s were ridiculously innocent. Pretty much the only time in modern history
GlacieredHornet
Ten minutes to downtown is ten minutes too far
When my friends all say I'm crazy,
Maybe I'm being selfish
Maybe I'm just scared
Don't be gone when I get home, I need you there
If I had to explain it I wouldn't know were to start
It's like you're falling in love, while I just fall apart
Ten minutes to downtown is ten minutes too far
When my heart is saying you're crazy maybe things are getting better, maybe
Things aren't so bad
Don't be gone when I get home, you're all I have
If I had to explain it,
I wouldn't know where to start
Its like you're falling in love while I just fall apart
Pockets empty, how can you tell me
That everything will work out
A pointless fight when you're always right
And everything will work out
Sometimes, I miss you more whenever I'm at home
I've been home all summer, now I'm leaving you alone
Pockets empty, how can you tell me that everything will work out
A pointless fight when you're always right and
Everything will work out
Grave Bug
Thank you
Loki Shy
Wow... takes me back to my musician days. God, I worshipped this band.
Legalize420
This song must have inspired the early 2000s emo scene
Michael P. Angus
If you like this, check out their first album, Four Minute Mile (1997.) I got into it around 2000 graduating high school and it's always been my fave, although the next couple albums grow on ya, too.
Joseph Bastidas
This whole album did really. Finally hearing it for the first time and I hear the impact it had on a lot of the bands that I’ve loved for years.
Jack Day
I miss those days. I'm a generation z