The Lawrence Arms are a punk rock trio from Chicago, formed in 1999. The li… Read Full Bio ↴The Lawrence Arms are a punk rock trio from Chicago, formed in 1999. The lineup consists of Brendan Kelly (vocals & bass), Chris McCaughan (vocals & guitar), and Neil Hennessy (drums). They have released seven full-length albums and are currently signed to Epitaph. Their music and lyrics exhibit their propensity for juxtaposing references from history and literature with American pop culture. The band takes its name from a building the members resided in (and were later evicted from) called the Lawrence Arms, which was located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.
Members of the Lawrence Arms have also played in The Broadways, Slapstick, Tricky Dick and Baxter.
The three musicians came together to form the Lawrence Arms in 1999. Although punk rock bands in their infancy generally start out by releasing EPs and 7" vinyl singles, the band members used their existing relationship with Asian Man Records to immediately begin recording a full-length album, a guided tour of chicago, which was released later that year. A second album, ghost stories, followed in 2000. Both albums focused heavily on the members' own stories of growing up and living in Chicago.
The band's next two releases were split EPs with other bands. The first, a split with Shady View Terrace, was released in 2000 and was their first release to be recorded by Matt Allison, who would continue to record and produce all of their subsequent releases. A second EP, Present Day Memories, was released in 2001 and was a split with The Chinkees.
The band's records and touring schedule had brought them to the attention of Fat Mike of NOFX, who signed them to his label Fat Wreck Chords in late 2001. Their first release on the label was a 7" vinyl single, part of the label's "Fat Club" series of 7" records. This was followed by the full-length album apathy and exhaustion, released in 2002. The album spawned the band's first music video, for the song porno and snuff films and they toured extensively with NOFX and other bands from the label.
Their next album was 2003's the greatest story ever told. Arguably their most ambitious album to date, it demonstrated the band members' continued growth as musicians and songwriters and included extensive footnotes to the lyrics detailing their many references to history, literature and pop culture. It also showed an evolution in the band's vocal style. Kelly had sung most of the vocals on their first album, while on subsequent releases he and McCaughan had split vocal duties almost equally from one song to the next, with Kelly's voice tending to sound more harsh and urgent while McCaughan's sounds more relaxed and melodic. With this release, however, the two began to move towards more of a duet style of singing which would feature prominently on their next album. Extensive touring following the album's release saw the band on the road for much of 2003 and 2004. They also contributed a song to the Fat Wreck Chords Rock Against Bush, Volume 2 compilation, leading up to the 2004 presidential election and became involved with the Punk Voter campaign.
In December of 2004 Kelly and Hennessy joined with fellow Chicago natives Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio (who had played with Kelly in Slapstick) and Todd Mohney, formerly of Rise Against, to form The Falcon, and released an EP on Red Scare. Meanwhile, with interest in the Lawrence Arms increasing and their EPs out of print, Asian Man Records planned a CD release of the band's EP tracks. The resulting compilation album, Cocktails & Dreams, was released on Asian Man in June of 2005 and included their songs from both EPs along with nearly all of their compilation tracks, rare songs and b-sides.
The Lawrence Arms re-entered the studio in October and November of 2005 and recorded the album oh! calcutta!, which was released on Fat Wreck Chords in March of 2006. It had an overall faster and more urgent feel to it than their previous album, and demonstrated another step in the development of their singing as Kelly and McCaughan shared vocals in a duet style on nearly every song. They filmed a music video for the song the devil's takin' names.
The Lawrence Arms spent most of 2006 touring extensively alongside bands such as NOFX, Alkaline Trio, The Draft, Lagwagon, and A Wilhelm Scream. The full-length debut by the Falcon was released that fall on Red Scare. In December, the Lawrence Arms embarked on their first headlining tour of Australia, also playing supporting shows with Frenzal Rhomb.
In March of 2007, guitarist Chris McCaughan released the debut album from his acoustic side project Sundowner, entitled four one five two.
The band toured again in 2007, with their side projects The Falcon and Sundowner as openers along with the recently reunited American Steel.
The 2010s saw minimal studio activity by the band, but for one album. 2014's Metropole was received well, and marked the band's first full-length in eight years. The band took another extended break in between albums again, taking six years before releasing their seventh album Skeleton Coast in 2020.
Members of the Lawrence Arms have also played in The Broadways, Slapstick, Tricky Dick and Baxter.
The three musicians came together to form the Lawrence Arms in 1999. Although punk rock bands in their infancy generally start out by releasing EPs and 7" vinyl singles, the band members used their existing relationship with Asian Man Records to immediately begin recording a full-length album, a guided tour of chicago, which was released later that year. A second album, ghost stories, followed in 2000. Both albums focused heavily on the members' own stories of growing up and living in Chicago.
The band's next two releases were split EPs with other bands. The first, a split with Shady View Terrace, was released in 2000 and was their first release to be recorded by Matt Allison, who would continue to record and produce all of their subsequent releases. A second EP, Present Day Memories, was released in 2001 and was a split with The Chinkees.
The band's records and touring schedule had brought them to the attention of Fat Mike of NOFX, who signed them to his label Fat Wreck Chords in late 2001. Their first release on the label was a 7" vinyl single, part of the label's "Fat Club" series of 7" records. This was followed by the full-length album apathy and exhaustion, released in 2002. The album spawned the band's first music video, for the song porno and snuff films and they toured extensively with NOFX and other bands from the label.
Their next album was 2003's the greatest story ever told. Arguably their most ambitious album to date, it demonstrated the band members' continued growth as musicians and songwriters and included extensive footnotes to the lyrics detailing their many references to history, literature and pop culture. It also showed an evolution in the band's vocal style. Kelly had sung most of the vocals on their first album, while on subsequent releases he and McCaughan had split vocal duties almost equally from one song to the next, with Kelly's voice tending to sound more harsh and urgent while McCaughan's sounds more relaxed and melodic. With this release, however, the two began to move towards more of a duet style of singing which would feature prominently on their next album. Extensive touring following the album's release saw the band on the road for much of 2003 and 2004. They also contributed a song to the Fat Wreck Chords Rock Against Bush, Volume 2 compilation, leading up to the 2004 presidential election and became involved with the Punk Voter campaign.
In December of 2004 Kelly and Hennessy joined with fellow Chicago natives Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio (who had played with Kelly in Slapstick) and Todd Mohney, formerly of Rise Against, to form The Falcon, and released an EP on Red Scare. Meanwhile, with interest in the Lawrence Arms increasing and their EPs out of print, Asian Man Records planned a CD release of the band's EP tracks. The resulting compilation album, Cocktails & Dreams, was released on Asian Man in June of 2005 and included their songs from both EPs along with nearly all of their compilation tracks, rare songs and b-sides.
The Lawrence Arms re-entered the studio in October and November of 2005 and recorded the album oh! calcutta!, which was released on Fat Wreck Chords in March of 2006. It had an overall faster and more urgent feel to it than their previous album, and demonstrated another step in the development of their singing as Kelly and McCaughan shared vocals in a duet style on nearly every song. They filmed a music video for the song the devil's takin' names.
The Lawrence Arms spent most of 2006 touring extensively alongside bands such as NOFX, Alkaline Trio, The Draft, Lagwagon, and A Wilhelm Scream. The full-length debut by the Falcon was released that fall on Red Scare. In December, the Lawrence Arms embarked on their first headlining tour of Australia, also playing supporting shows with Frenzal Rhomb.
In March of 2007, guitarist Chris McCaughan released the debut album from his acoustic side project Sundowner, entitled four one five two.
The band toured again in 2007, with their side projects The Falcon and Sundowner as openers along with the recently reunited American Steel.
The 2010s saw minimal studio activity by the band, but for one album. 2014's Metropole was received well, and marked the band's first full-length in eight years. The band took another extended break in between albums again, taking six years before releasing their seventh album Skeleton Coast in 2020.
Chapter 13%3A The Hero Appears
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Lawrence Arms:
"I'll Take What's in the Box, Monty" the sky burns black blue bruised over these lights from…
100 Resolutions Where have I been all your life? Sitting on fences. A novoca…
106 South Our trip had ended I didn't know what I had…
3AM QVC Shopping Spree Hangover Limp lines resign themselves to margins. like a drunken vamp…
A Boring Story No more smile and no more outrage Apathy pervasive emotions …
A Guided Tour of Chicago He shuffled up a pair of surfer slippers and an…
A Toast You tell me that ya wanna go to heaven But you…
A Wishful Puppeteer I haven't seen you since that Brooklyn night I guess it's…
Abracadaver Bright and burning blue, stretch your arms out above me.…
Alert the Audience Passive, Aggressive, Confessing, Repressive Structurally un…
All the Week Misleading utterings shadow boxer right hook mood swings my …
An Evening of Extraordinary Circumstance Tonight 'll sit around pushing my shit down the drain,…
Another Boring Story Displacement, the basement, isolation commented Relented six…
Are You There Margaret? It's Me, God. you told me where to go and i always followed you told…
Asa Phelps Is Dead Hey brother can you spare the time? skin and bones…
Beautiful Things Typewriter tell me what year it was Typing to the rhythm…
Beyond the Embarrassing Style Is it hard for you to sleep at night? The powder…
Boatless Booze Cruise Part 1 Jackknifed my strife Take it easy, sit outside I just died…
Boring Story No more smile and no more outrage Apathy pervasive emotions …
Brickwall Views don't break too many hearts. don't take too many arrows…
Chapter 13: The Hero Appears The well went dry, the blood thinned out I scraped through…
Chicago is Burning we throw out our bodies on the fire and we…
Chilean District I'm Chilean, underway from a long and snowy winter Coming on…
Coyote Crown Disappear in fog and rain Abandoned words of yesterday Arres…
Criminal My anger is a sign of disgust with myself A stewing…
Cut It Up It seems we're fading kinda fast. Like the red brake…
Dead Man's Coat Woke up in foreign skin on a frozen continent I am…
Demons I got too drunk at your wedding and my voice…
Detention Baseball bats and salivating mouths in a square room, doors…
Disaster March There was a time and a place that was all…
Don't Look At Me This is a failed attempt Words crashin′, bartenders and wimp…
Drunk Mouth Kitchen Smile Consider confrontations This is a shy and quiet morning The …
Drunk Tweets One, two, three Fuck you, if I'm wrong I don't wanna…
Eighteen Inches Face down on the ground. stormclouds lie in white snowpiles…
Faintly Falling Ashes Another senseless week of crowded thoughts and crooked teeth…
fire flies Invisible, Inviting Vision Linger. This Swirl Of Smoke Looks…
Ghost Stories Raindrops fell without rage eyes half-closed skin like dark …
Goblin Foxhunt All you fucking goblins had better watch out Once I calm…
Great Lakes/Great Escapes I scratched my name into the table. The knife and phone…
Here Comes the Neighborhood I work on Belmont, but I live in Wicker Park All…
Here Comes the Neighbourhood i work on belmont, but i live in wicker park…
Hesitation Station Hesitation was the station I used to get on at. Now…
Hickey Avenue We talk a lot in crappy cars and restaurants and…
How To Rot Theoretically, Fidel was right, boy You are not a resistor H…
Intransit I can't connect to this sacred object The bar was open…
Introduction I'm a clown Only here to entertain All the clowns Only here …
Joyce Carol Oates Is a Boring Old Biddy A broken record has a thousand answers To constant contradi…
Jumping the Shark Losing sight of a past time The years fly right by…
Kevin Costner's Casino Hey kevin, exploitation's nothing new, it's perfect disguise…
Key to the City I sat with the drunks and the speed freaks and I…
Last Last Words Tired of these drunken evenings listening to my staggered br…
Light Breathing Me and martha plimpton in an elevator her golden labrador…
Like a Record Player I'm like a record player I keep goin' round With a needle…
Lose Control Dear blackhole, will you read this? I lost control at the…
Lose Your Illusion 1 I'm sober like a Sunday morning mass Liars are lying to…
Metropole Brush off the hours of your day I'm buried in the…
Minute another day chock full of choices of things to hate…
Navigating the Windward Passage Drinking deathwish nights can't save this. glasseyed slackja…
Nebraska Hey mike I wish I could help you figure something…
Never Fade Away I'll never fade away ‘till I lodge you deep inside of…
October Blood I was born and I died Just a moment went by I…
Old Dogs Never Die The surging blood rushes through me In tune to the pulsing…
On With the Show What did you scream into your telephone? I'm a shit…
Outro Tear us up And stuff us down the drain Tear us up And…
Overheated Three days, no happy endings Highways, I'm hallucinating I…
Paradise Shitty Save a song for me to sing, boy, if I…
Pigeons and Spies You are the pigeon I am the spy All we got in…
Porno and Snuff Films Leveling, graveling, gravelly groans exude my exhaustion, ca…
Presenting: The Dancing Machine Day One has just begun, I'm burnt, broken, dazed and numb. …
Pta Don′t worry baby, it's nigh The end of our time, the…
Quiet Storm There is no past There is no future Now I′m free to…
Quincentuple Your Money There's a letter at my mother's house, Came with a floded…
Recovering Opposable Thumbs Is there any hope for us, or are the rumors…
Requiem Revisited [Whispers] His dreams gone, and all the smiles have faded T…
Revisionist The sway and swell Flee with her motion Red-gold across my a…
Right as Rain Part 2 i'm mortified. i'm morally antagonized. my door is locked. t…
Seventeener I never wanted to die old, But it's too late now, My…
Sixteen Hours So, I think I know what I'll be doing today.…
Smokestacks I listened to the megaphone man. he said we were…
Someday We're All Gonna Weigh 400 Lbs. The girls, they don't love us anymore now Because we wear…
Spit Shining Shit I was awake, dreaming about sleeping And my mistakes and ho…
Take One Down and Pass It Around One hundred bottles of beer on the floor. one hundred…
The Corpses of Our Motivations Catching up in the basement that I call home. dismantling…
The Devil Shall we dance? Or maybe just limp around? These feet are…
The Devil's Takin' Names Shall we dance? Or maybe just limp around? These feet are…
The Disaster March There was a time and a place that was all…
The First Eviction Notice A temple corroded, eviction pending. embrace me, cold nights…
The Last One Tired of these drunken evenings listening to my staggered br…
The March of the Elephants The cistern burns With the sisters who learn That certainty …
The Old Timer's 2x4 walking dead on two burned feet do you have anything…
The Ramblin' Boys of Pleasure A million times a day I try to fail or fail…
The Raw and Searing Flesh I never want to see you In the raw and searing…
The Redness in the West Wasting away, never felt this way before I played all the…
The Revisionist The sway and swell Flee with her motion Red-gold across my a…
The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest Day in the Greatest City My eyes opened to the emptiness My face was nothing but…
The YMCA Down The Street From The Clinic Click on the link for the world's biggest dick You can…
Them Angels Been Talkin' What's that sound in the parking lot? Someone's getting sick…
There's No Place Like A Strang Teeth ripped out of gums hit sparkling gray squares of…
Toast You tell me that ya wanna go to heaven But you…
Turnstiles With a light of this match I could burn this place…
Uptown Free Radio It's been twenty thousand days since the best ones hotels,…
You Are Here Where you are is where you are And it's just the…
Your Gravest Words All these words trip over cracks in the sidewalks. uptown,…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found