EDL was founded in 1992 as Every Day Life In Southern California. Early on… Read Full Bio ↴EDL was founded in 1992 as Every Day Life In Southern California. Early on the band signed to R.E.X. Records and laid down some material for an album. However, the label went defunct before releasing any EDL material. After finally being released from that contract, they signed with Alarma Records and produced their debut album, Disgruntled. For the band, the delays were intolerable. Frontman Cookerly reported that "when I got into the studio, I got upset and angry and yelled my way through it ... My goal was to write the most upset record the Christian market had ever seen, to completely alienate everybody.” Production was managed by Lanny Cordola. In addition to sporting an American Flag with the bands name cut out, the cover image of Disgruntled shows a scene from the Reginald Denny incident, part of the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The flag was intended to represent the broken ideal of American life, and the photo to be a graphic portrayal of the extremes of life and society.

Tedd Cookerly was a guest artist on the sleeper album Misguided by argyle park.

Every Day Life (later simply known as EDL) was a Christian rapcore group. The band became identified with the Straight Edge movement, which advocates abstinence from sex, drugs, and tobacco.

Wrecking Ball
EDL Lyrics

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As many times before, I am in a holding pattern.
Reducers sit back and wait for their chance to flatten my ego, life, and testimony.
They're rolling phony. Telling me I have lack of faith; they're full of bologna.
They don't show me that they could do any better than I could do.

Remember me from Flipside? Because I remember you. But all's fair in love and war.
What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. It's yourself you're bluffing.
Every time I push back to stand up tall, you do me wrong, which makes you the wrecking ball.

And every time reduce me to nothing at all, I realize that you are the wrecking ball.

Too many times before my friends have been the wrecking ball.
They say that they support me when they tried to make me fall.
Reducing me to tears of anger while they hide in coffee shops.
But guidelines of the world cannot stop what God must stop.

To put an end to the madness, stop the hypocrisy.
A praying wall of fiberglass that cheapens God's beauty.

Good thing they have me to put their focus upon, 'cause if they look in the mirror,
The wrecking ball is wrong. Wrecking Balls of the world, unite and take over!

Overall Meaning

In EDL's song "Wrecking Ball," the artist reflects on the various times he's been knocked down and reduced to nothing, metaphorically comparing those moments to being hit by a wrecking ball. He opens the verses of the song with the lines "As many times before, I am in a holding pattern. Reducers sit back and wait for their chance to flatten my ego, life, and testimony." Here, EDL is referring to the people who wait for him to fall and try to bring him down. He mentions that these "Reducers" do not always have his best interests at heart, and that they are 'rolling phony' - a colloquial term for being insincere. In the chorus, he sings "Every time I push back to stand up tall, you do me wrong, which makes you the wrecking ball. And every time reduce me to nothing at all, I realize that you are the wrecking ball." He accuses those people of not being helpful in his journey but rather causing harm.

As the song progresses, EDL acknowledges that even people he considered friends were also capable of being the "wrecking ball." He mentions how they claimed to support him but only ever attempted to make him fall. He then goes on to draw parallels between the people who bring others down and the larger structures of oppression like the "guidelines of the world." EDL calls for an end to this hypocrisy and towards the end of the song calls out to the "wrecking balls of the world" to unite and take over.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the people who wait for others to fall and actively try to bring them down. EDL notes how frustrating it is to encounter such 'reducers' and how they can distract one from their goals. However, the song also serves as a rallying call to those who have been subjected to this behavior, a call to unite and stand together to combat this force that seeks to destroy them.

Line by Line Meaning

As many times before, I am in a holding pattern.
I feel stuck and unable to progress, like I have experienced before.

Reducers sit back and wait for their chance to flatten my ego, life, and testimony.
People who want to bring me down are waiting for the chance to damage my confidence, my life, and my beliefs.

They're rolling phony. Telling me I have lack of faith; they're full of bologna.
They are insincere, telling me that I don't have enough faith, but they don't know what they are talking about.

They don't show me that they could do any better than I could do.
They don't prove to me that they can do better than I can do.

Remember me from Flipside? Because I remember you. But all's fair in love and war.
I remember the way you treated me in the past, and it seems like you also remember me. But, in situations like this, anything goes.

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. It's yourself you're bluffing.
What's the point of playing these games? You're not fooling anyone, just yourself.

Every time I push back to stand up tall, you do me wrong, which makes you the wrecking ball.
Whenever I resist and try to stand up for myself, you hurt me, which shows that you are the one causing the damage.

And every time reduce me to nothing at all, I realize that you are the wrecking ball.
Whenever you bring me down completely, I see that you are the one causing all of the destruction.

Too many times before my friends have been the wrecking ball.
Unfortunately, my friends have also caused damage in my life in the past.

They say that they support me when they tried to make me fall.
Even though they claim to be on my side, they have tried to bring me down.

Reducing me to tears of anger while they hide in coffee shops.
They have caused me so much frustration and sadness, yet they avoid taking responsibility by distancing themselves from the damage they cause.

But guidelines of the world cannot stop what God must stop.
Even if the world tells me to accept the damage and move on, I believe that God will intervene and stop it from happening again.

To put an end to the madness, stop the hypocrisy.
I want to stop this situation from continuing and the insincerity and dishonesty that goes along with it.

A praying wall of fiberglass that cheapens God's beauty.
I am surrounded by people who claim to be religious but who seem fake and superficial, which makes me question the true beauty of God's intentions.

Good thing they have me to put their focus upon, 'cause if they look in the mirror,
Luckily for them, they can direct their negative energy towards me, because if they took a closer look at themselves,

The wrecking ball is wrong. Wrecking Balls of the world, unite and take over!
They would see that they are the true problem. A call to action for others experiencing similar situations to come together and take control.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALESSANDRO S NARDONE, GERALD ALAN II TERWILLIGER, JASON H TERWILLIGER, PASQUALE JAMES GASPERINI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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