The original lineup consisting of Kody Templeman, Zack Rawhauser, Cory Laurence, and Tim (Timmy V) O'Hara as a four-piece only recorded the first 7",I Lost My Marbles, produced by Joe King of The Queers for his More Bounce to the Ounce compilation. The band continued as a three-piece after Zack quit.
Their first full-length album, titled Shit Out of Luck, was released on Clearview Records in 1996. Following the release of their first album the band changed their lyrical focus. In 1999 they went into the studio with producer-engineer Mass Giorgini to record a new LP. This was done with the band's own money, and without the benefit of a record label. The result was Death By Television, an album that took sci-fi movie-themed songs such as War Of The Worlds and Invasion Of The Saucermen and combined them with tracks that made references to other retro themes, such as X-Ray Specs. The recordings instantly created a buzz. Successful label Fat Wreck Chords offered to release the album, but the band had already accepted an offer of Panic Button Records, an imprint of influential punk label Lookout! Records that was overseen by Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel fame.
The band spent the next two years touring heavily within the punk scene and disbanded after teaming with Giorgini for their final Panic Button/Lookout! release, the spy-themed LP The Backchannel Broadcast, which was released in February, 2001. The album included the song Wait It Out, written by Ben Weasel and later re-recorded by The Riverdales for their record Phase Three.
John Jughead (of Screeching Weasel and Even in Blackouts) filled in as second guitar on many tour stops on the Death by Television and Backchannel tours. Other notable appearances on these tours include Ben Weasel (at The Fireside in Chicago, his first stage appearance since 1995), and Lurch Nobody. Timmy V left the band after Death by Television and was replaced by Austin, Texas drummer Scott.
Red Scare Industries reissued Death By Television (remastered) and Backchannel Broadcast in 2005.
The band split for a few years before reuniting with all original members to release an album, [album artist=the lillingtonsThe Too Late Show in 2006, with no plans on reuniting for a tour to support due to the members' other commitments.
In 2017 they released an album [album artist=the lillingtons]Stella Sapiente.
Frontman Templeman is currently a member of Laramie, Wyoming pop punk band Teenage Bottlerocket.
Drummer Timmy V is currently playing as a hired hand with Albuquerque, New Mexico all girl three-piece The Eyeliners, and plays drums in his own project Stabbed in Back, with a hardcore/punk album entitled A Portrait of Noise.
War of the Worlds
The Lillingtons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's all coming down
Laser beams and Bombs
Are the only sound
Flying silver discs
Coming from the sky
They wanna kill us all
They wanna see us die
They came from outer space
Programmed to search and
Destroy the master race
[Chorus: x4]
War of the Worlds
We're all gonna die
The Lillington's song "War of the Worlds" uses the imagery of an alien invasion to convey a sense of impending doom and hopelessness. The lyrics describe a scenario where the only sounds heard are those of laser beams and bombs, indicating the ferocity of the attack. The flying silver discs coming from the sky represent the alien spacecraft invading the planet, and the message is clear: they are here to destroy us all. The lyrics also suggest that the invaders are not just motivated by malice, but are on a quest to destroy the "master race". This adds a layer of complexity to the song's meaning, as it suggests that the invaders could be reacting to some real or perceived threat from the human race.
The urgency and bleakness of the lyrics is further emphasized by the repetition of the chorus: "War of the Worlds, We're all gonna die". This haunting message drives home the sense of helplessness and futility that the song conveys. Overall, "War of the Worlds" is a powerful piece of social commentary that draws on the imagery of science fiction to comment on the state of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
War of the worlds
It's a battle between extraterrestrial life and humans
It's all coming down
Everything is being destroyed in the attack
Laser beams and Bombs
The weapons being used by the aliens to destroy everything
Are the only sound
The only thing that can be heard in the midst of the destruction
Flying silver discs
The UFOs that have come from outer space
Coming from the sky
The origin from which the aliens have invaded our planet
They wanna kill us all
The aliens have come to kill every human on the planet
They wanna see us die
The aliens have no mercy and want to witness humans suffer and die
Man or machine
The aliens could either be organic beings or robots
They came from outer space
The aliens traveled from a different planet to invade Earth
Programmed to search and
The aliens have a specific mission to complete
Destroy the master race
The aliens consider themselves superior and want to wipe out the human race
War of the Worlds
The title of the song and the battle that is being fought
We're all gonna die
The likelihood of surviving the attack is low, leading to the death of all humans
Contributed by Charlotte V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.