Following the demise of former international touring acts, the members of We Are The Arsenal joined forces in early 2007 and immediately began writing what came to be known as the “Trees” EP. This five song juggernaut was self-released by the band in a limited 1,000 pressing in February 2008. It has since gone out of print but it quickly gained the attention of major Japanese record label Radtone Records as well as Los Angeles based Authentik Artists. Both of whom took a vested interest in the band and went on to release We Are The Arsenal’s debut full length album entitled “They Worshipped The Trees” in March of 2009. The band has since been touring non-stop in support of the album including stints with Angels And Airwaves, Senses Fail, A Skylit Drive, I Am Ghost, and Amber Pacific. In June of 2009, WATA threw their official Cd Release show at The House of Blues Anaheim pulling in a staggering 500+ of their dedicated fans and friends. Word quickly began spreading throughout the southern California area and We Are The Arsenal was being asked to headline other major venues such as The Grove of Anaheim and The Viper Room in Hollywood.
2009 and 2010 have also brought WATA to the airwaves (both radio and television) with the World Famous KROQ consistently spinning the band’s first single “So Long”. This in addition to multiple other rock stations in Las Vegas, San Diego, and the Inland Empire picking up the band’s cover of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield”. We Are The Arsenal was also featured as KROQ and Bud Light’s “Local Band Spotlight” in May 2010 receiving commercial airplay approximately every half hour throughout the month. To compliment the increasing radio play, MTV began featuring the band’s music on network shows such as “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins”, “The Hard Times Of RJ Berger”, and “Parental Control.” The band’s music video for 1st single “So Long” enjoyed its world premiere in November 2009 on Fuse.TV and has since been featured on MTVU’s “The Freshman”, VH1.com, and Spike.com. Both of WATA’s videos (including 2nd Single “Like My Body”) are currently being featured around the country in retail stores such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Tilly’s, Steve Madden, and Journeys. As for other platforms, the band’s track “Sound The Alarms” will be featured in an upcoming MotoCross video game on XBOX 360 and PS3. In a time where labels are having trouble monetizing art, We Are The Arsenal is navigating steady and sure through the uncertainty and exploring new avenues of expression and expansion.
A tireless work ethic and a true love and passion for the art of music is what has kept this group of individuals together for the past 3 years. “We’re at the point in our lives now where if these songs didn’t mean everything to us, we wouldn’t be doing it at all” said the band when questioned for this bio. “We’ve already accomplished more than any kid with a dream could ask for, but this is only the beginning.”
With 2010 moving along swiftly, We Are The Arsenal is ready and planning their attack. Having just completed tracking their new 6 song EP entitled “There Will Come Soft Rains”, WATA kicked off the Summer with a KROQ Locals Only Showcase at The Roxy in Hollywood with Bleed The Dream. The band has spent the scorching Summer months playing regional shows and prepping for their 2nd official release. Fans of the band will find an immediate resemblance to the WATA of old but also a noticeable progression on “There Will Come Soft Rains.” The six tracks on the album still hold firm to the band’s trademark melodic aggression and brutal gang chants, but also introduce more of a calm beauty found in bands like Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie. “It’s an exciting time for We Are The Arsenal! We couldn’t be happier with these new songs and we can’t wait to hit the road this Fall to play them for all our amazing friends across the country!” September finds WATA hitting much of the Southwest US with plans of hitting the rest of the country and Europe in the months to come.
http://www.wearethearsenal.com
So Long
We Are The Arsenal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've spent singing anthems of our own demise
And when we say goodbye, make sure you realize
I might never come back home, and so the story goes...
So long pray we don't blow it
I don't really know if or when we will return
We'll win, or die trying
And with every word you say, you don't really wanna know
The things that I have seen
And with every word you say, I cannot believe
This disregard for subtlety
So when we say goodbye, make sure you realize
I know I'm never coming home
So long, guess we didn't know it would ever be this hard
We just kept our big mouths shut
But we know now, that we are alone, we fight alone.
They'll never take us alive
The lyrics to “So Long” by the band We Are The Arsenal are a reflection on the struggles one faces living life on their own terms. Throughout the song, the singer speaks to the listener about the hardships they’ve faced, singing anthems of their own demise. The song is reflective, and the lyrics are almost poetic in nature. The chorus urges the listener to raise a glass to all the lonely nights they’ve spent, singing their own anthems of self-destruction.
The lyrics speak of the realization that they may never return home. The singer urges the listener to make sure they realize this fact as they say goodbye. The song is a reflection of the hardships that the band has faced and the struggles that they’ve overcome. The line “they’ll never take us alive” reflects a sense of defiance towards the challenges they’ve faced. The lyrics are meant to inspire the listener to continue fighting even when the odds seem stacked against them.
Overall, the lyrics to “So Long” are about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The message is that no matter what happens, we must continue to fight and never give up. The song is a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is always hope.
Line by Line Meaning
So raise your glass up high to all the lonely nights
Let's cheers to the hard nights we've had all alone.
We've spent singing anthems of our own demise
We've been singing songs about how we've screwed ourselves over.
And when we say goodbye, make sure you realize
Before we part ways, understand this important truth.
I might never come back home, and so the story goes...
I can't guarantee that I'll be back, this could be it.
So long pray we don't blow it
Farewell, let's hope we don't mess up.
I don't really know if or when we will return
I can't say for sure if or when we'll come back.
We'll win, or die trying
We're determined to win, even if it costs us our lives.
They'll never take us alive
We'll fight until the end, no matter the outcome.
And with every word you say, you don't really wanna know
You don't really want to hear the things I've been through.
The things that I have seen
I've witnessed things that would be difficult to describe.
And with every word you say, I cannot believe
I'm surprised by your lack of subtlety in conversation.
This disregard for subtlety
Your bluntness is startling to me.
So when we say goodbye, make sure you realize
Before we part ways, remember this important fact.
I know I'm never coming home
I have a feeling that I won't be returning.
So long, guess we didn't know it would ever be this hard
I guess we didn't realize how difficult this would be.
We just kept our big mouths shut
We didn't talk about our struggles with others.
But we know now, that we are alone, we fight alone.
We're aware that we're on our own in this fight.
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kayla Michelle
omg this is my first time ever hearing about this band & im in love =D YOU GUYS ROC -- KEEP IT UP!!!! <3
BlankTV
Holy shit! Someone actually gets what we're doing! Thanks for the support. We can only add videos that actually get submitted. We're not sure why people keep complaining rather than suggesting new bands or submitting their own. sunset BlankTV
Pabshelis92
Wow! I loved the video and then I checked out some of their live performances and OMG!!! SO FREAKIN GOOD! What is cliche or generic about good music?? Screamo is generic, anyone with voice can scream to a guitar.
Shawn Imhoff
Sick sound 💯🔥🎸💀
No Soy Zero
I love the vocal! and the lyrics! *O*
Juan Ortega
i saw this band in upland when they were starting out. this song still sounds awesome!
Shawn Imhoff
Sick song 👏👌👍🇨🇦
zombies912
i saw a dance gavin dance show... and i was blown away! great band
baragon84
just saw them live
mediocricity
cool song!