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.
The Company Dime
The Get Up Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the verge of a world profound
Standing on unstable ground
Adding insult to irony
I think it's really gonna happen this time
Calls on the company dime
Reluctance ties up the line
With irresponsibility
No matter save for a friend
No argument can amend
Irreplaceable but in the end
One star player doesn't save the team
Now you're open to attack
Our burden rests on your back
Replace, re-track responsibility
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
Anonymous until the ending
Spent a long, long time pretending
And a longer day spent accepting
What the world ahead would store
You only learn but not believing
That the industry is unforgiving
Everything that you've been giving
Isn't what if was before
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
Replace, re-track
Replace, re-track
Replace, re-track
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
You to get over this
The lyrics of The Get Up Kids' song The Company Dime depicts the narrative of a company or industry crumbling and failing despite the presence of star players. The opening lines "I watched it all come crashing down, On the verge of a world profound, Standing on unstable ground, Adding insult to irony" emphasizes the downfall and instability of the industry despite hope and promise for advancement. The song suggests the existence of a dysfunctional and reluctant management evidenced by the lines, "Calls on the company dime, Reluctance ties up the line, With irresponsibility." The song also implies that the failure of the industry was caused by a lack of teamwork and the over-dependence on a single star player with the lines "No matter save for a friend, No argument can amend, Irreplaceable but in the end, One star player doesn't save the team."
As the song progresses, it highlights the struggles of individuals who had invested their time and effort into the industry but are now facing the reality of its downfall. The lines "Anonymous until the ending, Spent a long, long time pretending, And a longer day spent accepting, What the world ahead would store," suggests how these individuals were unaware of the industry's instability until the end, despite pretending to be blind to the real situation.
Overall, The Company Dime by The Get Up Kids tells a story of disappointment, loss, and the struggle of moving forward after the failure of an industry. It portrays how the failure of teamwork and management can lead to the downfall of an entire company, highlighting the importance of collaboration and responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
I watched it all come crashing down
The singer observed the downfall of something they were part of.
On the verge of a world profound
The downfall was imminent and had significant consequences.
Standing on unstable ground
The situation was unreliable and unpredictable.
Adding insult to irony
The situation was made worse by a cruel twist of fate.
I think it's really gonna happen this time
The artist is convinced that the downfall is unavoidable.
Calls on the company dime
The cost of the downfall is being paid by the company.
Reluctance ties up the line
People are hesitant to address the issue, causing delays.
With irresponsibility
The cause of the problem was due to a lack of responsibility.
No matter save for a friend
The only thing that can be relied on is a friend's support.
No argument can amend
Nothing can change the situation.
Irreplaceable but in the end
Someone or something that was essential was lost.
One star player doesn't save the team
Even the best player can't save the whole team.
Now you're open to attack
The situation has left the person vulnerable.
Our burden rests on your back
The responsibility for fixing the situation falls on the person's shoulders.
Replace, re-track responsibility
The focus needs to be on correcting the issue and taking responsibility for it.
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
The artist is still waiting for something to happen.
You to get over this
The artist wants the person to move past the situation.
Anonymous until the ending
The person was unknown until the very end.
Spent a long, long time pretending
The person was pretending for an extended period of time.
And a longer day spent accepting
It took even longer for the person to come to terms with the situation.
What the world ahead would store
The person was unaware of what was to come.
You only learn but not believing
The person only learned by experiencing the negative consequences.
That the industry is unforgiving
The person discovered that the industry is harsh and doesn't provide second chances.
Everything that you've been giving
The person had been putting in effort and resources.
Isn't what if was before
The results didn't match the expectations.
Replace, re-track
The focus needs to be on correcting the issue and taking responsibility for it.
I'm still waiting for (I'm still waiting for)
The singer is still waiting for something to happen.
You to get over this
The artist wants the person to move past the situation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JAMES DEWEES, JAMES SUPTIC, MATTHEW PATRICK PRYOR, ROB POPE, RYAN POPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
itsyea boi
low key best hook on the album
Strawberrow
This song is great man!! Been listening to this for like 5 years now and I still love. The Get Up Kids are awesome ：Ｄ
Jamie the Emperor
Saaame
N J
I think it's their best album
Wessley Marcum
I'm still waiting for you to get over this.
HeartCount
i feel nostalgia of my days of depression when i listen to this band. i feel passion, strangely enough. i also loved the Super Nintendo at the time, and the music makes me wanna draw which is why I love The Get Up Kids :)
Jamie the Emperor
same
Jabrinks sabrinks
Simply, one of my favorite songs ever!!! Lovely piano bringing childhood memories.
Daphne English
I actually started liking this song while my kids and I were playing the game Amped on XBox 360. Love the drums, I think the drummer kicks as@! My kids think I'm lame but I tell em I'm a cool Mom you just don't know it yet. :-))Thumbs up for a Mom even playing games! lol
Mike Raymond
coolest mom...