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.
Wish You Were Here
The Get Up Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if i didn't come home?
the end of a big fight
doesn't matter anymore
at that point in my midlife
the situation stands
but hours pass like years
wish you were here
did I open an old wound?
is there something I should know?
if it's all ending so soon
how could i possibly let go?
comes to a head, this is high noon
the finale we have planned
but hours pass like years
wish you were here
say the words so slow
say it without fear
you won't turn to go
you won't leave me here
the past is all we know
the memories are clear
wish you were here
if I told you, were you listening?
did you know this from the start?
do the dates match exactly?
did you plan when we would part?
if I won't wait for another year
I guess you'll break my heart
it's true
you already knew
so take this as a souvenir
remember me, I'm waiting here
the disappointed, hanger on
who stayed behind while you moved on
wish you were here
The lyrics of "Wish You Were Here" by The Get Up Kids are highly emotional and seem to reflect on the feelings of regret and longing for a loved one who has left. The song is a reflection on a relationship that has gone sour, and the singer is questioning whether they should stay and fix things or let go and move on.
The first verse sets the tone for the song, as the singer wonders if his lover would stay if he didn't come home. The end of their big fight doesn't matter anymore, and he wishes his lover were there with him to make things better. The second verse is more introspective, as the singer questions whether he opened up an old wound and if there's something he should know. The relationship is coming to a head and it's the finale they've planned, but at the same time, hours pass like years, and he wishes his lover were there.
The chorus of the song sees the singer transferring his longing into words, as he wishes his lover were there. He wants them to stay with him, to say the words so slow, and not leave him here. The past is all they know, and the memories are clear, but he still wishes his lover were here. The bridge is the most poignant part of the song, as the singer reflects on whether his lover was listening to him when he spoke. He wonders whether they knew from the start that they were going to leave, but he still wants them to remember him.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you stay for one night?
Asking if the person would stay the night despite the possibility of me not coming home.
if i didn't come home?
Hypothetical situation where I may not come home and asking if the person would stay regardless.
the end of a big fight
A major argument in the relationship coming to a close.
doesn't matter anymore
The fight no longer holds significance and is no longer affecting the relationship.
at that point in my midlife
Referencing a point of personal reflection and contemplation in my life.
the situation stands
Describing the current state of the relationship as it is.
but hours pass like years
Emphasizing the feeling of waiting and how time seems to drag on.
wish you were here
Expressing the desire for the person to be present in the moment with me.
did I open an old wound?
Asking if I had brought up a past hurt or issue that may still be affecting the relationship.
is there something I should know?
Asking if there is information that I am unaware of that could impact the relationship.
if it's all ending so soon
Acknowledging the possibility of the relationship coming to an end sooner than expected.
how could i possibly let go?
Expressing the difficulty in moving on from a relationship.
comes to a head, this is high noon
A moment of decision where things need to be resolved.
the finale we have planned
Describing the current state of the relationship as the final resolution that has been discussed.
say the words so slow
Expressing the need to take things slow and be deliberate in communication.
say it without fear
Encouraging the person to speak honestly and openly without reservation.
you won't turn to go
Wanting the person to stay and not leave the situation.
you won't leave me here
Expressing the fear of being abandoned in this moment of decision.
the past is all we know
Acknowledging that our knowledge and understanding of the relationship is based on past experiences.
the memories are clear
Reflecting on the clarity of past memories and experiences.
if I told you, were you listening?
Questioning if the person was truly paying attention to what was being communicated.
did you know this from the start?
Asking if the person had knowledge or understanding of the eventual outcome of the relationship from the beginning.
do the dates match exactly?
Checking to see if specific details and events line up and match perfectly.
did you plan when we would part?
Asking if the person had intentionally planned out the end of the relationship in advance.
if I won't wait for another year
Expressing that waiting another year for the relationship to work out is no longer an option.
I guess you'll break my heart
Acknowledging the reality that the person will be the one to end things and the emotional pain that comes with that.
it's true
Affirming the sincerity of the situation and emotional state.
you already knew
Believing that the person was already aware of the eventual outcome of the relationship.
so take this as a souvenir
Leaving a reminder or keepsake of the relationship as it comes to an end.
remember me, I'm waiting here
Asking to be remembered even after the relationship has ended, and signaling a willingness to wait for the person.
the disappointed, hanger on
Describing the role of the person who is left behind and disappointed after the relationship has ended.
who stayed behind while you moved on
Reinforcing the feeling of being left behind while the other person has moved on from the relationship.
wish you were here
Reiterating the desire for the person to be present in the current moment and situation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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