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.
Disaster March
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
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And a face that was all full of shit.
I was frustrated and angry.
I was more than alive.
A catcher in the rye.
I was a jet plane, a thin membrane.
Washing and preening and shedding all hope.
I'm Hot Shots Pt. Deux.
The rope that I'm hanging from keeps telling me what to do.
I'm pissing on the fire and learning a remarkable truth about you.
Ugly is ugly. Transformation is a dream.
So love what you are, not what you would like to be.
I'm a drunk with a job, I got the pictures to prove it.
I got some junk in my trunk and the dance moves to move it.
I am written on subway walls.
I am bitter when I fall.
Shout me in the streets and parks.
Scrape your voices on the stars.
The Lawrence Arms's song "Disaster March" presents a portrait of frustration, anger, and self-destruction in the face of personal mistakes and shortcomings. The singer is a catcher in the rye, a symbol of youth and innocence, but also of alienation and disorientation. He compares himself to a jet plane, constantly washing and preening but ultimately shedding all hope. He refers to himself as "Hot Shots Pt. Deux" and "Down Periscope," references to Hollywood films that lampoon military heroism, suggesting that he is a parody of himself, a hero without a cause.
The singer is hanging from a rope, a metaphor for his own self-destructive tendencies. He tries to piss on the fire, a way of dismissing his own troubles, but he ultimately learns a remarkable truth about himself that is tied to his relationship with others. He realizes that transformation is a dream, that striving for something better is futile, and that he should love what he is, not what he would like to be. He presents himself as a drunk with a job, a person with flaws but also with a sense of humor and a capacity for joy. He acknowledges his own ugliness, but at the same time, he affirms his own value.
The chorus of the song is a call to action, a plea for recognition and acceptance. The singer wants to be heard, to be shouted in the streets and parks, to have his voice scraped on the stars. He is bitter when he falls, but he does not give up. He is a survivor, a fighter, a person who keeps going even in the face of adversity. And his story, his voice, his struggle, are written on the subway walls, in the hidden corners of the city, where his words, like graffiti, challenge the status quo and inspire others to speak up and claim their own place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time and a place that was all full of mistakes.
I reflect on a past full of errors and regrets.
And a face that was all full of shit.
I put on a false persona, concealing my true emotions and thoughts.
I was frustrated and angry.
My inner turmoil left me feeling irritable and upset.
I was more than alive.
Despite my struggles, I felt a sense of intense energy and vitality.
A catcher in the rye.
Like the artist in the titular novel, I felt disillusioned and disconnected from society.
I was a jet plane, a thin membrane.
I felt powerful and invincible, yet also fragile and exposed.
Washing and preening and shedding all hope.
I obsessively try to maintain my outward appearance while feeling deeply pessimistic about my future prospects.
I'm Hot Shots Pt. Deux.
I can relate to the artists of this comedy film, who struggle with their own incompetence and flaws.
I'm Down Periscope.
I see myself reflected in the characters of this movie, who are similarly lost and directionless.
The rope that I'm hanging from keeps telling me what to do.
I feel trapped and helpless, as if my fate is already determined and out of my control.
I'm pissing on the fire and learning a remarkable truth about you.
I'm bravely confronting obstacles and discovering surprising insights about myself and others.
Ugly is ugly. Transformation is a dream.
I recognize the harsh reality that true change is difficult to achieve, and that appearance can be deceptive.
So love what you are, not what you would like to be.
Rather than aspiring to an unrealistic ideal, I strive to appreciate and accept myself for who I am.
I'm a drunk with a job, I got the pictures to prove it.
Despite my shortcomings, I manage to maintain some degree of stability and even humor.
I got some junk in my trunk and the dance moves to move it.
I'm able to find joy in small pleasures, despite the challenges I face.
I am written on subway walls.
Like graffiti in a subway station, I'm a product of my environment and experiences.
I am bitter when I fall.
My setbacks and failures often leave me feeling resentful and disappointed.
Shout me in the streets and parks.
I yearn for recognition and validation from others, even in public spaces.
Scrape your voices on the stars.
I want my voice to be heard and my message to resonate, even beyond my immediate surroundings.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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