Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 … Read Full Bio ↴Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is part of the "Big Four" of the genre, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. They were also one of the first thrash metal bands (along with Overkill and Nuclear Assault) to emerge from the East Coast. The band has released 11 studio albums, several other albums, and 26 singles, including collaborating on a single with American hip hop group Public Enemy. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million. Four of the band's studio albums have also achieved gold certifications by the RIAA, including their third full-length record Among the Living (1987), which cemented Anthrax's reputation as one of the most successful thrash metal bands.

Anthrax's lineup has changed numerous times over their career, leaving Ian as the only constant member of the band. The band has had a revolving cast of singers and lead guitarists, including Neil Turbin, John Bush, Dan Spitz and Rob Caggiano. Since 2013, the band has consisted of Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, vocalist Joey Belladonna and lead guitarist Jonathan Donais. Ian and Benante (who replaced one-time drummer Greg D'Angelo in 1983) are the only two members to appear on every album, while Bello has been a member of Anthrax since 1984, replacing original bassist Dan Lilker. After two stints in Anthrax, from 1984 to 1992 and again from 2005 to 2007, Belladonna returned to the band in 2010.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_(American_band)

Studio albums
Fistful of Metal (1984)
Spreading the Disease (1985)
Among the Living (1987)
State of Euphoria (1988)
Persistence of Time (1990)
Sound of White Noise (1993)
Stomp 442 (1995)
Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998)
We've Come for You All (2003)
Worship Music (2011)
For All Kings (2016)

Giving The Horns
Anthrax Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Give it up, Got to give it up I said
Man you're already dead
You got no reason for hanging around
Except for a beatdown
Say what you want to say
Take it down, Break it down
I'm the sum of it's parts
Kicked around like a hound

Never give it much thought
Good lord, I always meant i to be so Fucking heavy

I give the horns to you who saved me
I give the horns to you who told me to

Change my way of life out of one into another
Yeah you heard me everyday I thank my mother
(on the day i fought your mother)
(I said)
Give it up, Got to give it up it's my space
then you spit it my face
Good luck, it don't mean nothing to me
Look where it's coming from

A time to kill, A time to die
I sign the horns and make it mine
Is everything I say a lie
Do I exist in my perfect crime
Another shot, I take it well

My so called perfect life in hell and
Sometimes I just need to Fucking yell

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Anthrax's song Giving The Horns is a reflection on one's own personal struggles and their fight to overcome them. The song opens with a call to abandon all the negativity in life and give it up, stating that there is no reason for one to hang around and accept a beatdown. The singer believes that he is the sum of all the parts that have "kicked him around like a hound," but he never paid much attention to it. The intensity of the lyrics builds with the exclamation, "Good lord, I always meant it to be so Fucking heavy," which shows the recklessness and power in his voice.

The song acknowledges the people who helped him go through his struggles and come out of them stronger. Thus, the singer gives the horns to the people who stepped in to save him and the ones who told him to change his ways. The lyrics also express deep gratitude towards the singer's mother, who played an essential role in his life. The line "every day I thank my mother" is a reflection of his admiration for her and how she helped to change his life completely for the better.

As the song progresses, it takes on a darker tone, with the lyrics suggesting that another person spit on the singer's face. Despite this, the singer shows resilience and says that it doesn't mean anything to him. The rest of the song then becomes a reflection on one's life, acknowledging the fact that life can be tough as there is a time to kill and a time to die. The uncertainty of existence and asking questions about whether everything is a lie are also expressed in the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Give it up, Got to give it up I said
I'm telling you to give up because you're already dead, with no reason to stick around except to get beaten up

Man you're already dead
I'm emphasizing that there's no point in sticking around

You got no reason for hanging around
There's no justification for staying in this situation

Except for a beatdown
Unless you want to get beaten up, there's no good reason for staying here

Say what you want to say
Speak your mind

Take it down, Break it down
An aggressive way of saying to speak up and make yourself heard

I'm the sum of it's parts
I am what I am, and all my experiences contribute to who I've become

Kicked around like a hound
I've been treated badly and pushed around

Never give it much thought
I haven't really dwelled on my past experiences

Good lord, I always meant i to be so Fucking heavy
I intended for this music to be powerful and intense

I give the horns to you who saved me
I thank those who have helped me and supported me

I give the horns to you who told me to
I thank those who have given me advice and guidance

Change my way of life out of one into another
I've made changes to my lifestyle and habits

Yeah you heard me everyday I thank my mother
I'm grateful to my mother for all she's done for me

(on the day i fought your mother)
This is likely a reference to a specific incident, but the meaning is unclear

(I said)
This is likely part of the previous line, but the meaning is unclear

Give it up, Got to give it up it's my space
You need to back off and respect my personal space

then you spit it my face
But instead, you're being confrontational and aggressive

Good luck, it don't mean nothing to me
I don't care about your good intentions, it's not going to change anything

Look where it's coming from
Consider the source of the problem

A time to kill, A time to die
There are moments in life that bring death, destruction, or chaos

I sign the horns and make it mine
I'm taking control of the situation, using the gesture of the horns to assert my dominance

Is everything I say a lie
I may not be truthful, or perhaps people think I'm not truthful

Do I exist in my perfect crime
Am I getting away with something, or perhaps living a double life?

Another shot, I take it well
I can handle whatever life throws at me

My so called perfect life in hell
My life may seem great, but it's actually miserable

and Sometimes I just need to Fucking yell
At times I just need to let out all my frustrations, and music is a way to do that

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLIE L. BENANTE, FRANK JOSEPH BELLO, JOHN ROBERT BUSH, SCOTT IAN ROSENFELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS