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”.

O.C. Life
D.I. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

so you want to be a member want to be a name
want to be a local face want to play the game
dancing through a time warp in your dinosaur trends
the limits of your mind are where the county line ends...
listen to the media present it as a fact
fall in your orders 'cause you don't know how to act
travel on estranged 'cause you don't know your own way
they'll get you in the end then you'll pay

'cause o.c. life is not the life for me
stupid little girls
oppressed society
o.c. life is not the life for me
pressures on your backs so you want to be remembered
want to have some fame
fighting to stay ahead a part of the game
common authority but don't get out of line
or they'll put you in the slammer you'll be doing some time
74 tattoed on my head i find myself labeled as a victim instead i fight all the rules i don't see the way
i'd rather be dead then pay the price that they say
'cause o.c. life is not the life for me
stupid little girls and egotistic fads
o.c. life is not the life for free

pressures on you back it'a all a bunch of crap
put the plastic right inside the machine

Overall Meaning

The song "O.C. Life" by D.I. paints a vivid picture of the Orange County lifestyle, which is represented as shallow, oppressive, and conformist. The lyrics criticize the society of Orange County for being overly concerned about labels, fame, and trends, as well as for following the strict and oppressive social norms set by authority figures. The song describes the pressure that people in Orange County feel to fit in and be successful, but also the sense of being trapped and oppressed by the strict social hierarchies.

The lyrics highlight the idea that people in Orange County are too obsessed with their social status and fitting in rather than being themselves. They follow the rules blindly and are afraid of going against authority or standing out too much. The term "O.C. Life" becomes the symbol of this society and the pressure that comes with it. The lyrics speak of dancing through a time warp, which refers to the idea that Orange County is a stagnant society that is stuck in the past and unwilling to change.

In conclusion, the song's lyrics are a poignant commentary on the Orange County lifestyle, which is shown as oppressive, shallow, and conformist. It's a commentary on the society's obsession with labeling, fame, and trends, its strict social norms, and authority figures. It's a song that speaks out against the pressures that come from fitting in and the consequences of going against authority.

Line by Line Meaning

so you want to be a member want to be a name
You are striving to belong to a social group and be recognized as an individual within that group.

want to be a local face want to play the game
You wish to be accepted and respected by the people in your local community and are willing to conform to their social expectations and norms.

dancing through a time warp in your dinosaur trends
You are living in the past, adhering to outdated trends that are timelessly unpopular and inappropriate for the present.

the limits of your mind are where the county line ends...
Your mentality and worldview are constrained by the geographical boundaries of your county and may not extend beyond it.

listen to the media present it as a fact
You are being influenced and manipulated by the media to absorb and believe what they represent as genuine and factual information.

fall in your orders 'cause you don't know how to act
You submit and comply with authority because you lack the knowledge and understanding of how to behave in a socially and morally responsible manner.

travel on estranged 'cause you don't know your own way
You wander through life feeling disconnected and different from others because you lack a clear sense of identity and purpose.

they'll get you in the end then you'll pay
You will eventually suffer the negative consequences of blindly following the norms and expectations of society without questioning their validity and legitimacy.

'cause o.c. life is not the life for me
The lifestyle and values of Orange County do not align with my personal beliefs and preferences.

stupid little girls
You view the girls in your community as naive and gullible, easily succumbing to social pressures and expectations.

oppressed society
The society you live in is oppressive, limiting your freedom and autonomy by imposing arbitrary and harmful norms and expectations.

pressures on your backs so you want to be remembered
You are under immense pressure to leave a lasting impression and be remembered by others to validate your existence and worth.

want to have some fame
You desire to attain fame and success to gain social recognition, respect, and validation.

fighting to stay ahead a part of the game
You are chronically competing against others to outdo and surpass them, which is an accepted and expected part of the social game.

common authority but don't get out of line
You are subject to the authority of those in power but are required to follow the prescribed norms and expectations without deviating from them.

or they'll put you in the slammer you'll be doing some time
If you break the established social norms and authorities, you will face severe legal consequences and go to jail.

74 tattoed on my head i find myself labeled as a victim instead
You bear the burden of being labeled as a victim and being discriminated against by society because of your appearance, specifically the tattoo of the number 74 on your head.

i fight all the rules i don't see the way
You are constantly rebelling against societal rules and norms that you perceive as unjust and inequitable.

i'd rather be dead then pay the price that they say
You would rather die than suffer the negative consequences of conforming to the arbitrary and harmful rules and expectations imposed by society.

stupid little girls and egotistic fads
You view the girls in your community as easily influenced by egotistic fads that lack substance and meaning.

pressures on you back it'a all a bunch of crap
You recognize that the pressures and expectations imposed by society are meaningless and absurd, lacking any genuine value or purpose.

put the plastic right inside the machine
You encourage the commodification and mechanization of social interactions, treating people and relationships as disposable and interchangeable commodities.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RIKK AGNEW

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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