The band played on the Vans Warped Tour in 2005 and had a short tour in Japan following the Japanese release of The Beginning of the End Again.
The Swellers self-released their first two EPs (Long And Hard in 2002, End of Discussion in 2003) and in 2005, The Beginning of the End Again was released on Search and Rescue Records (US) and Radtone Music (Japan). The band's debut full-length, entitled My Everest, was released June 5, 2007 on Search and Rescue Records.
Since then the band has been touring nonstop around the U.S. and Canada with bands like Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, A Wilhelm Scream, Polar Bear Club, Crime In Stereo, Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong, Broadway Calls, Living With Lions and Fireworks. They promoted Ups and Downsizing by opening for Paramore's Brand New Eyes tour. They later supported Motion City Soundtrack's My Dinosaur Life tour and played shows in Europe with Anti-Flag.
The Swellers completed a tour as an opening act for The Early November. During the tour they also played along with The Wonder Years and Young Statues.
Past members include Garrett Burgett, Lance Nelson, Nate lamberts, Nick Ondovcsik, and Brad Linden
They announced that they planned to split in 2015.
Since then Nick Diener has produced albums by Hot Mulligan and Much The Same. Jonathan Diener has played drums in No Trigger and leads the band Baggage.
Welcome Back Riders
The Swellers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But what scares me the most
Is seeing what's coming.
Growing older and giving up,
And I won't believe it. I won't believe it.
With sit-down strikes and gutters tonight,
There's nothing left in this town.
We've all been sold, it's not rock and roll.
It's OK.
You didn't even listen in the first place.
Welcome back riders, it's another rat race.
All of your words are safe until the show,
And soon the world's gonna know.
An empty promise, so here's a toast.
From your empty office, no lawyer will take it.
This case is as good as closed
And I can't believe it, I can't believe it.
Away for years, and now you're here,
So tell them where you've been.
Wait in line, enjoy the ride.
It's coming back again.
It's OK.
You didn't even listen in the first place.
Welcome back riders, it's another rat race.
All of your words are safe until the show,
And soon the world's gonna know.
These streets are the same to me.
These songs won't mean anything without a place to call our home.
A place to call our own.
I'm staying tonight.
The Swellers's song Welcome Back Riders is a commentary on the struggles of growing older and giving up, as well as the feeling of being sold out and losing one's sense of identity. The opening lines, "I've seen my fair share of ghosts, but what scares me the most is seeing what's coming," hint at the fear of an uncertain future, and the possibility of losing one's passion and drive. The song's chorus, "It's OK. You didn't even listen in the first place. Welcome back riders, it's another rat race," is a scathing indictment of society's tendency to herd people into meaningless, soul-sucking jobs, offering empty promises of success and fulfillment.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of corporate greed and deception, with lines like, "An empty promise, so here's a toast. From your empty office, no lawyer will take it. This case is as good as closed," conveying a sense of hopelessness and defeat in the face of corrupt institutions. However, the song ends on a positive note, with the line "I'm staying tonight," implying a willingness to fight back against the forces that seek to crush individuality and creativity.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen my fair share of ghosts
I have encountered many things that are no longer there.
But what scares me the most
Of everything I've seen, this one thing makes me the most frightened.
Is seeing what's coming.
I am scared of what the future holds.
Growing older and giving up,
As I age, I am starting to lose hope and motivation.
And I won't believe it. I won't believe it.
I refuse to accept that there is no hope left for me.
With sit-down strikes and gutters tonight,
There is nothing left to do but protest and suffer.
There's nothing left in this town.
The place where I live has lost all of its value.
We've all been sold, it's not rock and roll.
We have all been deceived, and this is not what we were promised.
Don't beat us when we're down.
Please don't make things worse for us when we are already struggling.
It's OK.
It's understandable.
You didn't even listen in the first place.
You didn't care to hear what I had to say from the beginning.
Welcome back riders, it's another rat race.
Welcome back to the grind, where we are all just rats in a maze.
All of your words are safe until the show,
You can say whatever you want until you are put to the test.
And soon the world's gonna know.
Your true colors will soon be revealed.
An empty promise, so here's a toast.
You have made a promise that you cannot keep, so let's drink to that.
From your empty office, no lawyer will take it.
You have no power to back up your words, not even a lawyer can help you.
This case is as good as closed
This situation is hopeless and there is no way out.
And I can't believe it, I can't believe it.
I am in disbelief that things have turned out this way.
Away for years, and now you're here,
You were absent for a long time, and now you have returned.
So tell them where you've been.
Explain to everyone where you have been and what you have been doing.
Wait in line, enjoy the ride.
Be patient and endure the struggles that lie ahead of you.
It's coming back again.
The same old problems and hardships are surfacing once again.
These streets are the same to me.
The place where I live has not changed at all.
These songs won't mean anything without a place to call our home.
Music and art will have less value if we do not have a place to call our own.
A place to call our own.
A place to feel safe and comfortable in.
I'm staying tonight.
I am choosing to stay here tonight despite everything that is happening.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JONATHAN DIENER, JONATHAN ADAM DIENER, NICHOLAS BRIAN DIENER, NICK DIENER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind