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.
Fireflies
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This Swirl Of Smoke Looks LIke Her Slender Body.
I See Everything In Frames Now. Golden Gilded.
Rippled Edges Wave Goodnight.
Lightsleeper. What's Keeping You From Waking?
This Shallow Stare Has Said It All.
Your Cold Dark Face Reminds Me Of The Night We Learned To Smoke.
Fireflies At Our Lips.
Steal This Moment. Make It Worth Saving.
Choke Down The Clouds That Cloud Your Head Now.
It Would Make My Gloomy Day.
Whoever You Are You've Stayed Far Away For Too Long.
The Clocks Are Flipping On Their Backs.
Don't Stay Too Late. I'll Fizzle And Fade.
A Statue Of Stoned Beliefs.
A Monument To Monumental Dying Thoughts.
Let The Currents Take Us Where They Will.
From This Hill I Can See The World Unfold Before Me.
I'm Brooding Over Broken Nights.
I Break Each Sentence Like A Limb.
This Is My Exit.
I Storm Out Stage Left.
It'll Feel Like I Left You So Long Ago.
These Arms Will Bleed. I'll Be Waiting.
I'll Be Waiting With Wishful Elation.
Lightsleeper, You Could Make My Gloomy Day.
Make This Moment Worth Saving.
The Lawrence Arms's song Fireflies paints a vivid picture of a person sitting in solitude, reminiscing about the past and seeking comfort in the beauty of the present. The opening lines, "Invisible, Inviting Vision Linger. This Swirl Of Smoke Looks LIke Her Slender Body," conjure up an image of someone lost in a haze of smoke, perhaps trying to forget something painful or searching for a fleeting sense of peace. The singer's perception of the world is altered by this state of mind as they "see everything in frames now. Golden Gilded. Rippled Edges Wave Goodnight."
In the midst of their introspection, the singer is struck by a memory of a past love: "Your Cold Dark Face Reminds Me Of The Night We Learned To Smoke. Fireflies At Our Lips." The nostalgia is bittersweet, as it's been "Thirty Seven Years Until I Show My Face Again." The singer is keenly aware of the fleeting nature of time and all the opportunities that have slipped away as a result. Nevertheless, they urge themselves to "Steal This Moment. Make It Worth Saving," to hold onto the beauty of the present before it fades away.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of longing for connection and an acknowledgment of the fragility of relationships. The singer urges whoever they are addressing to come closer and laments the time they've spent apart. They are acutely aware of their own mortality, describing themselves as "A Monument To Monumental Dying Thoughts." In the end, they depart, but not without expressing their hope that the other person will make their day brighter: "Lightsleeper, You Could Make My Gloomy Day. Make This Moment Worth Saving."
Overall, Fireflies is a contemplative and emotional song that evokes feelings of nostalgia, regret, and a yearning for connection. The lyrics are open to interpretation and leave the listener to fill in the gaps with their own memories and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Invisible, Inviting Vision Linger.
I can feel her presence around me, even though I can't see her.
This Swirl Of Smoke Looks Like Her Slender Body.
The smoke from my cigarette reminds me of her thin figure.
I See Everything In Frames Now. Golden Gilded.
I view the world around me like a movie, with a warm glow.
Rippled Edges Wave Goodnight.
The waves on the horizon signal the end of the day.
Lightsleeper. What's Keeping You From Waking?
Why are you still asleep when there's so much to experience?
This Shallow Stare Has Said It All.
With just a look, I know what she's thinking.
Your Cold Dark Face Reminds Me Of The Night We Learned To Smoke.
Your expression reminds me of the night we first tried cigarettes.
Fireflies At Our Lips.
Our lips glow like fireflies as we smoke together.
Thirty Seven Years Until I Show My Face Again.
It will be a long time until I see her again.
Steal This Moment. Make It Worth Saving.
Take advantage of this moment and make it memorable.
Choke Down The Clouds That Cloud Your Head Now.
Get rid of your negative thoughts and focus on the present.
It Would Make My Gloomy Day.
Seeing you would brighten my day.
Whoever You Are You've Stayed Far Away For Too Long.
You've been gone for too long, whoever you may be.
The Clocks Are Flipping On Their Backs.
Time passes quickly and uncontrollably.
Don't Stay Too Late. I'll Fizzle And Fade.
Don't stay too long or my energy will dissipate.
A Statue Of Stoned Beliefs.
I hold firm to my beliefs, like a stone statue.
A Monument To Monumental Dying Thoughts.
My thoughts revolve around death and are consuming me.
Let The Currents Take Us Where They Will.
Let's go with the flow and see where life takes us.
From This Hill I Can See The World Unfold Before Me.
I have a clear view from this hill, and can see what's happening around the world.
I'm Brooding Over Broken Nights.
I can't stop thinking about all the nights that ended badly.
I Break Each Sentence Like A Limb.
I analyze every word, and overthink everything.
This Is My Exit.
I'm leaving and there's no turning back.
I Storm Out Stage Left.
I'm leaving abruptly, like an exiting actor.
It'll Feel Like I Left You So Long Ago.
Time will feel like it's passed slowly since I left.
These Arms Will Bleed. I'll Be Waiting.
I'll be waiting for someone to come back, even if it hurts me.
I'll Be Waiting With Wishful Elation.
I'll be hopeful and excited to see them again.
Lightsleeper, You Could Make My Gloomy Day.
You have the power to make me happy and brighten my day, if only you were here.
Make This Moment Worth Saving.
This moment is special, let's make it a memory worth remembering.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: STEPHENIE STEPH JONES, DANIEL PARKER, SARAH PARISH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind