Punk rock band formed in 1989 by former All, DYS and Dag Nasty frontman Dav… Read Full Bio ↴Punk rock band formed in 1989 by former All, DYS and Dag Nasty frontman Dave Smalley, who is the only permanent member. The band has recorded 7 studio albums. They stayed on "Epitaph Records" until 1998 and have since switched to other labels. Down by Law has never achieved substantial commercial success, but a number of largely popular acts cite them as influential. After several lineup changes, the band went on hiatus from touring and recording in 2003, but resurfaced in 2008 before beginning work on new material and embarking on their first tour in six years in 2009.
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Hit or Miss
Down by Law Lyrics

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so you want to become a hero
stop the world -- become a hero
we just can't find one anywhere
can't find one anywhere
so you're thinking you're a victim
stop the world cause you're a victim
well, you can find one anywhere
you can find one everywhere

life's just a hit or miss
all the time, just a hit or miss
sometimes you take a swing and miss
a swing and a miss
well sometimes, we take a swing and hit!
Now you're thinking about the future
try to picture some kind of future
you just can't see one anywhere -- can't see it anywhere
well we need to find us a hero
can you tell me where are the heroes
who can clean up everywhere
hey g.i. joe, where are you now?
And if I could count the times

that I looked up to the sky
and asked someone to save me. . .

Overall Meaning

The song "Hit or Miss" by Down By Law begins with the idea of becoming a hero, with the phrase "so you want to become a hero?". The song proceeds to question the state of heroism in the world, with the lines "we just can't find one anywhere, can't find one anywhere". The next verse turns inward, addressing a sense of victimhood, and the suggestion to "stop the world cause you're a victim". The next lines suggest that finding a hero is as easy as finding a victim, with "you can find one anywhere, you can find one everywhere".

The chorus brings the title of the song and its repeated use of the phrase "hit or miss". The lyrics describe life as a series of attempts, taking a swing at something, with the possibility of success or failure. The song suggests that this is just the way life is, leaving it up to chance whether or not we succeed. The song then turns to a call for a hero to clean up the world's problems, referencing G.I. Joe as an example. The final lines describe a sense of helplessness, with the repeated phrase "looked up to the sky and asked someone to save me".

Line by Line Meaning

so you want to become a hero
You aspire to be a hero

stop the world -- become a hero
You want to stop the world to become a hero

we just can't find one anywhere
We are unable to find a hero anywhere

can't find one anywhere
Heroes are nowhere to be found

so you're thinking you're a victim
You are considering yourself a victim

stop the world cause you're a victim
You want the world to stop because you feel like a victim

well, you can find one anywhere
Victims are everywhere

you can find one everywhere
Victims are spread across the world

life's just a hit or miss
Life is unpredictable

all the time, just a hit or miss
Life is always unpredictable

sometimes you take a swing and miss
You try to achieve something but fail