The Lawrence Arms are a punk rock trio from Chicago, formed in 1999. The li… Read Full Bio ↴The Lawrence Arms are a punk rock trio from Chicago, formed in 1999. The lineup consists of Brendan Kelly (vocals & bass), Chris McCaughan (vocals & guitar), and Neil Hennessy (drums). They have released seven full-length albums and are currently signed to Epitaph. Their music and lyrics exhibit their propensity for juxtaposing references from history and literature with American pop culture. The band takes its name from a building the members resided in (and were later evicted from) called the Lawrence Arms, which was located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.

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.

October Blood
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was born and I died
Just a moment went by
I was son of a plunger
I stood all over the water
Waves crashed on the shore
This is the day when I was born

I burn on, I burn on

Autumn cold beneath my feet
I burn on, I burn on
Walk through the city while it's asleep
I burn on, I burn on
This is the day when I was born

Caught snowflakes on my tongue
I thought I knew what love was
A thousand push pins on a map
Only to prove I could exist
Don't hold on too hard
To the way that everything was

I burn on, I burn on
Endless summer in my heart
I burn on, I burn on
I'm not afraid to fall apart
I burn on, I burn on
This I the day that I was born

And my eyes are fading
Hlaf lives filled on hand written pages
She's already sleeping
I just lay here and listen to her breathing

Autumn cold beneath my feet
Endless summer in my heart
This is the day that I was born

I was born and I died
And just a moment went by

Overall Meaning

The Lawrence Arms's song October Blood is a soulful and reflective recount of one's life journey from birth to death. The opening line "I was born and I died, just a moment went by" sets the tone for the rest of the song that reflects on the fleeting nature of human existence. The song presents a vivid imagery of the cycles of life, from the waves crashing on the shore to the autumn cold beneath one's feet. It is a reminder that life is a mere moment in the vastness of time and that one must cherish the experiences and memories made during this fleeting time.

The second verse of the song delves into a reflection of one's youth, with the singer reminiscing about the simple joys of childhood, such as catching snowflakes on their tongue and thinking they knew what love was. The lyrics "Don't hold on too hard to the way that everything was" is a nod to the need to let go of the past and embrace the present, even in the face of life's uncertainties.

The chorus repeats the lines "I burn on, I burn on" as an affirmation of the singer's strength to endure and persevere, despite the fleeting and uncertain nature of life. The song ends on a poignant note, with the singer laying next to their loved one, listening to their breathing, a reminder of the simple yet profound things that give meaning to life.

Line by Line Meaning

I was born and I died
Life is short, it goes by so quickly that it feels like just a moment has passed.

Just a moment went by
Time passes so quickly that it seems as if life is over in an instant.

I was son of a plunger
I came from humble beginnings, my father was a plunger, a tool for unclogging toilets.

I stood all over the water
I was able to overcome obstacles and challenges in my life, like standing over the water.

Waves crashed on the shore
Life can be tumultuous, sometimes waves crash down on us like waves on the shore.

This is the day when I was born
This is a special moment, this is the day I was born and started on this journey.

I burn on, I burn on
I keep going, I persevere through the ups and downs of life.

Autumn cold beneath my feet
The autumn season represents a time of change and letting go, but I am grounded and steady through it all.

Walk through the city while it's asleep
I am comfortable being alone, even when surrounded by others who are asleep or unaware of my presence.

Caught snowflakes on my tongue
I experienced joy and wonder in the little moments, like catching snowflakes on my tongue.

I thought I knew what love was
I had an idea of what love was, but I realized that it's more complicated than I ever imagined.

A thousand push pins on a map
I marked my travels and experiences with push pins, a way to prove to myself that I existed and did something meaningful.

Only to prove I could exist
I had a need to prove that I existed, that my life had meaning and worth.

Don't hold on too hard
It's important to let go of the past and not hold on too tightly to the way things were.

To the way that everything was
It's important to embrace change and accept that things will never be the same as they were before.

Endless summer in my heart
Even when life gets difficult and cold, I hold on to the warmth and joy of summer in my heart.

I'm not afraid to fall apart
I am strong enough to face my fears and vulnerabilities, and I am not afraid of breaking down or falling apart.

And my eyes are fading
As I grow older, my eyesight may fade, but I will never lose sight of what matters most in life.

Half lives filled on hand written pages
I've lived a full life, with stories and experiences that I've recorded in handwritten pages.

She's already sleeping
Someone I love is already at peace and asleep, but I am still awake, listening to the sound of their breathing.

This is the day that I was born
On this day, I was born into a world of love, pain, and endless opportunities for growth and learning.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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