Consequently, Extreme's music is never easy to classify; it's not just heavy metal, hard rock, or pop— their albums cover all of that territory with a sweeping ambition and a social consciousness to match. Although a mostly hard rock band, it was the Everly Brothers-style acoustic ballad, "More Than Words," that crossed them over into the mainstream — it hit number one and the follow-up single, the acoustic-based pop rocker "Hole Hearted," hit number four.
They released two albums in the hey day of glam metal but received diminished attention from the mainstream following the grunge explosion following the release of Nirvana's "Nevermind" in 1991. Despite this, they released two more albums before the hiatus. Vocalist Gary Cherone went on to join Van Halen in 1997, replacing Sammy Hagar, and the group released "Van Halen III." He left Van Halen soon after, in 1999 and formed Tribe of Judah, with fellow Extreme members Pat Badger and Mike Mangini.
The group reformed in 2004 for a short tour of Boston and Japan as well as reforming in 2006 for a small U.S. tour. On November 26th 2007, it was announced that Extreme would come back in 2008 with a new album & tour.
In July 2007 Bettencourt quit Satellite Party for the Extreme reunion with Cherone and Pat Badger. On November 26, 2007, the band announced plans for a world tour in the summer of 2008 with King's X as well as a release date for their new album, Saudades de Rock, produced by Bettencourt. Kevin Figueiredo, who played with Bettencourt in DramaGods and Satellite Party, took over drum duties for the band. Original drummer Paul Geary would still remain involved with the band, albeit in a management position.
2015–present: Six
In a May 2015 interview with Eddie Trunk, vocalist Gary Cherone said that Extreme had been writing and demoing new material for their follow-up to Saudades de Rock, and would enter the studio in the fall to begin recording.
In a September 2016 interview, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt revealed that Extreme had been working on approximately 17 songs for their new album, and added, "We're about 17 songs into it. We're just wrapping them up. We've got to do vocals, some guitar. Slowly but surely."
In 2016, the band released Pornograffitti Live 25: Metal Meltdown, an audio/video presentation of its 2015 concert at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Casino.
During the 2017 KISS Kruise, the band invited original drummer Paul Geary to join them on stage to play "Hole Hearted". In June 2018, Extreme toured Australia with Mr. Big, which marked the latter's first tour of Australia and Extreme's first tour of the continent since 1993. After their Australian tour, they went on to tour Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Taipei. Extreme headlined Shirock 2019 alongside Scottish hard rock band Nazareth. On October 19, 2019, the band performed in India in front of over 30,000 fans in Ukhrul.
On February 17, 2023, the band began to release a different teaser each day, to end on February 28. On March 1, 2023, Extreme released the single "Rise" and announced that 'Six" would be released on June 9. On April 19, 2023, Extreme released the official videos for "Banshee" and "#Rebel" on their YouTube channel.
Current members
Gary Cherone – lead vocals (1985–96, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007–present)
Nuno Bettencourt – guitars, brass/orchestration arrangements, keyboards, piano, backing and lead vocals (1985–96, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007–present)
Pat Badger – bass, backing vocals (1986–96, 2006, 2007–present)
Kevin Figueiredo – drums, percussion, occasional backing vocals (2007–present)
Diskogs
Extreme (1989)
Extreme II: Pornograffitti (1990)
III Sides to Every Story (1992)
Waiting for the Punchline (1995)
Saudades de Rock (2008)
Six (2023)
Everything Under The Sun
Extreme Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a fainted lullaby
Day breaks the eyelid
From a song sung in my eye
Night rests in peace
As the sun mourns the sky
All's accounted for sheep
Rise, rise and shine
A new day is coming
Rise, rise in time
For everything's under the sun
And when you see a south wind blow
Forecasting, you will know,
a hot day, will be on the way (Foolish one)
You analyze the earth and the sky
I ask you why you can't analyze the signs,
of the present time
I had a dream
Not unlike the one from old
Of a man king
Whose head was made of gold
Stand castles of sand
Weather the sundials rise 'n fall
Chasing wind through your hands
Till water runs dry the well
Dream, Daniel dream
For what's yet to come
See, Daniel see
For everything's under the sun
And in the West, a cloud appears
For shadows of a coming shower near, Oh, so near (Hypocrites)
You analyze the earth and the sky
I ask you why you can't analyze the signs
of the present time
Vanity
Yes, all is vanity
Vanity
Yes all's futility
For one that dies, another's born
Where laughter's heard, comforters mourn
There's a time for everything
A song for love,even abhor
An olive branch,or winter's war
There's a time for everything under the sun
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Under the sun
Rise, rise and shine
A new day is coming
Rise, rise in time
For everything's under the sun
Rise
A new day is coming
Well, there's a time for everything under the sun
You know a time for everything under the sun
Because a new day is gonna be begun, yeah
Sun
The lyrics to Extreme's "Rise 'n Shine" convey a sense of hope and optimism for a new day. The song begins with the dawn breaking through the silence of a "fainted lullaby," and the day breaking the eyelids from a song sung in the singer's eye. As the night rests in peace, the sun mourns the sky, and all the sheep are accounted for over the horizon. The chorus urges the listener to rise and shine, to embrace the new day that is coming and recognize that everything is under the sun.
The second verse introduces a warning through the imagery of a south wind blow, forecasting a hot day to come. The singer implores the listener to analyze the signs of the present time, and not just the earth and the sky. The third verse includes a reference to the biblical figure Daniel and his prophetic dreams. The final verse touches on the theme of vanity and the cyclical nature of life, with one life ending and another beginning.
Overall, the song encourages the listener to embrace the present and seize the day. It recognizes the cycles of life and the inevitability of change, but also the potential for hope and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Dawn wakes the silence
The quietness of the morning is stirred by the arrival of dawn
Of a fainted lullaby
The peaceful, soothing feeling of night is slowly fading away
Day breaks the eyelid
The sun's brightness opens up the world from its slumber
From a song sung in my eye
A vision of beauty that can be seen with the eye, rather than heard
Night rests in peace
The night is calm and tranquil, a peaceful respite from the day
As the sun mourns the sky
The sun slowly takes over the sky from the night, like an ongoing cycle
All's accounted for sheep
The day begins and people must tend to their responsibilities and tasks
Over a horizon's I
The artist is gazing at the horizon, preparing for the day ahead
Rise, rise and shine
Wake up and begin the day with a positive outlook
A new day is coming
Each day is a new opportunity to do something great
Rise, rise in time
Make sure to wake up in time to seize the day
For everything's under the sun
All things are possible and can be achieved if one works hard enough
And when you see a south wind blow
When certain signs arise, it can indicate what is to come
Forecasting, you will know,
By analyzing these signs, one can know what to expect
a hot day, will be on the way
The signs indicate that a hot day is coming
(Foolish one)
Addressing someone who may not see what is happening right in front of them
You analyze the earth and the sky
You are capable of observing and interpreting the world around you
I ask you why you can't analyze the signs,
The singer is questioning why this person is unable to recognize the signs
of the present time
Being aware of the current situation and what it implies for the future
I had a dream
The artist had a vision of something
Not unlike the one from old
This vision was similar to those from ancient times
Of a man king
A figure of power and importance
Whose head was made of gold
A symbol of wealth and abundance
Stand castles of sand
Temporary structures that will eventually crumble
Weather the sundials rise 'n fall
Through the passage of time, things will change and evolve
Chasing wind through your hands
Trying to grasp something that is fleeting and always changing
Till water runs dry the well
Until everything is depleted and exhausted
Dream, Daniel dream
A call to envision a brighter future
For what's yet to come
Looking ahead at what the future may hold
See, Daniel see
The singer encourages someone to open their eyes and perceive the world around them
For everything's under the sun
All things are possible and within reach if one keeps working hard
And in the West, a cloud appears
Another sign of what is to come
For shadows of a coming shower near, Oh, so near
The signs indicate that rain is coming soon
(Hypocrites)
Addressing those who may not believe that change is coming
Vanity
The concept that everything in life is fleeting and nothing is truly permanent
Yes, all is vanity
Stressing the point that nothing in life is certain or long-lasting
Yes all's futility
Reiterating that everything is temporary and fleeting
For one that dies, another's born
Life is a cycle, and every end leads to a new beginning
Where laughter's heard, comforters mourn
Even in times of happiness, there is still sadness and grief
There's a time for everything
Life has its ups and downs, and everything has its own cycle and timing
A song for love,even abhor
Life is full of both love and hate
An olive branch,or winter's war
Life can be either peaceful or full of conflict
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
An exclamation of affirmation or agreement
Under the sun
Reiterating that life is full of possibilities and should be lived to the fullest
Rise
Encouraging people to take positive action and rise to their potential
A new day is coming
Every day is a new opportunity for growth and progress
Well, there's a time for everything under the sun
Highlighting the cyclical nature of life and the importance of timing
You know a time for everything under the sun
Reminding people that everything has its own timing and cycle
Because a new day is gonna be begun, yeah
Emphasizing the positive outlook and endless possibilities that a new day brings
Contributed by Molly Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.