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.

Smokestacks
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics

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I listened to the megaphone man. he said we were facing the end. that's so much better than my mom and dad who said this is just the beginning ..... 'cause they're in love with their shiny new world. they're in love with their airplanes and cars and hotels. it gets invented and produced in mass the very next day. it seems that they've tried everything and nothing has failed. no need to wait for tomorrow, 'cause everything is blowing up today. the grass beneath my feet is a synthesized version of the work of a dying perfectionist. animals and open spaces, trees, plants and sunny days are all in line to be replaced with smokestacks. concrete and power plants ... with therapy, cosmetic surgery and waist reduction plans. no compassion from our sky, smeared with billboards and dirt. it seems that they've tried everything but nothing has worked. no need to worry about tomorrow, 'cause everything is blowing up today. I'm in and out of clubs and stores and restaurants and bars dodging people and buildings, advertising, eye contact and cars. another day unfolds and the structures all get old. do you think that maybe you could save me? 'cause it's coming and I don't wanna be on board. miles from solitude. incredibly alone miles from solitude. incredibly alone

Overall Meaning

The Lawrence Arms's song "Smokestacks" is a powerful commentary on the state of modern society and the way in which we are destroying the environment in the name of progress. The song opens with the singer listening to a "megaphone man" who is predicting the end of the world. This is a stark contrast to the singer's parents who believe that we are just at the beginning of a bright new future. The singer goes on to describe how our love affair with technology and progress has led us to destroy our natural world.

The grass beneath the singer's feet is artificial and the work of a "dying perfectionist". Animals, trees, and sunny days are all being replaced with smokestacks, concrete, and power plants. The singer is overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of modern life, dodging people, buildings, advertising, and cars. The structures all get old and nothing seems to work. The song ends with a plea for someone to save the singer from the impending doom that seems to be on the horizon.

Overall, "Smokestacks" is a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on the state of modern society and our relationship with the natural world. The song is a call to action, urging us to take a step back and consider the consequences of our actions.

Line by Line Meaning

I listened to the megaphone man. he said we were facing the end.
The singer heard a person with a megaphone declare that the world was facing its end.

that's so much better than my mom and dad who said this is just the beginning ..... 'cause they're in love with their shiny new world.
The singer prefers the megaphone man's warning to their parents' optimistic view of the world because their parents are enamored with the idea of constant progress and innovation.

they're in love with their airplanes and cars and hotels. it gets invented and produced in mass the very next day.
The singer's parents are infatuated with modern conveniences such as airplanes, cars, and hotels, which are rapidly produced and consumed.

it seems that they've tried everything and nothing has failed.
Despite trying countless innovations and improvements, nothing seems to have gone wrong for the artist's parents.

no need to wait for tomorrow, 'cause everything is blowing up today.
The artist suggests that their parents' obsession with immediate gratification will ultimately lead to disaster.

the grass beneath my feet is a synthesized version of the work of a dying perfectionist.
The nature around the singer seems artificial, as though it has been artificially engineered to be flawless.

animals and open spaces, trees, plants and sunny days are all in line to be replaced with smokestacks.
The singer observes that nature is being destroyed in favor of industrialization and pollution.

concrete and power plants ... with therapy, cosmetic surgery and waist reduction plans.
The artist is surrounded by urbanization, alongside a culture that values self-improvement through surgery and diet.

no compassion from our sky, smeared with billboards and dirt.
The artist describes their environment as polluted by both literal dirt and the constant bombardment of advertisements.

it seems that they've tried everything but nothing has worked.
The artist believes that despite the efforts of humans to improve the world, nothing has actually worked out for the better.

no need to worry about tomorrow, 'cause everything is blowing up today.
The singer reiterates the idea that constant and immediate gratification will eventually lead to disaster.

I'm in and out of clubs and stores and restaurants and bars dodging people and buildings, advertising, eye contact and cars.
The artist navigates a world filled with distractions, attempting to avoid all of the trappings of urban life.

another day unfolds and the structures all get old.
The singer observes the continual decay of old buildings and structures as time passes.

do you think that maybe you could save me? 'cause it's coming and I don't wanna be on board.
The singer expresses a desire to be saved from the impending disaster of modern life.

miles from solitude. incredibly alone miles from solitude. incredibly alone
The singer feels a deep sense of isolation despite being surrounded by others, suggesting that the modern world has stripped away any sense of community or genuine connection.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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