Their music features a rare contribution to the genre, incorporating the use of a violin. Formed in 1997, the final line up consisted of Ryan Key (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ryan Mendez (lead guitar, vocals), Sean Mackin (violin, vocals), Nathan Young on drums, and Josh Portman on bass.
Yellowcard was formed in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA after meeting at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. The band was made up of six members back then:
Ben Dobson (1997 - 2000) : vocals, Todd Clarry (1997 - 2001) : guitar, vocals, Sean Mackin (1997 - 2017) : violin, vocals, Warren Cooke (1997 - 2002) : bass, Ben Harper (not the same as Ben Harper) (1997 - 2005) : guitar, Longineu W. Parsons III (1997 - 2014) : drums.
Former members: Ben Dobson (1997 - 2000) : vocals, Todd Clarry (1997 - 2001) : guitar, vocals, Warren Cooke (1997 - 2002) : bass, Alex Lewis (2003 - 2004) : bass, backing vocals, Ben Harper (1997 - 2005) : lead guitar, Peter Mosely (2002 - 2003, 2004 - 2007) : bass, vocals, Sean O'Donnell of Reeve Oliver(2010–2012) : bass guitar, backing vocals
The band released their first album, Midget Tossing, in 1997 but with not much success.
Around that time their lead singer was replaced by Ryan Key who convinced the band that they couldn't be successful in Florida, so they decided to move to Southern California.
The new group released their debut album, One for the Kids (Lobster Records), in 2001, and followed up with The Underdog EP (Fueled by Ramen Records) in 2002.
Yellowcard signed with Capitol Records in 2003 and released Ocean Avenue, which is their most successful album to date.
Soon after, bassist Alex Lewis was let go by the band. Pete Mosely who had produced and played bass on most of the songs on Ocean Avenue took over on bass.
The Yellowcard popularity "skyrocketed" after this period, with a song from Ocean Avenue, Breathing appearing in the game Burnout 3: Takedown.
Lights and Sounds was released in January 2006. The title track, Lights and Sounds, was the first single released off the album. It is also featured on the game Burnout Revenge. How I Go features Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks.
In 2005 the guitarist Ben Harper left the band. He chose to work with his record label TAKEOVER RECORDS and has signed bands since his departure. He was replaced by Ryan Mendez (formerly of Staring Back) shortly before the Lights & Sounds tour began.
Paper Walls released on July 17th, 2007. Light Up the Sky was the first single released off this album. The album debuted at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling about 40,000 copies in its first week. After their tour for Paper Walls in 2008, the band went on hiatus for almost 2 years.
While touring for Paper Walls, Peter Mosely announced in a MySpace blog message that he would be leaving Yellowcard. . Josh Portman took over on bass until the reformation of Yellowcard in 2010, upon which Sean O'Donnell became the bass player.
Yellowcard's official Facebook page announced on August 1, 2010, that the band has reformed and will be working on a new record. When You're Through With Thinking, Say Yes released on March 22, 2011. On October 24, 2011, the band released an acoustic version of the album.
Sean O'Donnell left the band in early 2012, replaced by Josh Portman.
Southern Air was released on August 14, 2012. It debuted at 10 on the US Billboard top 200, making this their second album to debut in the top 10 and their second-highest debut. The album's first single, Always Summer, was released May 22, 2012. Here I Am Alive was released July 31 as the second single.
An acoustic version of Ocean Avenue was recorded for the album's tenth anniversary. The album was released on August 13, 2013.
On March 13, 2014, the band announced that drummer and founding member Longineu Parsons III had left the band. Parson's departure left Sean Mackin as the only remaining original member of the band.
On August 4, 2014, Yellowcard announced that the next album would be titled Lift a Sail. On August 19, 2014, the band released the first single, One Bedroom. Lift a Sail released October 7, 2014. The album is a notable change of sound for the band, moving away from pop-punk.
On June 7, 2016, the band announced on Facebook that its next album would be a self-titled album. Yellowcard was released on September 30, 2016. On June 24, 2016, the band released the lead single titled Rest in Peace.
On June 25, 2016, the band announced on via its website that the group would be breaking up after a final tour, stating: "Please come and join us on our last trip around the globe. We hope to share this final record and tour with each and every one of you." The band's final show was on March 25, 2017 in Anaheim, CA.
In 2019, it was reported that they were suing American rapper Juice WRLD over his hit song 'Lucid Dreams'.
Empty Apartment
Yellowcard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You stayed inside
One you love
Is where you hide
Shot me down
As I flew by
Crash and burn
I think sometimes
Answer no
To these questions
Let her go
Learn a lesson
It's not me
You're not listening
Now can't you see
Something's missing
You forget where the heart is
Take you away
From that empty apartment
You stay
And forget where the heart is
Someday
If ever you loved me
You'd say
It's okay
Waking up
From this nightmare
How's your life
What's it like there
Is it all
That you want it to be
Does it hurt
When you think about me
And how broken my heart is
Take you away
From that empty apartment
You stay
And forget where the heart is
Someday
If ever you loved me
You'd say it's okay
It's okay to be angry and never let go
It only gets harder the more that you know
When you get lonely if no one's around
You know that I'll catch you when you're falling down
We came together but you left alone
And I know how it feels to walk out on your own
Maybe someday I will see you again
And you'll look me in my eyes and call me your friend
Take you away from
That empty apartment
You stay and forget where the heart is
Someday
If ever you loved me
You'd say it's okay
It's okay, it's okay
"Empty Apartment" by Yellowcard is a song about a broken relationship, where the singer wants their partner to realize their mistake and come back to them. The lyrics take a lamenting tone, as the singer describes how he was shot down in his flight and crashed and burned. He notes that the one he loves hides inside the apartment they shared and is forgetting where their heart is. The singer pleads with his partner to answer the questions honestly, let him go, and learn a lesson. He acknowledges that his partner is not listening and that something is missing in their relationship, that maybe they forget where their heart is.
The chorus of the song highlights the desire to take the partner away from the empty apartment and to remind them where their heart is. The singer wants his partner to say that it is okay and that they love him back again. The song's bridge touches on the themes of anger, loneliness, and abandonment, and the singer promises to catch his partner if they fall again. The song concludes with a hopeful tone that maybe someday they will meet again, and his partner will call him a friend.
Line by Line Meaning
Call me out
Bring me out of the shadows where I’m hiding.
You stayed inside
You chose to stay in the comfort of your hiding place.
One you love
Someone you truly care about.
Is where you hide
You seek solace in the love that you hold dear.
Shot me down
You rejected me and my love.
As I flew by
As I was reaching out to you.
Crash and burn
Our relationship ended poorly.
I think sometimes
I believe that occasionally.
You forget where the heart is
You lose sight of what's truly important.
Answer no
Don't even bother answering.
To these questions
I don't need your response to what I’m about to ask.
Let her go
Let her leave and learn from this experience.
Learn a lesson
Gain some knowledge from this situation.
It's not me
It's not my fault.
You're not listening now
You're not paying attention to what I have to say.
Can't you see
Don't you realize.
Something's missing
Our relationship is lacking something important.
Take you away
Remove you from your current surroundings.
From that empty apartment
From the place where you feel empty and alone.
You stay
You remain in the same place.
And forget where the heart is
You forget what truly matters to you.
Someday
In the future.
If ever you loved me
If you ever truly cared for me.
You'd say
You would speak up and communicate how you feel.
It's okay
Everything is fine and there is no need to worry.
Waking up
Coming to the realization.
From this nightmare
From this bad dream that was our relationship.
How's your life?
How are things going for you now?
What's it like there
What is your current situation like?
Is it all
Are you satisfied with everything.
That you want it to be
That you hoped it would be.
Does it hurt
Does it pain you emotionally.
When you think about me
When thoughts of me cross your mind.
And how broken my heart is
And how hurtful your actions were towards me.
It's okay to be angry and never let go
It's acceptable to feel angry, even if you don't forgive and forget so quickly.
It only gets harder the more that you know
It's difficult to move on as you learn more about what transpired.
When you get lonely if no one's around,
When you feel alone and have no one to turn to.
You know that I'll catch you when you're falling down
You can count on me to support you when you need it the most.
We came together but you left alone
We began this journey as partners, but I was left on my own.
And I know how it feels to walk out on your own
I understand the emotions that come with being abandoned.
Maybe someday I will see you again
Perhaps one day we will be reunited.
And you'll look me in my eyes and call me your friend
And we will have reconciled and become friends once again.
It's okay it's okay
Everything will be alright.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benjamin Eric Harper, Longineu Warren Iii Parsons, Peter Michael Mosely, Sean Michael Wellman-Mackin, William Ryan Key
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind