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.
Criminal
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A stewing serenade I hear the sirens on their way
The chemicals inside of me just kept on swimming through my veins
Maybe I should make a move and try to leave this all behind
I listen to the absence of noise
Dead summer breeze, I'm inflated with suspicions
Seems I've identified again the criminal of my intent
Imagine exercising that same routine you reinvent
slow and somber in my patterns
I'm just a friend you'll never meet
I am the love that never happens
My days exist in meaningless ways
I need a way to shake this
I'm making lost time famous
My heart goes rushing to my head whatever happened to me
Weeks spin forward I'm aware that I've been living in reverse
I always hesitate like the future is engraved
Roots here grow really deep they're networked beneath the city streets
It's a structured kind of madness
I always turn away back to a safer fate
I always hesitate
The Lawrence Arms's song "Criminal" is a poignant and introspective examination of one's own feelings of self-hatred and longing for change. The opening lines, "My anger is a sign of disgust with myself / A stewing serenade I hear the sirens on their way," immediately set the tone of the song: one of personal turmoil and frustration. The singer is acutely aware of their own faults and mistakes, and cannot help but feel weighed down by them. The chemical metaphors throughout the song further emphasize this sense of being trapped within oneself; the chemicals inside the singer's body are "swimming through [their] veins" and keeping them from making the changes they know they need to make.
Line by Line Meaning
My anger is a sign of disgust with myself
I am angry at myself and my actions
A stewing serenade I hear the sirens on their way
I hear the police coming and am anxious about getting caught
The chemicals inside of me just kept on swimming through my veins
I am under the influence of drugs and can feel them affecting me
Maybe I should make a move and try to leave this all behind
I am considering leaving my current situation and starting fresh
I listen to the absence of noise
I am aware of the silence around me
Dead summer breeze, I'm inflated with suspicions
Despite the calmness, I am filled with paranoia
Seems I've identified again the criminal of my intent
I have recognized the harmful intentions within myself
Imagine exercising that same routine you reinvent
Consider repeating the same actions, but changing the outcome
I'm just a cold face on the street
I am a stranger and unknown to those around me
slow and somber in my patterns
My behaviors are monotonous and depressing
I'm just a friend you'll never meet
I remain distant and isolated from forming connections
I am the love that never happens
I am the missed opportunity for love
My days exist in meaningless ways
My daily routine is mundane and unfulfilling
I need a way to shake this
I want to break away from my current state
I'm making lost time famous
I have wasted valuable time and regret it
My heart goes rushing to my head whatever happened to me
I am confused and overwhelmed with emotions
Weeks spin forward I'm aware that I've been living in reverse
Time is moving quickly and I realize I have been living my life in the wrong direction
I always hesitate like the future is engraved
I am indecisive because I feel my future is predetermined
Roots here grow really deep they're networked beneath the city streets
The problems run deep and are intertwined with the city's infrastructure
It's a structured kind of madness
The chaos is organized and has a certain order to it
I always turn away back to a safer fate
I choose the safer option, even if it doesn't bring me fulfillment
I always hesitate
I am consistently indecisive
Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Markus
Woah, never heard this song. Amazing as expected. Name me a bad song from Lawrence Arms, I dare you :)
Realityfails
this isn't TLA it's Chris' project Sundowner
ftmbrushfire
I love this song. I first heard it about 5 years ago by accident. Been hooked since.
xxnagy09xx
love them <3
FuelledByHamish
@paparoach585 Yeah, it’s a lot like his demos for Four One Five Two, only quite a bit better! I kinda wish it had been done with slightly better production or whatever, but that might ruin the specific character the song has, so it’s pretty great as it is.
Sean Morgan
Who the fuck disliked this?
Sergio S.
2 mr. smiths not cool for shit, fuck em
Synax Four
You got it! I will email it to you right now.
yourmothersfuckinass
@paparoach585 this is one of their greatest songs, you've been missing out
Esteban Vidal
dude i need this song; hook a brother up?