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.
Turnstiles
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could burn this place to the ground
Then fire engines would scream
Down crowded streets onto the scene
And then I'd make it rain
And numb myself to never say your name
That i've uttered in anger, said with confusion
I'm not shedding tears for you
All those lonely nights that I've said
Feels like I might as well be dead
No more smiles revolving like turnstiles
No more deliberation, analytical creations
I'm incapable, a predepressionist
This is delivered with courage, muddled in tension
Lashed out in honesty, someone come and save me
I'm dying to tell you
This kills it forever, it was already dead
I'm dying to tell you
This kills it forever, it was already dead
And I'm just fine
I haven't called you but I haven't had the time
Thoughts are stale
I've been revolving like turnstiles
The Lawrence Arms's song Turnstyles narrates the agony of an individual who is struggling to move on from a past relationship. The opening lines of the song reveal the singer's intense resentment towards their former partner. The metaphorical reference to a matchstick signifies the desire to destroy everything that reminds them of their past lover. However, as the lyrics proceed, the singer hints at a sense of guilt about the situation. They acknowledge that the words they uttered during the relationship were not always kind, and they numb themselves to avoid saying their ex-partner's name.
The chorus of the song further highlights the emotional turmoil the singer is going through. They talk about the emptiness that lingers around them, and they do not shy away from expressing their feelings of despair. The verses that follow focus on the singer's desire to start afresh. They want to move on from the pain and hurt of the past relationship and be happy again. The lines, "No more smiles revolving like turnstiles, No more deliberation, analytical creations" represent the singer's new outlook on life. They no longer want to overthink things or live in uncertainty, but instead, they want to take charge of their life and live it to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
With a light of this match
With the smallest flicker of a flame,
I could burn this place to the ground
I could destroy everything around me,
Then fire engines would scream
Emergency responders would come running,
Down crowded streets onto the scene
Through throngs of people lining the sidewalks,
And then I'd make it rain
I would weep uncontrollably,
And numb myself to never say your name
And detach myself from any memory of you,
That I've uttered in anger, said with confusion
The things that I said out of frustration, the things I didn't understand,
Laughed over nervously, said without sympathy
The things that I joked about uncomfortably, the things that I said without feeling,
I'm not shedding tears for you
I am not crying over you,
All those lonely nights that I've said
Those nights that I spent awake and alone,
Feels like I might as well be dead
I feel like I am not living,
No more smiles revolving like turnstiles
No more changing moods like the revolving doors of a subway station,
No more deliberation, analytical creations
No more careful thought, or artificial constructs,
I'm incapable, a predepressionist
I am unable to act or feel, a person on the brink of sadness,
This is delivered with courage, muddled in tension
I am speaking bravely, even though I am nervous and uncertain,
Lashed out in honesty, someone come and save me
Expressing myself sincerely, I need someone to rescue me from this situation,
I'm dying to tell you
I am struggling to keep this confession to myself,
This kills it forever, it was already dead
This is the end, the relationship was already over,
And I'm just fine
Despite everything that has happened, I am coping,
I haven't called you but I haven't had the time
I have not reached out to you, but I have not prioritized it,
Thoughts are stale
My mind is stagnant and uninspired,
I've been revolving like turnstiles
I have been stuck in the same place, circling around like a revolving door,
Contributed by Evelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.