Less Than Jake - Anthem Album Lyrics

Welcome home outcasts
Because I know how you have
Felt over the years
The truth is that
Looking at me is like
Looking in the mirror
And I know how it feels
To be the best part
Of a running joke
To all of your friends


And to be on the edge of your bed
With your head buried in your hands
Wishing that everything would end
I know how it feels to be the loneliest


Welcome back outcasts
Because I've told myself
That it would be alright
Probably about a million times
Over every minute of all of my life
I know how it feels
To be so confused
That you're so far out of control

And to be on the edge of your bed
With your head buried in your hands
Wishing that everything would end
I know how it feels to be the loneliest

So you sit and wait for a sign
That the coming days will be alright
And you drink
So you can forget another night
Bruised from the blackouts
And your blood red eyes
Try to start looking
For the brighter side
Wait for a sign
Wait for a sign
Wait for a sign
Welcome home
Everything will be alright


And I know how it feels
To be the best part
Of a running joke all of your life

Welcome home...
Outcasts welcome home
Outcasts welcome home
Outcasts welcome home
Welcome home...

I've been down wandering past Second Street
And looking at the ghosts of you and me
And thinking back on all those memories
Of how we used to be

I've been hearing, I hear those voices
Over the noises of the breaking glass
And all those plans we had to get us through
They're never coming true

And I hope to hope that you won't forget
And I'm hoping, hope you know that
I can clearly see the ghosts of you and me
And I'm just a moved on memory

And you're still alive
And I'm still getting by
On these dead end streets
The ghosts of you and me

I'm still talking, I talk of what we?ll do
To the ghosts of me and you
And I'm still looking back into past
When we were all we had

And I hope to hope that you won't forget
And I'm hoping, hope you know that
I can clearly see, the ghosts of you and me
And I'm just a moved on memory

And you're still alive
And I'm still getting by
On these dead end streets
The ghosts of you and me
The ghosts of you and me
The ghosts of you and me

Hope you won't forget
Hope you know that I?ll always regret
Those things I've said
Hope you know that I can clearly see
The ghosts of you and me
'Cause I'm just a moved on memory

And you're still alive
And I'm still getting by
On these dead end streets
The ghosts of you and me

The ghosts of you and me
The ghosts of you and me
The ghosts of you and me

And I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try
And we'll walk in circles around this whole block
Walk on the cracks of the same old sidewalks
Then we'll talk about leaving town
Yeah we'll talk about leaving
I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try

We rode across that bridge all night
We talked our way through city lights
Traced all the lines, were killing time
Under those buzzing signs
From downtown to anywhere but here
Tonight yeah I swear to these rooftops
And just hoped that car would never stop

And I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try
And we'll walk in circles around this whole block
Walk on the cracks of the same old sidewalks
And we'll talk about leaving town
And we'll talk about leaving
I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try

We drove around this place all night
Past closed signs and familiar sights
We're moving by, passing time
Counting those center lines
With twenty thousand lines left to go
That lead to somewhere I don't know
It might be the time that we leave this all behind

And I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try
And we'll walk in circles around this whole block
Walk on the cracks of the same old sidewalks
And we'll talk about leaving town
And we'll talk about leaving
I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try

And there's been a few times
That we, we thought it felt right
To take the westbound signs
And just leave town tonight

And I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try
And we'll walk in circles around this whole block
Walk on the cracks of the same old sidewalks
And we'll talk about leaving town
And we'll talk about leaving
I swear it's the last time
And I swear it's my last try

And I swear it's my last try

And we'll talk about leaving town
And we'll talk about leaving town

I've come to my senses
That I've become senseless
I could give you lessons on how to ruin your friendships
Every last conviction, I smoked them all away
I drank my frustrations down the drain, out of the way
So I sit and wait and wonder
Does anyone else feel like me?
Someone so tired of their routines and disappearing self-esteems

I'll sing along
Yeah with every emergency
Just sing along
I'm the king of catastrophes
I'm so far gone
That deep down inside I think it's fine by me
I'm my own worst enemy

I could be an expert on co-dependency
I could write the best book on underage tragedy
I've been spending my time at the local liquor store
I've been sleeping nightly on my best friends kitchen floor
So I sit and wait and wonder
Does anyone else feel like me?
I'm so overdosed on apathy and put down on sympathy

I'll sing along
Yeah with every emergency
Just sing along
I'm the king of catastrophes
I'm so far gone
That deep down inside I think it's fine by me
I'm my own worst enemy

Let the meaning slip away
Lost my faith in another day
Self deprecation seems okay
I never thought I'd make it anyway

I'll sing along
Yeah with every emergency
Just sing along
I'm the king of catastrophes
I'm so far gone
That deep down inside I think it's fine by me
I'm my own worst enemy

That I'm my own worst enemy
I'm my own worst enemy
And I'm my own worst enemy
'Cause I'm my own worst enemy
And I'm my own worst enemy

These are all reasons why
I'll be exploding tonight
and why this chip on my shoulder
feels like a mile wide
it's from the overwork
overtime compromise

[Chorus:]
So I'm looking tonight
for some peace of mind
maybe then I'll find
Some strength inside
'cause I've lost any hope of ever changing
I'm a short fuse burning [x2]

And remember who I
who I used to be
Because this one-trick pony's
so strung on routine
yeah, stuck on repeat
like you wouldn't even believe

[Chorus]

Hey, everybody don't forget me
Forget me
Hey, everybody don't forget me
I forgot who I used to be
And I'm a short fuse burning
I'm so close to exploding
So everybody don't forget me
I forgot who I used to be

[Chorus]

Hey, everybody don't forget me
Forget me
Hey, everybody don't forget me
I forgot who I used to be
And I'm a short fuse burning
I'm so close to exploding
Hey, everybody don't forget me
I forgot who I used to be

[Roger:]
So you say, all your white flags are up and that you've had enough and that you were tired of collecting dust, you say everything always looks the same and you made your brand new face to match your brand new place, you say all your distress calls have gone out and your ship is going down

[Pre-chorus]
[Chris:]
Well I say it to myself all the time,
"Stop living half and a life and stop feeling like I'm half alive."

[Chorus]
[Roger:]
I can't get enough, I'm not satisfied, I've wasted my time with this daily grind, in single file line, is this real life, I've been telling myself sometimes, what matters is on the inside.

[Roger:]
Do you remember when we had all the answers, and can you really remember when we wished for anything better, just to feel like it's been forever, does it feel like a broken record, a head full of yesterdays, you keep wishing your life away, you keep looking over you own shoulder, things'll never look up unless you start to move forward.

[Pre-chorus]

[Chorus]

[Chorus 2]
[Roger:]
I can't get enough, I'm not satisfied, I've wasted my time with this daily grind, I can't get enough, I'm just getting by, I can't stand this design for our bitter lives, I keep feeling lost and I'm not satisfied with traffic and turnpikes and these tired eyes

[Chorus]

All my friends always talk about
The stories of moving on and getting out
Then packing up and heading south
Their heads full of hopes and dreams
They're just like me

My friends aren't going anywhere
My friends all act so unaware
Now they have to face
Their best plans have all gone up in flames

They're just looking for something to take
To break up the day to day and all it's
Loneliness, vacant space
The tragedy of minimum wage

All my friends always talk about
The stories of moving on and getting out
Then packing up and heading south
Their heads full of hopes and dreams
They're just like me

My friends are worried about last calls
And working jobs at shopping malls
Because they're in between
A mixed up pride and apathy
So tonight they'll talk of calling in
Calling in with bitter grins
Laughing at the state they're in
What a mess, I'm just like them

All my friends always talk about
The stories of moving on and getting out
Then packing up and heading south
Their heads full of hopes and dreams
They're just like me

So they're sleep walking their way through life
Sitting there and getting by
Like all the other friends of mine
Wishing for something more
Wishing for something more

All my friends always talk about
The stories of moving on and getting out
Then packing up and heading south
Their heads full of hopes and dreams
They're just like me

Dear Mom and Dad,
I've been making plans
To leave this house and yes I'm sure
So lock the door, and turn the front porch lights out

After all the endless fights
The who's been wrong and who's been right
We just never saw eye to eye

So there's no need to apologize
Don't wait up, I'll be fine
If you could see inside my head
Maybe you could understand
That I'm better off
I'm better off gone

Dear Mom and Dad,
I've been making plans
To leave your house and yes I'm sure
That nothing's wrong, so just be strong on my way out

After all the endless nights
The who's been wrong and who's been right
We just never saw eye to eye

So there's no need to apologize
Don't wait up, I'll be fine
If you could see inside my head
Maybe you could understand
That I'm better off gone
I'm better off gone ‘cause we don't see eye to eye

By this time tomorrow
You'll be out on the streets of Chicago
Walking all the way home from commuter trains

By this time tomorrow
You'll be back at home in Chicago
At the bars until they close
Back at places that you've known and
It'll be skylines and rooftops
And it's gonna be crowded tourist stops

So it's goodbye
To your brand new life
So it's good luck
Best wishes to your black lung

By this time tomorrow
You'll be walking home through Chicago
Past the nine to five crowds underneath
Those unused fire escapes
By this time tomorrow
You'll be at the bars in Chicago
Back with people that you know
Going places you used to go
It's gonna be skylines and rooftops
And it's gonna be crowded tourist stops

So it's goodbye
To your brand new life
So it's good luck
Best wishes to your black lung
So when you're leaving the party just to beat the crowd
Just make sure that you're the first one out

[Chorus:]
She's gonna break soon
Gonna break soon
Gonna break soon
She's gonna break soon
Gonna break soon
Gonna break soon
With so many problems in her life it just comes as no surprise
She's gonna break soon
Gonna break soon
She's gonna break

Welcome to her busy dizzy life
Of going out and getting high
And following all the latest trends
While shedding all her oldest friends
It's been weeks worth of weekends
when fake I.D.s and fake passions are her best friends.

[Chorus]

She's been thinkin' wishin' she could hide
From the girls with the comments passing by
It's the boys in bars on Friday night
That replace the emptiness inside
She'll be spending her whole weekend
Faking laughs and faking smiles with her fake friends

[Chorus]

Promises you made back home
Are crumpled like the goodbye notes
And last night's dirty clothes
Were on the floor next to the phone
And it's been disconnected months ago
No calls from your friends back home
You lost your point of view and now
It's got the best of got the best of got the best of you

[Chorus]

There's a black cloud over this house
That's been around for 3 years now
There's a thunderstorm inside
And it won't go away

That's why they call it a union
That's why they call it a union
So both of you please forgive me tonight
That's why they call it a union
So please forgive me tonight

I remember him turning around
He said, "Son, I'll be leaving now,
I can't be the person that you want me to be
And then she said, "So things are finally ending now,
I knew you'd be walking out,
You can't be the person that you want me to be."

3 years of all the arguments
3 years of all this silence
Has been enough to last me a lifetime
3 years of all the arguments
3 years of all this pain

That's why they call it a union
That's why they call it a union
So both of you please forgive me tonight
That's why they call it a union
So please forgive me tonight

I can't look at the pictures anymore
Because i know how it's run its course
And i know how the story ends
I know it ends

There's a black cloud over this house
That's been around for 3 years now
There's a thunderstorm inside,
And another fight tonight

There's a black cloud over this house
That's been around for 3 years now
There's a thunderstorm tonight
And it won't go away, no it won't go away

Hello six pack of confidence
Been so many nights
since we first met
Glad to see you've brought
all your friends
For another night of
plastic cup politics

Hello Mr. Six Pack of confidence
I'm glad to see you've already met
Ms. Twelve ounces of loneliness
And Mr. Plastic cup politics
I see you're under the influence
Of warm beer and the comfort of
all your friends
And I see that Mr. Loud Mouth
has had his forty ounce
And will pass out
I have no doubt
So drop your plastic cup and
clear your clouded heads

I keep asking myself if they realize
That their fears are really just the
same as mine

Do they know all their insecurities
Are the same ones that are inside of me
As people come and go
Do they know they're really not alone?
And the life of the party just left
I guess I couldn't cure his emptiness
Like all the rest
So drop your plastic cups and clear
your clouded heads

Here we are, another wasted night and
I am right along side
of forty sets of bloodshot eyes
And plastic smiles miles wide match
plastic cups we'll leave behind

It's just another night of
plastic cup politics
So drop your empty cups and clear
your clouded heads

(Featuring Billy Bragg)

You told me that your 20 years have gone by much too fast
And you've been hoping this year will be better than the last
You said you've been waging a war against the loneliest of nights
With the strongest drinks and longest lines
It's not that big of a surprise
That you're feeling more dead than alive
You're feeling more dead than alive

So I'll let you know
If you need, somewhere to go
I'll be listening when you call
And I'll be there if you fall off
If you need someone to believe in you
I'll let you know I will

You said the hole in your head has gotten bigger than the hole that's in your chest
And you're stuck between the past and present tense
You said you've been waging a war against so many years of lies
With stronger drinks and longer lines
It's not that big a surprise
That you're feeling more dead than alive
You're feeling more dead than alive

So I'll let you know
If you need, somewhere to go
I'll be listening when you call
And I'll be there if you fall off
If you need someone to believe in you
I'll let you know I will
I'll let you know I will
I'll let you know I will
But sometimes you gotta let it go
Gotta let it go

So this pen is starting to become
A pipe bomb and these songs
Have turned to anthems again
To everything that's changed and to everything that's gone away
Here are my condolences to the future I never met
It's gone and never coming back,
It's not coming back
So don't hold on to your past,
You gotta let it go
Gotta let it go

'Cause friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out

Tomorrow's gone up in smoke
And I wonder when I'm alone
Where'd my convictions go?
So to everyone that's gone away
Or fades away or stays the same
Here are my apologies
to the person that I used to be
Before I burned down every bridge and every inch
Of everything I used to know,
I gotta let it go

Friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out

Friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
So don't hold on to your past
No, it's never coming back,
You gotta let it go
You gotta let it go

Friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out
Without a doubt
Yeah screws fall in and screws they fall out

Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you.
She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch."
Just the other day I heard a soldier falling off some Indonesian junk that's going round.

Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.

Father says, "Your mother's right, she's really up on things."
"Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines."
Now, I had heard the WACS recruited old maids for the war.
But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years.

Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.

Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year?
Ev'ry time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear?
When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch.
Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out.

Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.

Away.
Away.