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.
The Ramblin' Boys of Pleasure
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I try to fail or fail to try
It's an easy way to live
It's a lifeless way to die
I used to hear
"son, you've got a lot to learn"
I used to hear a lot
Like the slow dull burn
His bad breath smoke
Singin' "hey man, let me tell you a joke"
Well what's attached to a leash
That it made itself
The punchline is the way
That you've been fuckin' yourself
sit down, shut up
It's a long ride here
I'm gonna tell ya something
That's not easy to forget
It's a bird, it's a plane
It's a god damn shame
One day into retirement
He worked past way
I'm ready or not
You're here, I come
There's tears on my cheeks
(there's tears on my cheeks)
They'll be here, so damp
there's proof
Painted on the roof
And it's rainin'
And I hate it
I hate it
I hate it
I hate it
[4x]
things have changed forever
We're the ramblin' boys of pleasure
Things have changed
Things have changed forever
We're the ramblin' boys of pleasure
[2x]
"The Ramblin' Boys of Pleasure" is a powerful and introspective song by the punk rock band, The Lawrence Arms. Through a series of vivid and poignant lyrics, the song explores the self-destructive tendencies and despair of a person who has grown tired of their life and lost their sense of purpose. The opening lines, "A million times a day I try to fail or fail to try, it's an easy way to live, it's a lifeless way to die" tell a story of a person who has given up on trying and has settled for a life of indifference, trapped in their own internal struggle.
The song also touches on themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. For example, the line "One day into retirement, he worked past way" shows how quickly life can pass us by, and how we can be taken from this world without warning. The chorus, "Things have changed forever, we're the ramblin' boys of pleasure" reflects the idea that we have the power to change our lives and circumstances, but it requires a willingness to take risks and make the difficult choices necessary to improve our situations.
Overall, "The Ramblin' Boys of Pleasure" is a powerful commentary on the human experience, highlighting the pain and hardships we all face as we navigate through life. The song expresses a sense of hopelessness and desperation, but at the same time, it offers a glimmer of hope that we can overcome the challenges and obstacles that we encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
A million times a day
I often try to fail or fail to even try
It's an easy way to live
Choosing to constantly fail or not try is an effortless way of living
It's a lifeless way to die
But this mindset is meaningless and leads to an unfulfilling existence
I used to hear
In the past, I would hear advice from others
"Son, you've got a lot to learn"
They would tell me that I still had much to discover
I used to hear a lot
I received a lot of guidance
Like the slow dull burn
I remember it like a slow, monotonous discomfort
Of paper and tobacco
The stale sensation of burning paper and tobacco
His bad breath smoke
Mixed with the unpleasant odor of the artist's breath
Singin' "hey man, let me tell you a joke"
They try to lighten the mood with a joke
Well what's attached to a leash
They present a riddle or question
That it made itself
What object or creature on a leash has placed itself there?
The punchline is the way
The answer is that you’ve been holding yourself back
That you've been fuckin' yourself
You’ve been sabotaging your own progress
Sit down, shut up
Be quiet and listen to me
It's a long ride here
Life can be a lengthy journey
I'm gonna tell ya something
I have something important to share
That's not easy to forget
This knowledge is hard to ignore or erase
It's a bird, it's a plane
This is a common phrase used to describe something flying
It's a god damn shame
But in this instance, it’s a terrible situation
One day into retirement
Someone retired for only a single day
He worked past way
But unfortunately passed away
I'm ready or not
I’m prepared, whether or not you are
You're here, I come
I’m ready to face whatever is to come
There's tears on my cheeks
I’m crying
(there's tears on my cheeks)
(it's clear that I’m emotional)
They'll be here, so damp
The tears will still be on my face, making my cheeks moist
There's proof
There is evidence
Painted on the roof
It’s written up high, where everyone can see it
And it's rainin'
And to make matters worse, it's pouring down with rain
And I hate it
I despise the situation
I hate it
I really, really hate it
I hate it
The rain is frustrating me immensely
I hate it
And it’s a feeling that won’t go away
Things have changed forever
The world is now different forever
We're the ramblin' boys of pleasure
But despite this, I and others are still wandering aimlessly and enjoying ourselves
Things have changed
Our lives are not the same as they were
Things have changed forever
And these changes are permanent
We're the ramblin' boys of pleasure
But despite this, we’re still enjoying each and every moment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind