A complete fresh start is what 12cent is now. After 10 years in Boston MA, we packed up our van and moved to San Diego CA.
12cent started as a joke band in 1995. Tom and Scott were sitting on a street corner with an acoustic guitar. Yelling and hammering out joke song after joke song. When a car drove by tossing out the fateful nickel and 7 pennies that became their namesake.
The next few years were full of backyard shows, adding a bass player (Dan in 1997), basement shows, VFW halls, 2 demo tapes, and mayhem. We played louder, faster, and anywhere we could get a show. Bought a shitty van and picked up a copy of BYOFL and strung together DIY tour after DIY tour. This was us growing up, living life the way we wanted to. Booking our own tours, putting out our own records, traveling, making friends, and opening for bands that were our heroes.
In 2001, after coming back from our "Gas Sux Ass US Tour", we added Pete on 2nd guitar and locked ourselves in Tom's basement to write our first full length album. "Bastard Music" came out in 2002, and pretty much was the summary of what 12cent was. Filled with stories and songs we had written about the first 6 years of the band and all that we had done. And again, in our DIY fashion released it ourselves under our own record label name "Olde Tyme productions". Fast, loud, fun, and something we were all very proud of.
"Bastard Music" sold more copies, and faster than we had ever before. We were playing all the time. All over Boston/New England, and a few more East Coast tours. The next 2 years we played over 100 shows, recorded a split CD with JHC, as well as 3 unreleased tracks for "Rock Vegas records: Volume 1". Then in 2004, opened the east coast tour for Intro5pect on A-F records.
Then, again in 2006, the itch returned. 12cent relocated to San Diego, California. Including our newest member, Bispo on the piano, who we had only met 5 months before moving. For our "Goodbye to Massachusetts" shows, we wanted an organ player for one of our songs. Bispo was fancy with the keys so we gave him a shot. After 2 practices, the 19 year old packed up all his shit and moved across the country with a band of kids he hardly knew.
We decided to pick up and leave everyone and everything we know, all because we believe in this. Its been a crazy and wild ride for the last 10 years.
And now, with Brian on drums, we are getting to know our new home, and writing our next full length album.
FIGHT
12cent Lyrics
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I don't care what you say
What's wrong?
The things you tell me everyday
What's right?
Slapping people when you fight!
What's wrong?
Smoking weed without a bong
To the asshole that punches like my sister
You think you're better just because you're bigger
You stupid shit, you always point the finger
Without us losers, there wouldn't be no winners
What's right?
I got no lyrics, that's alright
What's wrong?
Still no lyrics to this song
What's right?
Getting drunk every night
What's wrong?
All the lyrics to this song
The lyrics to 12cent's song Fight are a commentary on societal morals and values, challenging the listener to question what is right and wrong. The lyrics juxtapose instances of behavior that many consider to be wrong (like slapping people when you fight) with seemingly harmless behaviors like smoking weed without a bong. The song highlights the hypocrisy in society's moral compass and suggests that the lines between right and wrong are often blurred.
The second verse of the song specifically calls out an individual who punches like a girl and thinks they're superior because they are physically bigger. The lyrics suggest that this behavior is wrong and that there would be no winners without losers. This can be interpreted as a critique of toxic masculinity and the societal pressure to conform to gender roles.
The chorus reiterates the theme of questioning what is right and wrong, with the first set of lyrics being intentionally unhelpful in answering that question. The second set of lyrics, however, suggests that getting drunk every night might be considered right by the individual singing the song, but that there are still no lyrics to the song that definitively articulate what is right or wrong.
Interestingly, the song seems to lack a clear message or moral stance, instead encouraging the listener to think critically about their own beliefs and values.
Line by Line Meaning
Whats right?
Asking about the morally correct thing to do.
I don't care what you say
Being indifferent to other people's opinions.
What's wrong?
Asking about the morally incorrect thing to do.
The things you tell me everyday
Questioning the credibility of someone's daily advice or instructions.
What's right?
Asking again about the morally correct thing to do.
Slapping people when you fight!
Encouraging violent behavior in a fight situation.
What's wrong?
Asking again about the morally incorrect thing to do.
Smoking weed without a bong
Criticizing someone for smoking weed without a proper apparatus.
To the asshole that punches like my sister
Addressing an inferior male who punches softly.
You think you're better just because you're bigger
Accusing someone of arrogance based on their physical size.
You stupid shit, you always point the finger
Insulting someone's intelligence and blaming them for things.
Without us losers, there wouldn't be no winners
Acknowledging the importance of the existence of losers in order to have winners.
What's right?
Asking again about the morally correct thing to do.
I got no lyrics, that's alright
Acknowledging that the lack of lyrics in a song is acceptable.
What's wrong?
Asking again about the morally incorrect thing to do.
Still no lyrics to this song
Pointing out that the song still lacks proper lyrics.
What's right?
Asking again about the morally correct thing to do.
Getting drunk every night
Suggesting that getting drunk every night is a positive action.
What's wrong?
Asking again about the morally incorrect thing to do.
All the lyrics to this song
Admitting that the lyrics of the song are problematic.
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.