Early years
The Casualties were formed in 1990, with original members Jorge Herrera (vocals) Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums). The members aimed to return to what they viewed as the "golden era" of street punk, embodied by bands such as The Exploited and Charged GBH which they believed had disappeared by 1985.[3] During the early years, the lineup was fluid, with several changes. That first year, Colin stepped out for several months to finish his education while Rachel, TheRivits' singer, took his place.[3]
In 1991, Hank left the band, to be replaced by Fred (last name unknown) on guitar. Colin, Jorge, Yureesh, Hank and Mark put together a demo, titled Political Sin, for the Benefit for Beer compilation.[4] After making this recording, Fred left to go to school and Steve, from Distraught, fills in for a short time, until Fred returns to the band full-time. The 4 song EP, 40 Oz. Casualty was recorded at the end of 1991 and self-released.[3] 1992 saw the band touring and building up a fan base in NYC. In 1993, Mark and Fred left the band and were replaced by Mike (last name unknown) on bass and Jake Kolatis on the guitar, followed by the departure of Yureesh and Colin in 1994, to be replaced on drums by Shawn, while the band went down to a single vocalist.[3][4] 1994 sees the recording of the 4 song EP, Drinking Is Our Way Of Life, however it would not be released. The songs would later appear on the Casualties "early years 1990-1995" CD in 1999.[4] In 1995, the band's second release, the 4 track A Fuckin' Way Of Life E.P. was released on Eyeball Records. After recording A Fuckin' Way of Life, Shawn left the band, and Marc Eggers (nicknamed Meggers) of the Rivits became the regular drummer. The line-up of Jorge, Jake, Mike and Meggers continued until 1997.
In 1996 the Casualties became the first American band to appear at the "Holidays in the Sun" Festival in London. 1997 saw the release of the band's debut album, For the Pun is released on Tribal War Records, and the band embarks on its first American tour with The Varukers. Mike (the bassist) left the band in 1998, to be replaced with Johnny Rosado, from The Krays.[4][5] They released their second LP that year, Underground Army, and begin a world tour. Jon leaves the band during the European leg of the tour, to be temporarily replaced by Dave Punk Core.
Present lineup
After the world tour, Dave would be replaced by Rick Lopez from the band, Manix. The line-up was now solidified for the band and would continue to the present day.[6] The end of the millennium, 1999, saw the band produce a compilation album, Early Years 1990-1995, which included tracks which appeared on earlier ED's, as well as never before released songs, such as the four songs they had recorded on the never released EP Drinking is Our Way of Life back in 1994.
The 2000s have seen the band continue to tour[3][6] and produce albums (an album list can be seen below). They have toured with several other bands, such as The Exploited, GBH, Cockney Rejects, Slaughter & the Dogs,[4] and the English Dogs.[6] In December 2009, The Casualties toured alongside Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Crowbar, and Thy Will Be Done as part of the Stillborn Fest.[3] In the summer of 2012, The Casualties co-headlined the Tonight We Unite tour along with Nekromantix, where they played For The Punx in its entirety, the first time they had played the album through since its release in 1997.[3] Later that year, The Casualties released their new album titled Resistance through Season of Mist.[7][8] In 2013, The Casualties played at the largest Punk Rock festival in the world,[9] the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England, where they shared the stage with The Exploited, Special Duties, Chron Gen and Anti-Establishment, and others
Unknown Soldier
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Joey is out of school; didn't fucking ask for much
Couldn't get a job—the Marines, his last hope
Down at the front line with a gun, not a toy
Kill many men, not asking what for
Joey's family, the comrades next to him
Die one by one—his luck is running out
Joey wrote back home; his parents unemployed
The rich is fuckin' laughing; profits from the war
Joey is off to die for another senseless war
No arms, no legs—his mother cries at home
Joey wears the flag, so proud to fight for us
And for a government that doesn't give a fuck
Marching to the left, marching to the right
Marching on the front line, what a fuckin’ sight
Marching to the left, marching to the right
Marching on the frontline, what a way to die
Joey—Joey—Joey,
Tell me what you see now
Joey—Joey—Joey,
Please, come back home now
The Casualties’s Unknown Soldier depicts the tragedy of a young man named Joey, who joins the Marines as his last resort, only to find himself in a senseless war where he kills many men without knowing what he’s fighting for. As his comrades and family die one by one, Joey’s luck runs out as well. He writes back home to his unemployed parents, revealing the profits made by the rich from the war. Meanwhile, Joey wears the flag so proudly, fighting not only for his country but also for a government that doesn't care about him. In the end, all that is left is his mother crying at home as Joey dies for a senseless war.
The lyrics exemplify the cruelty of war and the politicians who profit from the pain and suffering of others. It also portrays the sadness of a mother who watches her son go to war and never return. The reference to Joey’s unemployment highlights how sometimes the military is perceived as the only way out for young people in low-income households. Moreover, the critique of the government for dismissing the lives of soldiers who sacrifice everything for their country is an important message.
Line by Line Meaning
Joey is out of school; didn't fucking ask for much
Joey is a young man who didn't have high hopes for his future, and therefore did not ask for much in life.
Couldn't get a job—the Marines, his last hope
The only option Joey thought he had left was enlisting in the Marines since he was unable to secure employment elsewhere.
Down at the front line with a gun, not a toy
Joey found himself on the front lines with a real weapon, which was a far cry from the play guns he used to use as a child.
Kill many men, not asking what for
Joey was forced to take the lives of many individuals, and was never given a clear justification or reason for doing so.
Joey's family, the comrades next to him
On the battlefield, Joey's closest family members were the fellow soldiers fighting alongside him.
Die one by one—his luck is running out
One by one, the soldiers that Joey had grown close to were being killed in action. He began to fear that he may also meet the same fate at any moment.
Joey wrote back home; his parents unemployed
Joey sent letters to his loved ones explaining his situation, and was saddened to hear that his parents were struggling to find employment back home.
The rich is fuckin' laughing; profits from the war
While Joey was risking his life on the battlefield, wealthy individuals were profiting greatly from the war and were not bothered by the consequences of their actions.
Joey is off to die for another senseless war
Joey was sent to fight in yet another war that had no obvious purpose or benefit to those involved.
No arms, no legs—his mother cries at home
Joey was injured so severely during his time in combat that he lost his arms and legs. His mother was devastated by the news.
Joey wears the flag, so proud to fight for us
Despite the senselessness of the war, Joey still held a deep respect for his country and was proud to represent it on the battlefield.
And for a government that doesn't give a fuck
Joey's pride for his country was overshadowed by his frustration with a government that he felt did not care about the wellbeing of its soldiers.
Marching to the left, marching to the right
Joey and his fellow soldiers were constantly on the move, switching positions to advance and defend various front lines.
Marching on the front line, what a fuckin’ sight
The image of soldiers marching forward on the front line of battle was a distressing and terrifying sight to behold.
Joey—Joey—Joey,
Tell me what you see now
The singer is calling out to Joey in a desperate plea, asking him to reveal what he sees and experiences on the battlefield.
Joey—Joey—Joey,
Please, come back home now
The artist begs for Joey to return home safely and escape the horrors of war that he has been forced to endure.
Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.