Coming out of the streets of Fullerton California, DI was formed in the sha… Read Full Bio ↴Coming out of the streets of Fullerton California, DI was formed in the shadows of The Adolescents back in 1983 in a studio behind a pawn shop. The Adolescents, Social Distortion, Agent Orange and several other local early punk rock pioneers were the breeding ground from which DI was born. DI branded their own form of punk rock that complemented the Orange County Punk scene in sound and attitude. DI was thrown to the forefront after the band performed "Richard Hung Himself" with the original line up that recorded the bands first EP in the 1984 movie, "Suburbia", directed by Penelope Spheeris who's previous production was "Decline of Western Civilization." When the band went through a line up change after the first EP titled Team Goon, members of emerging Fullerton band Almost 21 became the backbone for the sound that DI is known for today. During that line up change, front man Casey Royer known for his cutting and outrageous social commentary through humor is joined by Rikk Agnew of The Adolescents on guitar. Rikk brought to DI a handful of songs written in previous years, such as "Falling Out" and "OC Life" which were featured on Rikk Agnew's solo album, "All By Myself" and were made wildly popular though Casey Royer's style and personality. Over the many years that DI has been on the scene, the band has went though a lot of line up changes that has made DI a very incestuous family of players. Most of the former and present members were all part of the Fullerton and north Orange County Punk scene which proved to be the key ingredient to keeping the personality that makes DI what it is. DI has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe, and everywhere they performed DI left the audience not wanting the show to be over. The current line, which many have stated could very well be the hardest hitting and most cohesive line up ever, made up of Casey Royer on vocals, brothers Eddie and Joey Tatar as the rhythm unit of bass and drums, Chickenhead on rhythm guitar and brought together by lead guitarist Clinton Calton.
DI is proud to bring you the band’s 8th release, “On The Western Front”.

Living In the U.S.A.
D.I. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

London's fine
Did my time
Threshed the truth
Out the lie

Snowman cold
Pigeon holed
Cooed to death

Pilgrim soul

Curtain closed
System froze
Wait for me
Braver be

Dragged old man
Kissed and ran
Licked away
Our spray tan

Living in America
Living in America

London's fun
Been and done
One for all
All for one

Hit the town
Fit the crown
Heavy head
Hanging down

If you don't know
We will not go
Turning your tricks like a newborn gangster

You need not be
Born wealthy
If you care
You're the heir

Living in America
Living in America

A young wind blows
Through your hair
Bald or grey
Some of them stayed

You're about as old
As the last day
You felt young
I dare say

If you don't know
We will not go
Turning your tricks like a newborn gangster

You need not be
Born wealthy
If you care
You're the heir

Living in America
Living in America

Living in America
Living in America

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to D.I.'s song Living In the U.S.A. speak to the experience of living in America as an outsider, particularly someone from London. The first stanza describes the struggle of separating truth from lies in this new environment, and the sense of being trapped or "pigeonholed" in a certain identity. The second stanza refers to feeling isolated and powerless in the face of a seemingly immovable and oppressive system, while also expressing a desire for courage and bravery in facing these challenges.

The chorus of the song, "Living in America" repeats throughout, emphasizing the central message of the song. Despite the difficulties and frustrations of living in America, the singer also highlights moments of fun and camaraderie, particularly when they "hit the town" with others who share their experience.

Overall, the lyrics of Living In the U.S.A. seem to capture feelings of disorientation, disillusionment, and also resilience in the face of adversity. Though the song is written in a fairly abstract and poetic style, its themes and emotions are relatable and poignant.

Line by Line Meaning

London's fine
London is a decent place.

Did my time
I have spent some time there.

Threshed the truth
I have separated the truth from the lies.

Out the lie
I have exposed the lies.

Snowman cold
The environment is chilly.

Pigeon holed
Narrow-minded people put me in a category.

Cooed to death
People said too much, but it was all meaningless.

Pilgrim soul
I am a wanderer searching for the truth.

Curtain closed
The society is authoritarian.

System froze
The system is paralyzed or moribund.

Wait for me
I am coming, please be patient.

Braver be
Be courageous in the face of adversity.

Dragged old man
An old man was mistreated.

Kissed and ran
Someone engaged in a brief and illicit encounter.

Licked away
Someone tried to erase a visible stain.

Our spray tan
Our artificial tanned skin.

Living in America
Residing in the United States.

London's fun
London is an amusing city.

Been and done
I have experienced it before and moved on.

One for all
Everyone should contribute to the common good.

All for one
Everyone should support each other.

Hit the town
Go and make the most of the city's nightlife.

Fit the crown
Act in a way that suits the environment or situation.

Heavy head
Feeling of worry or a hangover.

Hanging down
Feeling down or defeated.

If you don't know
If you are ignorant.

We will not go
We will not fall for your deception.

Turning your tricks like a newborn gangster
We are wise enough not to fall for your juvenile schemes.

You need not be
You do not have to be.

Born wealthy
Rich from birth.

If you care
If you are passionate.

You're the heir
You are destined to inherit the rewards of your hard work and dedication.

A young wind blows
A refreshing breeze of change is blowing.

Through your hair
You can feel it in your hair.

Bald or grey
Regardless of age or appearance.

Some of them stayed
Some people remained the same despite the changing environment.

You're about as old
You are as old as you feel.

As the last day
As on your last day on earth.

You felt young
You still feel young at heart.

I dare say
I think that is likely.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Carlos Ramos O'Connell, Conor Patrick Deegan, Grian Alexander Chatten, Thomas Patrick Coll, Conor Patrick Curley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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