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.
Faintly Falling Ashes
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Morning frost and frozen sidewalks
All those days that burn inside us
Swell up in the silence of snowflakes falling magically
But the magic fades into the memory
Sleigh bells ringing laughing all the way
Cold hands of winter grasp as I gasp for breath
Is this my last?
So deck the halls with drunken folly
Swallow resolutions line our stomachs with illusions
Car engines sputtering like these smoke filled dreams
Mistletoes and colored lightbulbs
And the kiss of winter fades into the memory
Angels singing ... lift me off the ground
Yesterday is frozen in the revery
Tomorrow is melting
Let's raise our glasses to these faintly falling ashes ...
The Lawrence Arms's song Faintly Falling Ashes depicts the feeling of being stuck in a monotonous routine and the desire to break free from it. The opening lines “another senseless week of crowded thoughts and crooked teeth” implies the existence of a mundane routine that is not fulfilling. The line “all those days that burn inside us swell up in the silence of snowflakes falling magically” evokes a feeling of introspection and being overwhelmed with past memories while being witness to the magic of snowfall.
As the song progresses, the imagery shifts towards the holiday season. The lines “sleigh bells ringing laughing all the way, mistletoes and colored lightbulbs” are juxtaposed with the bleak winter imagery of “cold hands of winter grasp as I gasp for breath, is this my last?” All these images are being compared and contrasted against each other, as the singer tries to escape his everyday struggles by indulging in the festive spirit with “drunken folly” and “illusions”.
The last few lines of the song convey a sense of acceptance of the past and embracing the present. The line “yesterday is frozen in the revery, tomorrow is melting” signifies a momentary detachment from time and its constraints. The song ends with the powerful line “let's raise our glasses to these faintly falling ashes”, exemplifying the beauty of transience, while also being a tribute to life itself.
Line by Line Meaning
another senseless week of crowded thoughts and crooked teeth
Yet another week of meaningless existence, filled with overwhelming thoughts and imperfections.
morning frost and frozen sidewalks
The cold and frigid weather, which in turn makes it harder to move forward and proceed with daily life.
all those days that burn inside us
The memories, both good and bad, that constantly consume and emotionally affect us.
swell up in the silence of snowflakes falling magically
The memories begin to surface and intensify as the tranquil, peaceful snow descends from the sky.
but the magic fades into the memory
The serene, perfect moment slowly passes away and becomes just another memory to look back on.
sleigh bells ringing laughing all the way
The festive sounds of the season, which can temporarily bring joy, but ultimately fade away.
cold hands of winter grasp as i gasp for breath
The harsh grip of winter, which can make it feel like it's difficult to keep going and breathe.
is this my last?
A moment of existential questioning, wondering if this could be the end of one's life.
no thoughts of dying no more self loathing for today
A shift in mindset, choosing to focus on the present day rather than dwell on self-criticism and dark thoughts.
so deck the halls with drunken folly
Embracing the festive atmosphere with reckless abandon, perhaps through drinking and partying.
swallow resolutions line our stomachs with illusions
Making empty resolutions that ultimately won't be fulfilled, and pretending that they'll make a difference.
car engines sputtering like these smoke filled dreams
Just like cars that struggle to start up, our dreams and aspirations can feel like they're fizzling out and going up in smoke.
mistletoes and colored lightbulbs
More examples of the holiday season's vivid and dazzling colors and symbols.
and the kiss of winter fades into the memory
Another picturesque moment that's slowly slipping away and becoming a part of the past.
angels singing...lift me off the ground
A fleeting moment of spiritual transcendence, where it feels like something larger than yourself is carrying you away.
yesterday is frozen in the revery
The past becomes like a frozen state, existing only in our memories and dreams.
tomorrow is melting
The fuzzy, uncertain future is gradually taking shape and becoming clearer as we move forward.
let's raise our glasses to these faintly falling ashes
Acknowledging and celebrating the temporary and fleeting moments, even if they're just ashes that'll soon disappear.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind