Shortly thereafter they were signed by Go-Kart Records and re-recorded the songs from "A Lesson" and re-released their album with the addition of some new tracks.
At the Fest VII in Gainesville, FL they were approached by Brendan Kelly of The Lawrence Arms and subsequently signed to Red Scare Industries.
They released their Red Scare debut EP "Hold On, Dodge" in 2009.
In April 2010, Chamberlain Waits was released, through Red Scare Records. In March and April they also toured in support of Against Me!.
On May 17, 2011 they announced that they had signed to Epitaph Records. Brett Gurewitz, founder of Epitaph Records and guitarist of Bad Religion said this about the signing of the band:
"These guys play the kind of pure punk rock that I grew up with. They are seriously talented songwriters and I'm happy to welcome them to the Epitaph family. I think the band is a great fit here."
They released their third full length album, On The Impossible Past, on February 21, 2012 via Epitaph Records.
The band currently lives in South Philadelphia, PA.
Band Members:
Tom May
Joe Godino
Greg Barnett
Eric Keen
Chamberlain Waits
The Menzingers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I watch a sunrise come over nothing,
While outside the cars start racing,
Searching for something we could never seem to find or afford.
Maybe I owe the Devil a little something,
Just to keep things stable,
Because last night I realised I was nothing more,
Chamberlain’s waiting down at the bottom of the city of hell,
Or heaven itself,
As the whistle she sings,
My hands building weapons for kings.
While somebody’s drinking my last rations of victory gin,
I’m sober as sin,
As my hands start to shake,
I fill with post-modern debates,
While Chamberlain’s waiting.
Build our mistakes to the clouds,
Then blame us for dreaming out loud.
The lyrics of The Menzingers' song Chamberlain Waits are quite introspective and speak of a sense of disillusionment and loss of direction. The singer is depicted as being awake for hours, watching the sunrise come over nothing while outside cars race past, searching for something that they can never seem to attain. This seems to be a metaphor for the constant hustle and bustle of life, where people are always on the move, but ultimately never satisfied with what they have.
There is also a sense of desperation in the lyrics, as the singer wonders if he owes something to the devil just to keep things stable. He realizes that he is nothing more than a serpent for the devil's plans, which hints at a feeling of being trapped or manipulated. Chamberlain is portrayed as waiting at the bottom of the city of hell or heaven itself, with the whistle singing as the singer builds weapons for kings. In this sense, Chamberlain represents a figure of authority or power that the singer is subservient to.
The chorus of the song speaks of building mistakes to the clouds and blaming ourselves for dreaming out loud. This phrase seems to touch on the theme of regret and not taking responsibility for our mistakes, instead blaming ourselves for having had dreams and aspirations. The song's lyrics are quite dark but also insightful in their portrayal of the human condition and the struggles we face in trying to make sense of it all.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ve been awake for hours,
I have been unable to sleep for hours.
As I watch a sunrise come over nothing,
Watching the sunrise with nothing in sight.
While outside the cars start racing,
Cars driving by at high speeds outside.
Searching for something we could never seem to find or afford.
Looking for something that we cannot find or afford.
Maybe I owe the Devil a little something,
Perhaps I owe a debt to the devil.
Just to keep things stable,
To keep things from becoming chaotic or unstable.
Because last night I realised I was nothing more,
Realizing that I was not anything more significant.
Than just a serpent for his plans.
Realizing that I am merely a tool for the Devil's schemes.
Chamberlain’s waiting down at the bottom of the city of hell,
Chamberlain is waiting at the bottom of the city of hell.
Or heaven itself,
Maybe he is waiting in Heaven.
As the whistle she sings,
The sound of the whistle being played out loud.
My hands building weapons for kings.
Creating weapons for royalty with my own hands.
While somebody’s drinking my last rations of victory gin,
Someone else is drinking the last of my alcohol supply.
I’m sober as sin,
Completely sober.
As my hands start to shake,
My hands begin to shake.
I fill with post-modern debates,
I am filled with post-modern discussions or debates.
While Chamberlain’s waiting.
Chamberlain is still waiting.
Build our mistakes to the clouds,
Build our mistakes high up in the sky.
Then blame us for dreaming out loud.
After building our mistakes so high, society will criticize us for voicing our dreams or ambitions too loudly.
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.