They originally formed as a short-term project to last only as long as that summer. With bassist Joshua Weinstein and guitarist Michael Schipper, they began to play local shows and gained a dedicated following. When fans presented a high demand for recorded material, the band decided to establish itself as a serious music group. Trophy Scars signed to Brooklyn record label The Death Scene Recording Company in 2005 and with Small Town Records (UK) in 2007.
Their first full-length, Darts to the Sea, was recorded in John Ferrara's basement using primitive sound engineering equipment. It was released in 2003 and reissued in 2006 with a bonus disc containing b-sides and demos from 2003-04. Their second release, Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language, gained the attention of critics in 2004. The EP was their first recording with Chris Badami and saw the band taking an unconventional, progressive approach to post-hardcore. Their next EP was Goodnight Alchemy, released in 2005 through The Death Scene. It was markedly much more dense and heavy than its predecessor. 2006 saw the release of their second full-length album, Alphabet. Alphabets.. Trophy Scars demonstrated a conglomeration of different musical genres and styles while still retaining their unique take on post-hardcore. Following the release, the group became a full-time touring band when Jones graduated from Fordham University.
In 2009 they were no longer contractually obligated to either label, so they released all forthcoming material independently. In mid-2007, Trophy Scars rented a beach house in Charleston, South Carolina to begin work on their follow-up full length to Alphabets. The band was heavily influenced by the warm climate, the city's nightlife, and psychedelia. Yet again, Trophy Scars readjusted their sound; this time to a blues-centric style. Jones titled the album Bad Luck as a reaction to the death of his best friend, Ben Brown. Ironically, when the writing was completed for Bad Luck, the band invested their savings into a European tour, but was canceled last minute by the headlining act. Unable to get a refund on their European travel expenses and with their recording contract with the Death Scene dissolved, the band could not afford to tour or raise money for the album. The band was forced to go on an indefinite hiatus with no foreseeable plans to release Bad Luck. Trophy Scars fans, however, banded together and started the "Bad Luck Foundation," which allowed internet users to donate money to the band. Within a month, Trophy Scars was financially stable and able to record their third full-length. Bad Luck was self-released on March 10, 2009, and in January 2010 it was named the 10th best album of 2009 by popular music critic website, Sputnik Music.
Trophy Scars released an EP Darkness, Oh Hell in October 2010; it is a further throwback to blues rock and psychedelic rock of the late 1960s while maintaining a sinister edge. It was included in Sputnik Music's Top 50 Albums of 2010. They released a follow-up companion EP titled Never Born, Never Dead in July 2011. The concept revolves around the several lives of two souls fixed in love through reincarnation and is much more uplifting musically and lyrically. Although a departure in sound from the previous two releases, Never Born, Never Dead was met with strong praise and elected the #1 best EP of the year by Sputnik users.
The band announced their fourth full-length album Holy Vacants to be released on April 21 in the EU and May 6 in North America through Monotreme Records. The album is a linear concept involving a romantic couple who have discovered The Fountain of Youth in the blood cells of angels. Jones states the album was heavily influenced by an intense personal relationship, his brief relocation to Los Angeles, and film director David Lynch.
Archangel
Trophy Scars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day you came to me
You said you were so sad
That I could not believe
Don't tell me (don't tell me)
Don't tell me
I know what you're going to say
If you were some other girl
Things would all be ok
But I put all my love on 21 black for you
And I felt like dying, love
But it doesn't change a thing
I'll always mean less to you
Than what you mean to me
And you got me shaking baby!
My face in unholy refrain
It's not like it matters, girl
You need me either way
I put all my love inside a gun and play russian roulette for you
I saw you dancing in pain at sunday service
I saw you kill Gabriele that same morning
And every little kiss that I give to you is 'cause your beautiful
But you stole all those kisses and turned them to curses, didn't you
But I put all my love on all our luck and threw it into a well
And I felt like dying, love
But it doesn't change a thing
I'll always mean less to you
Than what you mean to me
And you got me shaking baby!
My face in unholy refrain
It's not like it matters, girl
You need me either way
I'm blind folded backwards, throwing all of my darts in the dark for you
And I still pray for you
So damn bad for you
I'd kill anything for you
Drink all their blood with you
It's true
Somewhere in Florida
There's a little piece of my soul
(Our life is a prison)
Somewhere in South Carolina
There's a little piece of my soul
(Our life is a prison)
Somewhere in New Jersey, man
There's a missing piece of my soul
(Our life is a prison)
Some hospital in New York City
I swore I saw you lifetimes before
The only thing I wanted was for you to be happy
Youthful and pretty
Not shattered and lonely
The only thing that haunts me is your quiet sobbing and
Time
The lyrics to Trophy Scars’ song Archangel convey a sense of desperation and pain that comes from unrequited love. The singer is deeply in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate their feelings, and they are enraged by the unfairness of it all. Despite this, they continue to put their heart on the line, risking everything for this person who doesn’t seem to care. The lines “But I put all my love on 21 black for you” and “But I put all my love inside a gun and play Russian roulette for you” suggest that the singer is willing to take extreme measures for this person, even if it means putting their own life in danger.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, with the repetition of the lines “I felt like dying, love / But it doesn't change a thing / I'll always mean less to you / Than what you mean to me / And you got me shaking baby!” conveying the sense of hopelessness and despair that the singer feels. The final lines, “The only thing that haunts me is your quiet sobbing and / Time”, suggest that the singer is haunted by the pain of their unrequited love, and that time is not healing the wounds.
Line by Line Meaning
I was so mad
I was infuriated the day you approached me.
The day you came to me
The day you approached me with your issues.
You said you were so sad
You portrayed your sadness to me.
That I could not believe
Your sadness seemed far-fetched to me.
Don't tell me (don't tell me)
Don't try to convince me otherwise.
Don't tell me
You can't change my mind about how I feel.
I know what you're going to say
I already know what you want to say.
If you were some other girl
If you were someone different.
In some other world
In an alternate universe.
Things would all be ok
Everything would have worked out just fine.
But I put all my love on 21 black for you
I went all in and risked everything for you.
And I felt like dying, love
I felt like my heart had died out of love for you.
But it doesn't change a thing
But my feelings for you remain unchanged.
I'll always mean less to you
I'll never be as important to you as you are to me.
Than what you mean to me
You will forever hold a greater place in my life.
And you got me shaking baby!
You make me feel incredibly nervous.
My face in unholy refrain
I look tormented and upset.
It's not like it matters, girl
It's not like your feelings towards me will change based on how I feel.
You need me either way
You will always need me, no matter what.
I put all my love inside a gun and play russian roulette for you
I took extreme risks for you, even if it meant getting hurt in the process.
I saw you dancing in pain at sunday service
I saw you in agony at a church service on a Sunday.
I saw you kill Gabriele that same morning
I saw you do something terrible that very morning.
And every little kiss that I give to you is 'cause your beautiful
I show you love and affection because of how beautiful you are to me.
But you stole all those kisses and turned them to curses, didn't you
You took my love and kindness and turned it into something negative.
But I put all my love on all our luck and threw it into a well
I wished for the best for us and put all my love and hope into that wish.
I'm blind folded backwards, throwing all of my darts in the dark for you
I'm taking all kinds of chances and risks, hoping for a positive outcome.
And I still pray for you
I still wish nothing but the best for you.
So damn bad for you
I care about you deeply and want to make things better for you.
I'd kill anything for you
I'd go to extreme lengths for you, even if it meant putting my life on the line.
Drink all their blood with you
I'd do anything just to prove my love for you.
It's true
These things really are how I feel.
Somewhere in Florida
There's a place in Florida where I left a piece of myself.
There's a little piece of my soul
There's a part of me that's still there.
(Our life is a prison)
Our existence can feel like we're stuck in a confined space.
Somewhere in South Carolina
There's a place in South Carolina where I left a piece of myself.
Somewhere in New Jersey, man
There's a place in New Jersey where I lost an important part of myself.
There's a missing piece of my soul
I'm just not the same since I lost a part of myself.
Some hospital in New York City
I remember seeing you once before in a hospital in New York City.
I swore I saw you lifetimes before
It felt like I've known you for ages.
The only thing I wanted was for you to be happy
All I've ever wished for is your happiness.
Youthful and pretty
For you to always be youthful and attractive.
Not shattered and lonely
Instead of feeling broken and alone.
The only thing that haunts me is your quiet sobbing and
What stays with me is the sound of your gentle crying.
Time
Time has passed, but the memories and feelings remain.
Contributed by Evelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SannoSama
These guys have gotten me through so much... I remember when I was 14 years old hearing my first TS song, "The Hair-Trigger Flamenco" and I fell in love. They've carried me through 11 years now, and I love the growth and change that I feel like I've had the privilege to be a part of. You guys never cease to move me, stimulate my imagination, break my heart, and bring me hope. This will always be my favorite band in the world. Jerry, all that has been put on page must be so painful and exhausting, but I pray you keep exerting your memories, longings, story telling, and poetry in this beautiful work of art known as Trophy Scars.
Hope you know you've saved at least one life
Brandon Hamilton
Fuck yeah dude.
Rafael Trindade
Wow. This song is astonishing. Holy Vacants is so recent and it already is one of the best records that have ever graced my set of ears. Like, The Mars Volta meets Bruce Springsteen/Tom Waits and a fuckton of conceptual tragedies. This band is bliss.
Sam Patience
💯 don’t forget the most important Mike Patton
dhende3
Your band is pretty nasty dude... went back to see where it evolved from and I like the direction. Keep it up (this is Don, your friend from 7th grade).
Flakeski
I don't care how long it has been, this song and whole album/ discography will always be in the background of my life like it has for the last 10 years. Thank you for giving us this masterpiece. Forever: Thank you.
LollasaurusRex
This song is amazing. Can't stop listening.
Nikki Burke
They never disappoint <3 I love the new albulm ;)
Iain
Never stop making music
Eric Hurley
Somewhere in New Jersey, there's a missing piece of my soul. Definitely dig the new sound, gonna see these cats next time they're in LA.