Before forming Escape the Fate, vocalist Ronnie Radke, bassist Max Green, drummer Robert Ortiz, lead guitarist Bryan Monte Money, and rhythm guitarist Omar Espinosa were in multiple bands together.
In September 2005, Escape the Fate had won a local radio contest judged by My Chemical Romance. The gig awarded them the opportunity to open a show on the band's headlining tour with Alkaline Trio and Reggie and the Full Effect, which subsequently led to Escape the Fate's record deal with Epitaph.
On May 23, 2006, the band released their debut EP titled There's No Sympathy for the Dead. The EP included two songs that were later on their full-length album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. The EP was produced by Michael Baskette and helped earn the band attention from record labels and fans alike. After the EP's release, keyboardist Carson Allen left the band to join On the Last Day.
On September 26, 2006, the band released their first full-length album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion.
In 2007, during the Black on Black tour, rhythm guitarist Omar Espinosa left the band due to personal issues.
Ronnie Radke was asked to leave the band after he was sentenced to prison in June 2008 for multiple run-ins with the law involving narcotics and battery for a fight that led up to the death of Michael Cook. As stated by Max Green, "First we couldn't tour out of the country, then out of the state."
After the departure of Radke, former Blessthefall vocalist Craig Mabbitt joined the band, first as a temporary replacement, and then as a permanent member.
This War Is Ours was released on October 21, 2008. It included the singles "The Flood", "Something", "10 Miles Wide", and "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)". It was the first Escape the Fate album featuring Craig Mabbitt as the vocalist.
Escape the Fate announced via a MySpace bulletin that they would film a video for "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)" on January 9, 2010. It was filmed at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California.
On February 15, 2010, Epitaph Records announced the re-release of the This War Is Ours album in deluxe CD/DVD edition. The CD includes two new never before heard songs, later identified to be "Bad Blood" and "Behind the Mask", an acoustic version of "Harder Than You Know", and an unreleased remix of "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)" called "This War Is Mine", remixed by the Shawn Crahan. It also came with a DVD that featured the new music video to "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)", as well as "Something", "The Flood", and "10 Miles Wide". It also comes with a world tour documentary and a behind the music feature. It was released on April 27, 2010.
In an interview during Warped Tour 2009, Max Green stated that the album will feature a song co-written by Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe, who approached Escape the Fate to collaborate on some songs but later was revealed that they decided against putting the song on the album and saving for a future release.
Starting July 24, 2010, they set off on tour for South and Central America, the country's toured are Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela.
On July 26, 2010, Escape the Fate announced via MySpace some new updates on the album. They officially said that the new record will be released through a major record label, DGC/Interscope, and produced by Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine, Hollywood Undead). Its release was set for November 2nd, 2010. Max Green commented on it, saying, "This record is the cure for the modern-day music epidemic, We are wiping the slate clean and re-writing rock music as you know it.” Escape The Fate was set to take on a United States, Canada, and Europe tour before the release of the album, with Bullet For My Valentine, Drive A and Black Tide but later forfeited their spot due to Max Green admitting to rehab.
On August 31, 2010, the band released the album's first single, "Massacre." Their second single, and first official one to be released to radio stations, "Issues", from the self-titled album, Escape the Fate, leaked via KROQ Radio on the 9th of September, and later officially released the single, "Issues", on September 15, 2010. The music video of "Issues", premiered on September 28 on Youtube. December 21, the next single released was "City of Sin" with a music video for it on Youtube.
On January 11, 2011, the band performed live in "Tues Show" (Fuel. tv) the song "Issues" and "Gorgeous Nightmare" with the special collaboration of Kevin Thrasher (of Lovehatehero). On June 15, 2011, the band released a music video for their next single off the self-titled album, "Gorgeous Nightmare". The video was directed by Robby Starbuck, who has previously worked with Asking Alexandria and Silverstein. On August 19, 2011, the band announced via Facebook that Monte Money would be taking a break from touring but will still be in the band. Kevin Thrasher, who has worked with the band in the past, will be substituting for Monte. It was also announced that Max Green returned to the band after making a breakthrough in the first half of 2011 to recover from his addiction to drugs through rehab. “I’m feeling great and am glad to be back with my band. Escape The Fate is my life. This is where I belong.”, Max Green said. After they played a couple of shows at the 2011 Uproar Festival, Max, again, left the band and Zakk Sandler, from Black Tide (who was also playing Uproar), filled in for him.
Tj Bell, currently bassist of getting Scared once again filled in for bassist Max Green on the bands UK tour with Funeral For A Friend, who had previously filled in for Green on their tour with Papa Roach.
In mid-December 2011, the band re-entered the studio to work on the production of their fourth album. The album will be produced by John Feldmann and is scheduled for release sometime in 2012. It is currently unknown if Max Green has returned to the band to play bass on the upcoming album or if the band hired a new bassist. However, there is much speculation as to former Motionless In White rhythm guitarist and current Get Scared bassist TJ Bell will be taking over on bass due to the band tweeting pictures of him recording in the studio, plus his recent touring history with the band filling in for Max Green.
On December 27, Craig Mabbitt posted on his official Facebook page that he will be recording music for his new side-project all through January 2012 and recording for Escape the Fate all through February. He commented that since they are recording with John Feldmann again, who they worked with on their second album, This War Is Ours, the style of the upcoming album will be similar to This War Is Ours but will also have elements of their self-titled album added in. He teased a big upcoming announcement as well.
Current members:
Robert Ortiz - drums, percussion, backing vocals (2004–present)
Craig Mabbitt - lead vocals (2008–present)
Thomas "TJ" Bell - rhythm guitar (2013-present), bass guitar (2012-2013), (touring 2011-2012)
Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft - lead guitar (2013–present), (touring 2011)
Erik Jensen – bass guitar, backing vocals (touring 2017–present)
Former members:
Carson Allen - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals (2005–2006)
Omar Espinosa - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2004–2007)
Ronnie Radke - lead vocals (2004–2008)
Bryan "Monte" Money - lead guitar, backing vocals (2004-2013)
Michael Money - rhythm guitar (2012–2013), (touring 2008-2012)
Max Green - bass guitar, backing vocals (2004-2012, 2013–2014)
Former touring members:
Zakk Sandler – bass guitar, backing vocals (2011)
Davey Richmond – bass guitar (2014)
Alex Torres – bass guitar (2014; 2015)
Tyler Burgess – bass guitar (2015)
Max Georgiev – bass guitar, backing vocals (2015–2017)
Discography:
1. Escape The Fate (EP) (2005)
2. There's No Sympathy For The Dead (May 13, 2006)
3. Dying Is Your Latest Fashion (September 26, 2006)
4. This War Is Ours (October 21, 2008)
5. Escape The Fate (November 2, 2010)
6. Ungrateful (May 14, 2013)
7. Hate Me (October 30, 2015)
8. I Am Human (March 30, 2018)
We Won't Back Down
Escape the Fate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna bring your systems down
I'm gonna drown my pity
Turn this to a ghost town
And when you know there's nothing
Your gonna run like all the rest
Pack your bags and turn your back on all the friends you had left
And it's time for us to live
Yeah!
Its my time, this is just a declaration
Of what I've felt (whoa!)
We won't back down
It's my time, this is just your resignation
From our lives (whoa!)
We won't back down!
We're gonna drown your ego
You're the legend no ones knows
You're an honest faker now (You re an honest faker now!)
So now I'll drown my pity
In a pool of sorrow and shame
And you've gotta let me live
Yeah!
Its my time, this is just a declaration
Of what I've felt (whoa!)
We won't back down
It's my time, this is just your resignation
From our lives (whoa!)
We won't back down!
We won't back down!
It's time to forget
What makes sick
Deep inside of me
It's time to forget
What makes sick
Deep inside of me
Yeah!
And you've gotta me let me live
Yeah!
Its my time, this is just a declaration
Of what I've felt (whoa!)
We won't back down
It's my time, this is just your resignation
From our lives (whoa!)
We won't back down!
We won't back down! [Repeat: x3]
The lyrics of Escape the Fate's song We Won't Back Down reflect themes of rebellion, empowerment, and individualism. The opening lines suggest a desire to overthrow established systems and structures, as well as a willingness to take extreme measures to achieve this goal. With lines like "We're gonna burn your cities" and "Gonna bring your systems down," the song positions the singer as a powerful force against the status quo.
At the same time, the lyrics also suggest a personal struggle. The line "I'm gonna drown my pity" implies a sense of sadness or frustration that the singer is trying to overcome. This struggle is tied to the larger themes of rebellion and empowerment, as the singer asserts their right to live life on their own terms ("And it's time for us to live").
The repetition of the phrase "It's my time" throughout the song underscores this theme of personal empowerment. By taking control of their own lives and rejecting established systems, the singer is claiming agency and autonomy. The song ends with the repeated declaration "We won't back down," reinforcing the idea that the singer is resolute in their rebellion and unwilling to compromise.
Overall, the lyrics of We Won't Back Down reflect a desire for change and a rejection of established norms, while also acknowledging the personal struggles that underlie these larger themes.
Line by Line Meaning
We're gonna burn your cities
We will destroy the cities that represent and uphold the system we want to challenge.
Gonna bring your systems down
We are going to attack the established structures and systems that support the oppression we fight against.
I'm gonna drown my pity
I will not let my sorrow and despair weaken me in this fight.
Turn this to a ghost town
We will leave behind only emptiness and ruin where the institutions of oppression once stood.
And when you know there's nothing
Once the system we fight against is dismantled, those who benefited from it will have nothing left to cling to.
Your gonna run like all the rest
They will flee in the face of the new order we have created.
Pack your bags and turn your back on all the friends you had left
Those who benefited from the old system will abandon even their closest associates to save themselves from the new order.
And it's time for us to live
This is a new era, a time for the oppressed to finally live without fear and oppression.
Its my time, this is just a declaration
This is our moment, and we will make our intentions clear.
Of what I've felt (whoa!)
We've been holding these feelings of rebellion for too long and now it's time to act.
We won't back down
No matter what obstacles we face, we will keep fighting until the oppression is vanquished.
It's my time, this is just your resignation
The establishment that perpetuates oppression is recognizing our challenge and is now resigned to its eventual downfall.
From our lives (whoa!)
Their resignation from power is necessary for us to finally live in peace.
We're gonna drown your ego
We will humble those who believed they were invincible and above everyone else.
You're the legend no ones knows
The former oppressors will not be remembered as heroes but instead as those who fought on the wrong side of history.
You're an honest faker now (You re an honest faker now!)
The facade of legitimacy and integrity that the oppressors once maintained has now been exposed as fraudulent and hollow.
So now I'll drown my pity
We won't let our emotions hold us back from dismantling the old system.
In a pool of sorrow and shame
We will allow ourselves to feel the pain and shame of the past, but only so that we can move forward and build a better future.
And you've gotta let me live
The former oppressors must recognize our right to live freely and without fear in the new order.
It's time to forget
We need to let go of the things that once held us back, so that we can embrace the present and future.
What makes sick
The oppressive structures and systems that once made us feel ill and helpless.
Deep inside of me
These feelings of oppression and rebellion are ingrained within us.
We won't back down!
We will not stop fighting until we have achieved our goal of a just and equal society.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX GREEN, CRAIG EDWARD MABBITT, BRIAN MONEY, ROBERT ORTIZ, JOHN FELDMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrAnonymous YLK
No matter how many times i hear it i always go crazy !!!!!
Kuztral
Hey dude, u still there?
kayscull
I think both Craig and Ronnie are amazing singers and are both really clever with their lyrics. It doesn't matter who you like more or whatever, get inspired and live your life to the fullest and stop worrying about what goes on in a stranger's life, regardless if they're famous or not. Fair wins youtube ^.^
Eric Knucklez - Topic
Agree
Jasmine Barajas
It’s now 2020 and I’m still listening to this song 👍🏻😅
Framedealers
Como eu amo essa música...
Brodee Baggins
Love it ETF! Continue to make great music bros
Sharn J
i listen to this song about 48574292 times each day this song never gets old its freakin awesome it makes me wana do some thing dangerous every time a hear it lol
BPhan17
One of there best songs!!!!!!!! WOOT WOOT ESCAPE THE FATE FOREVER!!!!☺☺☺☺
zé do Rádio
sencacional essa banda, cada dia me apaixono mais por suas musicas.😱😍