Discography:
1999 - The Burial Plot Bidding War (EP)
2001 - Last Night In Town
2003 - Hot Damn!
2005 - Gutter Phenomenon
2007 - The Big Dirty
2009 - New Junk Aesthetic
2012 - Ex Lives
2014 - From Parts Unknown
2016 - Low Teens
2021 - Radical
Final Lineup
Keith Buckley: Vocals
Jordan Buckley: Guitar
Andy Williams: Guitar
Stephen Miccichie: Bass
Clayton “Goose” Holyoak: Drums
The New Black
Every Time I Die Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And maybe I'm not at all down and out
Well I'm high and I'm in
Don't you know who I am
I'm the jaded one with pop insensitivity
And when I finish struggling
We can make our way to the dance floor
And stand like strangers in an elevator
I always find myself
In the middle of your stories
With the camera as a witness I will suffer
With the camera as a witness I will suffer
If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right
If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right
If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right
If everything I do is wrong
Then by God I do it right
We don't dance no, no, no
We got class
No we don't have any fun at all
It's a new style and we know it
We're not stunning, we're just stunned
We're lying for a living
We're lying for a living
Don't you know who I am
I'm the real thing with low-key sensibilities
I don't need what I've got
Half as much as everyone covets it
Well, if loving me is wrong
Then God damn you do it right
Well, if loving me is wrong
Then God damn you do it right
It turns us on, to turn you down
We're turned on, to turn you down
The song "The New Black" by Every Time I Die revolves around the feeling of being misunderstood and judged for one's actions. The lyrics suggest that the singer is often perceived in the wrong way by others, as the line "Baby, you got me all wrong" suggests. Despite being perceived as "jaded" and lacking in sensitivity, the singer asserts that he is not "down and out" but rather "high" and feeling alive. The chorus repeats the idea that if everything he does is perceived as wrong, then he will do it "right" regardless.
The middle section of the song forms a contrast to the previous verse and chorus. It refers to being with someone on the dancefloor - possibly as a partner, but feeling disconnected and awkward, "like strangers in an elevator". The singer refers to standing "between stories" which could be interpreted as being stuck between different social groups or levels. The image of feeling caught on camera - "with the camera as a witness I will suffer" - suggests the sense of being under scrutiny and judged by others. The lyrics suggest that there is a struggle to be understood and appreciated for who you are, and that sometimes it feels like you're "lying (or performing) for a living."
In general, the song reflects a punk-rock attitude of being on the outside of mainstream society and rejecting the pressure to conform or adhere to certain expectations. The repeated insistence of "we don't dance, no, no, no" suggests a rejection of mainstream culture, while the line "It's a new style and we know it" could be interpreted either as ironic or as a statement of self-assurance.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you got me all wrong
You have a mistaken impression of me
And maybe I'm not at all down and out
Possibly, I'm not in a bad situation
Well I'm high and I'm in
I'm heavily involved and committed
Don't you know who I am
Do you not recognize my identity?
I'm the jaded one with pop insensitivity
I'm cynical and unresponsive to popular culture
And when I finish struggling
After I overcome my challenges
We can make our way to the dance floor
We can move towards the venue for dancing
And stand like strangers in an elevator
We'll be awkwardly standing side by side like in an elevator
Stuck between stories
Undecided about which path to choose
I always find myself
I frequently end up
In the middle of your stories
Interrupting the stories that you tell
With the camera as a witness I will suffer
I'll endure hardships recorded by the camera
With the camera as a witness I will suffer
I'll endure hardships recorded by the camera
If everything I do is wrong
In case all my actions are incorrect
Then by God I do it right
I'll still do it perfectly
If everything I do is wrong
In case all my actions are incorrect
Then by God I do it right
I'll still do it perfectly
If everything I do is wrong
In case all my actions are incorrect
Then by God I do it right
I'll still do it perfectly
If everything I do is wrong
In case all my actions are incorrect
Then by God I do it right
I'll still do it perfectly
We don't dance no, no, no
We dislike dancing
We got class
We possess elegance and sophistication
No we don't have any fun at all
We don't enjoy ourselves in any way
It's a new style and we know it
We're conscious that it's a novel trend
We're not stunning, we're just stunned
We're not remarkable, we're just surprised
We're lying for a living
We're deceiving people for a living
We're lying for a living
We're deceiving people for a living
Don't you know who I am
Do you not recognize my identity?
I'm the real thing with low-key sensibilities
I'm genuinely authentic with modest disposition
I don't need what I've got
I don't require what I already possess
Half as much as everyone covets it
Only a small portion compared to what everyone desires
Well, if loving me is wrong
In case you love me improperly
Then God damn you do it right
You're doing it perfectly regardless
Well, if loving me is wrong
In case you love me improperly
Then God damn you do it right
You're doing it perfectly regardless
It turns us on, to turn you down
We derive pleasure from rejecting you
We're turned on, to turn you down
We're excited to reject you
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew John Williams, Jordan Taylor Buckley, Keith Michael Buckley, Michael Francis Novack
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NintenDub
Songs been a classic for so damn long
@FRESHboosters
It’s 2020, and this makes more sense now than ever before.
@jaysworld2345
And even more in 2021
@dknights6414
@@jaysworld2345 right??
@jamesc1469
EVEN MORE NOW BOYS
@Infinite.Worldz
No sir it's 2022 and shit still sucks.
@michelemarcolin2548
Totally agree! Genius dudes those who envisioned it!
@M8WhoSk8s
Who remembers this song being on motorstorm?
@ixomniac3301
Idk if ya'll remeber me but i was the one kid in the audience at warped tour 13' at the palace in michigan and you dedicated this song to me and i got a meet and greet as a 6 year old and now 10 years later i am probably going to your concert. Iam super stoked to see you guys again and maybe retake the pictures from 10 years ago
@UpdogGolf
Damn... hasn't aged a day.