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.
No
Trophy Scars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we'll gun run all these fucking clowns.
Blink six more times
And now you know why this song ends with the word
Â??NOâ??
One day we'll find those verbs and nouns
Blink three more times
And now you know why this song ends with the word
Â??NOâ??
The lyrics of Trophy Scars's song "No." are layered in their meaning, but at its core, it is a statement of defiance against the status quo. The chorus of the song repeats the lines "One day we'll find those verbs and nouns, and we'll gun run all these fucking clowns" which could be interpreted as a desire to rid themselves of those in power who use language to manipulate and control. The use of "gun run" could be seen as a call to action, a violent revolutionary tactic against those in power.
The repetition of the song's closing line "And now you know why this song ends with the word 'NO'" ties back into this theme of defiance. It suggests that the refusal to accept the current state of affairs and reject the false promises and illusions peddled by those in power. This defiance is reinforced in the repeated use of the word "NO" which could be seen as a challenge to authority or a call to action for others to join this resistance.
Interestingly, the use of "gun run" in the lyrics has been the source of controversy for the band. In an interview, lead singer Jerry Jones explained that the phrase is an amalgamation of two different terms used in different parts of the United States. However, some have interpreted it as a promotion of gun violence, which the band has vehemently denied.
Line by Line Meaning
One day we'll find those verbs and nouns
Someday, we'll discover the language necessary to express ourselves fully and with precision
And we'll gun run all these fucking clowns.
We'll triumph over the incompetent and ineffectual people who hold positions of power in our society
Blink six more times
Take a momentary pause to gather your thoughts and emotions
And now you know why this song ends with the word 'NO'
The song's final word is an expression of defiance against those who seek to control us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAELYNN GREEN, JUSTIN EBACH, STEVEN DALE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Salvein
I've been searching for this for a while. Thank you.
@TheAntManChannel
sick, I remember seeing this live xp
@Paradoxasauruser
These songs are the two hardcore shorts every band wishes it could have created.
@artvandelay837
The Alchemist!