Common Rider was formed in 1999 in California by Jesse Michaels (guitar, vo… Read Full Bio ↴Common Rider was formed in 1999 in California by Jesse Michaels (guitar, vocals), Mass Giorgini (bass), and Dan Lumley (drums). They were a ska band on a much softer note than that of Michaels' first group Operation Ivy, but still contained the same amount of energy and passion. They released two full-length albums and one EP. Last Wave Rockers was released in 1999 on Lookout! Records. Thief In a Sleeping Town EP was also released on Lookout! Records in 2001. The band released This Is Unity Music on Hopeless Records in 2002. In 2002, the band toured the US extensively, including the 2002 Plea For Peace tour, sponsored by Asian Man Records. On the tour, Phillip Hill (from the Teen Idols and also a major contributor on the album This is Unity Music) and Joe Mizzi (from Metro Detroit and also a guest vocalist on the album This Is Unity Music) played guitar for the band. A new EP (April 2005), split with Against All Authority, has been released containing outtakes from 2002's This Is Unity Music.

They broke up in 2003 mainly because of the want to pursue other opportunities. Dan Lumley officially retired from music at that time as well. Mass still remains in Squirtgun. In 2008, Jesse began a new band called Classics of Love.

True Rulers
Common Rider Lyrics

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I see you sitting there
Looking just a little like me
We're both too proud
To say anything real
Things are bad,
But when you ask me if it's all over,
Don't you know how I feel?

I remember back at BHS,
Killing time on the courtyard steps
Thinking we were rebels
But the world was unimpressed
It was just so easy to love you,
The way you laughed at all my best defenses
Made the world's most convincing actor
Come back to his natural senses

We ain't got much,
But we got each other,
And I can see
That's all that I wanted all along

We were born in a minefield
In a world that's spinning
Like a roulette wheel,
Where everybody is so scared
But they can't slow down
You were the first good thing
I let myself in

And if I ever made you doubt I love you,
Let me tell you what a fool I've been

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Common Rider's "True Rulers" speak of a friendship that has endured through hard times. The singer sees someone who looks like them, and despite the difficulties they are facing, they are both reluctant to reveal their true emotions. The lyrics touch on reminiscence about teenage years, feeling like a rebel with no cause, but having someone by their side that made everything easier to bear. They acknowledge that they don't have a lot, but having each other means everything to them. The song speaks of their mutual love and how they have been through tough times together. The singer expresses regret for ever making their friend feel like their love was in doubt and relays how much they have been a fool for doing so.

Line by Line Meaning

I see you sitting there
I notice you sitting nearby

Looking just a little like me
We resemble each other a bit

We're both too proud
We are both too stubborn to be emotional

To say anything real
To express our genuine feelings

Things are bad,
Our situation is unfavorable,

But when you ask me if it's all over,
When you inquire if it's entirely finished,

Don't you know how I feel?
Don't you understand my emotions?

I remember back at BHS,
I recall when we were in high school,

Killing time on the courtyard steps
Wasting time outside on school property

Thinking we were rebels
Believing we were rebellious

But the world was unimpressed
No one was impressed by us