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.
Old Dogs Never Die
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In tune to the pulsing in my head
The message echoes over and over;
What are you doing with your time?
I'm a piece of shit and tonight
My heart is reaching for the sky
I stand there and it just pumps harder and slower.
The twilight feels right.
The shadows fade along the avenue.
They talk all the time and it's obvious
That I hold in my words for too long
Our history creeps fast through the gutters.
A revolution on my mind.
Guess what I give a shit.
But I guess I couldn't care less about the lives they chose to live
And your eyes speak to me deeper and deeper.
A truth that I have never known.
The twilight feels right.
The shadows fade into oblivion.
So just forget all the regrets that keep haunting you.
They aren't worth your time
And just forget all the days that dragged out for miles and miles
Leave them all behind...
The Lawrence Arms's song "Old Dogs Never Die" is a powerful and introspective reflection on life, death, and the journey in between. The opening lyrics, "The surging blood rushes through me, In tune to the pulsing in my head," evoke a sense of urgency and intensity that characterizes much of the song. The singer is grappling with the passage of time and the question of what he is doing with his life.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more introspective and self-critical, admitting that he feels like a "piece of shit" and that he holds his words in for too long. The theme of regret and missed opportunities is pervasive throughout the song, as the singer reflects on the past and struggles with the present. Yet, there is also a sense of hope and determination, as the singer resolves to leave behind the regrets and mistakes of the past in order to move forward.
Overall, "Old Dogs Never Die" is a deeply personal and honest song that captures the complexities of the human experience. The lyrics are raw and unfiltered, painting a vivid picture of the singer's inner struggles and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
The surging blood rushes through me
I feel a rush of adrenaline coursing through my body
In tune to the pulsing in my head
My heartbeat matches the rhythm of the pounding in my brain
The message echoes over and over;
The thought resonates in my mind repeatedly
What are you doing with your time?
I'm questioning my choices and how I spend my existence
I'm a piece of shit and tonight
I have an extremely low opinion of myself in this moment
My heart is reaching for the sky
My emotions are intense and overpowering
I stand there and it just pumps harder and slower.
My heart rate fluctuates rapidly
My feet settles into earth.
I feel grounded in my reality
The twilight feels right.
The time and atmosphere are suitable for my thoughts
The shadows fade along the avenue.
The darkness slowly dissipates from the street
They talk all the time and it's obvious
Other people converse frequently and it's noticeable
That I hold in my words for too long
I keep my opinions and feelings to myself for extended periods
Our history creeps fast through the gutters.
The past memories and experiences swiftly come back to me
A revolution on my mind.
I contemplate changing my ways in a significant manner
Guess what I give a shit.
My apathy towards someone or something is apparent
But I guess I couldn't care less about the lives they chose to live
I don't have any interest in the lifestyles of others
And your eyes speak to me deeper and deeper.
I connect with you on a profound level through your gaze
A truth that I have never known.
I discover a new insight or perspective from our interaction
The shadows fade into oblivion.
The darkness disappears from my perception completely
So just forget all the regrets that keep haunting you.
Don't dwell on the mistakes of the past that continue to bother you
They aren't worth your time
It's not productive to spend energy on regret
And just forget all the days that dragged out for miles and miles
Don't fixate on the long, arduous periods of the past
Leave them all behind...
Move forward and let go of the burdens from your history
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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