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
Freedom Bridge
The Menzingers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up route 611 she was slaving for the pill
Oxy's got her pupils pinned up
A junkie centerfold
With grey hairs and a death wish
She was 22 years old
Had it all
Had it all
Took the fall
Specialist Jeg, a much more honest man than you
Came back from the desert where he never found the truth
Now he screeches tires, fills his head with alcohol
While the morbid brown faces hang like portraits on the wall
Had it all
He took the fall
Had it all
They took it all
Something happened on the way to hell,
The new guard they took my sister
Something happened on the way to hell,
The old guard they took my brother away
Something happened on the way to hell,
The same greed it took our parents
Something happened on the way to hell,
The west wall it took us with it
McTiernan was a good ol' boy, he cheated and he skimmed
"A favor for a favor, it can't be called a sin"
Some may see it different, and some don't see at all
When the papers started calling he closed his eyes and took the fall
Had it all
Took the fall
Had it all
Took the fall
Now we're standing on the ledge
And we're looking at the ground
I feel my body breaking on the asphalt, hear the sound
Red and blue lights screaming saying,
"Step up off that ledge"
So we wrap our hearts up in our heads
And take the fall instead
Had it all
Took the fall
Had it all
Took the fall
Something happened on the way to hell
The new guard they took my sister
Something happened on the way to hell
The old guard they took my brother away
Something happened on the way to hell
The same greed it took our parents
Something happened on the way to hell
The west wall it took us with it
Something happened on the way to hell
The west wall it took us with it
The lyrics of The Menzingers’ “Freedom Bridge” are a poignant commentary on the impact of addiction, war, greed, and corruption on individuals and families. The song tells the stories of several characters who have “had it all” at some point in their lives but who have “taken the fall” due to their circumstances or choices. The first verse introduces Amy, a young waitress who is addicted to OxyContin and seems resigned to her fate of premature death. She is portrayed as a “junkie centerfold” with “grey hairs” and a “death wish,” a tragic figure whose beauty and potential have been wasted.
The second verse introduces Specialist Jeg, a veteran who has returned from the Iraq war disillusioned and traumatized. He copes with his PTSD by drinking heavily and engaging in reckless behavior, while the faces of his fallen comrades haunt him like portraits on the wall. The third verse tells the story of McTiernan, a corrupt businessman who has “cheated and skimmed” his way to success but is eventually exposed by the media. His downfall is seen as a consequence of his own greed and hubris.
The chorus repeats the phrase “had it all/took the fall” to highlight the contrast between the characters’ past and present, as well as the sense of inevitability and powerlessness that accompanies their situations. The bridge section adds a layer of existential dread to the song, as the singer reflects on the many ways in which life can take unexpected turns and lead to tragedy. The repeated line “something happened on the way to hell” suggests that the descent into despair and chaos is not always a matter of personal choice or responsibility, but rather a result of larger societal forces that are beyond our control. The closing line “the west wall it took us with it” implies that the sense of isolation and despair is not limited to individuals, but affects whole communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Amy was a waitress at The Fire Street Grill
Amy worked at a restaurant called The Fire Street Grill
Up route 611 she was slaving for the pill
She was working hard to get pills up on the route 611
Oxy's got her pupils pinned up
She was on the drug Oxy that gets pupils pinned up
A junkie centerfold
She was a glamorous drug addict
With grey hairs and a death wish
At only 22 years, she was already showing signs of early aging and had a desire to die
Had it all
Once had everything
Took the fall
Lost everything
Specialist Jeg, a much more honest man than you
Specialist Jeg was a more honest person compared to someone else in the song
Came back from the desert where he never found the truth
Jeg returned from a desert without discovering any truth, perhaps alluding to his military service
Now he screeches tires, fills his head with alcohol
Jeg is now reckless, drinking and driving and losing grip on his life
While the morbid brown faces hang like portraits on the wall
People of color, who are suffering, are neglected and forgotten
They took it all
Someone took everything away
Something happened on the way to hell
Something went wrong along the path of life
The new guard they took my sister
Someone new took away the singer's sister
The old guard they took my brother away
Someone old took away the singer's brother
The same greed it took our parents
Greed took away the artist's parents as well
The west wall it took us with it
The artist and their family were caught up and affected by the system and oppression in the west
McTiernan was a good ol' boy, he cheated and he skimmed
McTiernan was a dishonest person who cheated and stole
"A favor for a favor, it can't be called a sin"
McTiernan justifies his actions as exchange agreements and not sins
Some may see it different, and some don't see at all
Some view McTiernan's actions in a negative way while others are blind to it
When the papers started calling he closed his eyes and took the fall
When McTiernan's actions came to light, he took the blame and punishment
Now we're standing on the ledge
The artist and others are in a precarious position
And we're looking at the ground
They are contemplating suicide
I feel my body breaking on the asphalt, hear the sound
The artist imagines themselves hitting the ground and the accompanying sound
Red and blue lights screaming saying, "Step up off that ledge"
Police lights flash and the officers urge the singer to step back from the ledge
So we wrap our hearts up in our heads
The singer and others try to convince themselves not to take this drastic action
And take the fall instead
They decide to experience pain now instead of ending their lives
Contributed by Maria N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.