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.
Drunk Tweets
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fuck you, if I'm wrong I don't wanna be right
Fuck you, I'll be drinking in the streets all night
Fuck you, I'll decide if I'm wasting my life
You're rotting away and killing my high
Fuck you, it's a thing, I was born this way
Fuck you are my very favorite words to say
Fuck you, I'll eat a few and I'll throw the rest away
I eat more for a snack than you do in a day so fuck you
Fuck me, I'm sinking deeper and deeper in doom
Fuck me, I got a Raskolnikovian gloom
Six moves ahead but still fully consumed
I am what I am and I do what I do
Now the Cerberean dogs are slathering
I can feel my stories all unraveling
Bigger Thomas at the heart of a citywide scavenging
It's closing in around me
I can't believe they found me
And it's all well and good to cry doom on the streets
Like the prophets with their sandwich boards, beards and hard feet
But there's no unraveling the rings of the tree
Lord, keep my soul the fuck away from me
The Lawrence Arms's song Drunk Tweets is a melancholic punk rock composition that details the band members' existential angst and apathy towards society. The song begins with a catchy chorus that almost mocks the idea of being right or wrong, as the singer claims that he'd "rather be wrong" and "drink in the streets all night." The chorus continues to explore the idea of wasted life, with the singer claiming that he'll "decide" if his life is wasted and that the idea of rotting away is "killing his high." The verses, on the other hand, address the singer's personal struggles, with the first verse detailing how snacking like an asshole is a uniquely American problem.
The second verse, on the other hand, takes on a more introspective tone, with the singer referencing Raskolnikov, the singer of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, and his own inability to change his fate. The singer feels as if he's constantly consumed by his own life and that the dogs are slathering, metaphorically representing the ever-looming threats of the world around him. The song ends on a powerful note, with the singer asking the Lord to "keep [his] soul the fuck away from [him]" and alluding to the idea that society is the root of all his problems.
Overall, Drunk Tweets is a melancholic yet insightful punk rock tune that explores the idea of personal struggle and apathy towards society. It highlights the unique problems of the modern era, from snacking to overthinking to societal pressures, and serves as a message to listeners that it's okay to feel lost and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three
Counting off or starting off the song with a basic rhythm
Fuck you, if I'm wrong I don't wanna be right
Defiant and unapologetic for one's actions, even if society perceives them as wrong
Fuck you, I'll be drinking in the streets all night
Preferring to live life on one's own terms, regardless of societal norms
Fuck you, I'll decide if I'm wasting my life
Rejecting societal expectations and determining one's own path in life
You're rotting away and killing my high
Refusing to let negative influences bring oneself down
Fuck you, it's a thing, I was born this way
Embracing one's natural tendencies and personality, regardless of societal norms
Fuck you are my very favorite words to say
Expressing disdain or frustration towards societal expectations or individuals
Fuck you, I'll eat a few and I'll throw the rest away
Wasting resources and being careless, with little regard for consequences
Snacking like an asshole in the USA
Indulging in excess or being wasteful, with little regard for the consequences, as a reflection of American culture
I eat more for a snack than you do in a day so fuck you
Boasting about one's excess and indulgence, while looking down on others
Fuck me, I'm sinking deeper and deeper in doom
Acknowledging one's descent into darkness or negativity
Fuck me, I got a Raskolnikovian gloom
Referencing a literary character who struggles with guilt and self-loathing
Six moves ahead but still fully consumed
Despite having a plan or strategy, feeling overwhelmed or consumed by a situation or emotion
I am what I am and I do what I do
Accepting oneself and one's actions, with little regard for societal norms or expectations
Now the Cerberean dogs are slathering
Referencing a mythological creature, symbolizing the approach of danger or consequences
I can feel my stories all unraveling
Sensing or recognizing the potential breakdown of one's lies or deceit
Bigger Thomas at the heart of a citywide scavenging
Referencing a literary character, symbolizing the struggle against oppression and racism
It's closing in around me
Feeling trapped or suffocated, with danger or consequences looming
I can't believe they found me
Feeling surprised or shocked at being caught or held accountable for one's actions
And it's all well and good to cry doom on the streets
Commenting on the tendency for individuals to vocalize their negative opinions or observations, without necessarily offering solutions or taking action
Like the prophets with their sandwich boards, beards and hard feet
Referencing a stereotypical image of a street prophet, or someone who spreads their message in a confrontational or unsettling way
But there's no unraveling the rings of the tree
Acknowledging the interconnectedness or inevitability of one's actions and consequences
Lord, keep my soul the fuck away from me
Expressing a desire to distance oneself from one's negative or destructive tendencies or emotions, as if they were a separate entity or force
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Evil Bassist
Actually, this is my favorite song off the new record
Matthew Baird
This song is pure gold! Funkin genius!
jinxremovingrock
I'm betting this will be the most disliked song on the album, but they aren't listened past the first 30 seconds. It was the same way with "like a record player" and "on with the show" (both of which are fan favorites at shows). Love it.
Ryan Brzyski
Soo fucking good
Mitchell Gonzalez
this sounds exactly like "'Merican" by Descendants
w/e
Awesome! I was hoping somebody else would notice! It was like the first thing I noticed. Regardless, both great songs. Also, "Descendents"*.