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.
Snake Oil
Trophy Scars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her hair smelled like lemonade
Something sweet, yeah something sour
Something that'd turn kings into cowards
But she ain't different
No, she's just the same
She likes secrets
She wants my pain
We had nothing to talk about
And it was no secret one had to whisper
I think I kinda dug her sister
I ask my friends
What the hell happened to me
They say "Hey man, you're just the same"
I'm not singing for you
You think I'm telling when I'm not telling the truth
Dopesick, tongue tied, trembling, blood letting blues
I'm not singing for you
I saw my old lady
Down at the the grocery store
I said "who you buying them groceries for?"
She said "it ain't your business no more"
I don't care
What's his name
She says "Baby -
You just got yourself to blame."
I shut up
I just got sick
I turn around
I feel hell much more than shame
I say out loud
"I just got myself to blame."
Like I was singing
I'm not singing, I was never singing for you
My tongue my tongue coiled strictly for you
It pierced my lips as it shot from my mouth towards you
Your flesh swelled up and turned purplish blue
Stuck in your neck trembling, blood clotting bruise
I saw you last night at the bar we used to visit
Drinking with some prick, though you would never admit it
Though I agree with you, I should be committed
Though I'd never admit it, yeah I'd rather be committed to:
White walls, no hope-nightmare delusions of you
I'm gurgling backwards, shape-shifting fluids for you
A wasp swarm fills up the cathedral in June
I'll flood your wedding day romantically removed from the truth
The Trophy Scars song "Snake Oil" tells the story of a man who meets a girl that he finds attractive, but realizes too late that she's not as great as he thought. The opening lines describe her scent as something that is both sweet and sour, which is a metaphor for her personality. The man eventually goes on a date with her, but they have nothing to talk about, and he finds himself more interested in her sister. He's confused about his feelings and asks his friends for advice, but they tell him that he's always been the same, suggesting that this isn't the first time he's been in this type of situation.
The second verse focuses on a different relationship, likely the man's ex-girlfriend. He sees her at the grocery store but when he asks who she's buying groceries for, she tells him it's none of his business. She reminds him that he only has himself to blame for their breakup, and he feels sick with regret. The chorus emphasizes that the song is not about the listener, and that the man is not necessarily telling the truth in his lyrics.
The final verse is the most abstract, describing the singer's delusions about the woman he's trying to forget. He imagines her as a wasp swarm and thinks of a flooded wedding day as a romantic escape from the reality of their failed relationship. The final lines suggest that the singer is stuck in a world of his own making, and that his obsession with this woman is causing him immense pain.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a girl today
The singer describes meeting a woman whose scent is both sweet and sour, and who seems like she wants to cause him pain.
Her hair smelled like lemonade
The woman's scent is intoxicating, like the refreshing drink on a hot day.
Something sweet, yeah something sour
The woman's aura is a mixture of sweet and sour, which is intriguing yet dangerous.
Something that'd turn kings into cowards
The woman has a powerful presence that could make even the most courageous person feel weak and vulnerable.
But she ain't different
Despite her alluring scent and powerful personality, the woman is not unique or special.
No, she's just the same
The singer realizes that the woman is not worth pursuing as she is just like any other woman.
She likes secrets
The woman is attracted to secrets and hidden pain.
She wants my pain
The woman is drawn to the artist's emotional pain and turmoil.
So I asked her out
Despite his reservations, the artist decides to pursue the woman.
We had nothing to talk about
The artist and the woman have no real connection or chemistry.
And it was no secret one had to whisper
The lack of chemistry between the singer and the woman is evident, and people can sense it.
I think I kinda dug her sister
The artist realizes that he is more interested in the woman's sister than he is in the woman herself.
I ask my friends
The singer turns to his friends for advice and guidance.
What the hell happened to me
The singer is confused by his own feelings and actions towards the woman.
They say "Hey man, you're just the same"
The singer's friends tell him that he is acting just like he always does when it comes to relationships.
I'm not singing for you
The artist asserts that his music is not meant for any particular person or audience.
You think I'm telling when I'm not telling the truth
The artist is aware that people may assume that his lyrics are autobiographical, but he is actually singing about something else entirely.
Dopesick, tongue tied, trembling, blood letting blues
The singer describes the physical and emotional pain that he is experiencing.
I saw my old lady
The singer runs into his ex-girlfriend at the grocery store.
Down at the the grocery store
The artist's ex-girlfriend is shopping for groceries.
I said "who you buying them groceries for?"
The artist confronts his ex about who she is shopping for.
She said "it ain't your business no more"
The artist's ex tells him that their relationship is over and he has no right to ask her questions.
I don't care
The singer insists that he is not bothered by his ex's behavior.
What's his name
The artist asks his ex who she is now seeing romantically.
She says "Baby -
You just got yourself to blame."
The singer's ex blames him for the problems in their relationship.
I shut up
The singer stops arguing with his ex.
I just got sick
The singer is overwhelmed with negative emotions and feels physically ill.
I turn around
The artist leaves the grocery store and walks away from his ex.
I feel hell much more than shame
The artist is consumed by negative emotions and pain.
I say out loud
"I just got myself to blame."
The singer takes responsibility for his role in the end of his relationship with his ex.
My tongue my tongue coiled strictly for you
The singer's tongue is metaphorically directed towards the woman he was pursuing.
It pierced my lips as it shot from my mouth towards you
The artist's words were sharp and hurtful towards the woman he was pursuing.
Your flesh swelled up and turned purplish blue
The woman was hurt by what the artist said to her.
Stuck in your neck trembling, blood clotting bruise
The woman is visibly upset and in pain as a result of what the artist said to her.
I saw you last night at the bar we used to visit
The singer sees his ex-girlfriend at a bar they used to frequent.
Drinking with some prick, though you would never admit it
The artist's ex-girlfriend is with another man, but she would never confess to it.
Though I agree with you, I should be committed
The singer acknowledges that he is not in a good mental or emotional state.
Though I'd never admit it, yeah I'd rather be committed to:
The singer would rather be institutionalized than deal with the pain and turmoil of his life.
White walls, no hope-nightmare delusions of you
The singer imagines being in a mental institution, where he is haunted by thoughts of his ex-girlfriend.
I'm gurgling backwards, shape-shifting fluids for you
The artist is consumed by his emotions for his ex-girlfriend.
A wasp swarm fills up the cathedral in June
The artist describes a chaotic and unsettling moment.
I'll flood your wedding day romantically removed from the truth
The singer harbors a resentment towards his ex-girlfriend and imagines disrupting her future wedding.
Contributed by Nora S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.