Faith No More is an American alternative metal band from San Francisco, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Faith No More is an American alternative metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band, having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several early lineup changes, and some major changes later. The current lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.

After releasing six studio albums, including best-selling records The Real Thing (1989) and Angel Dust (1992), Faith No More officially announced its breakup on April 20, 1998. The band has since reunited, conducting The Second Coming Tour between 2009 and 2010, and releasing its seventh studio album, Sol Invictus, in May 2015. After the touring cycle of Sol Invictus, Faith No More went on hiatus once again. In November 2019, the band announced that it would reunite to embark on a 2020 UK and European tour, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was postponed. Touring was due to recommence with a brief US tour in September 2021, followed by the previously postponed UK and Europe dates in June 2022, but all tour dates were cancelled with Patton citing mental health reasons.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_No_More

Studio albums
We Care a Lot (1985)
Introduce Yourself (1987)
The Real Thing (1989)
Angel Dust (1992)
King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime (1995)
Album of the Year (1997)
Sol Invictus (2015)

Why Do You Bother
Faith No More Lyrics

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Why hold on
Your hands are getting sore
You must be scared of something
From the time before, well
We're here again
How long, who knows
It's not your right to tell me
Where this trip will go

Pull away
You're dying today
You could enjoy it
If you could take your feelings with you
But put your mind on me
And suck my energy
And see the speed gets higher
I see you hold on tighter

But just fatigue
Is all your face will show
It's weary from the stress
Getting delirious
I didn't want this race
We can't keep up this pace
We don't want to get well
We want to go to hell
We want an urban dream
The fucking urban scream
This time was mine to borrow
I'll pay for it tomorrow
You'll pay for it today
And as we drive away
I'll make my pleasure greater
Push the accelerator

(And down we go)

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Why Do You Bother?" by Faith No More suggest a detachment from reality and a sense of exhaustion. The singer urges someone to let go, their hands are tiring from clinging to something, and the source of their fear is not clear. The phrase "from the time before" suggests a traumatic past, but it is not specified. The repetition of "we're here again" implies that this feeling of exhaustion is a recurring theme, and that the two characters have been here before.

The singer speaks directly to the other character, urging them to give in to the experience and enjoy it. There is a sense of impending doom, as if they are hurtling towards a dangerous, unknown destination. As the lyrics progress, the sense of exhaustion increases, and the imagery becomes more desperate. It is as if the urban environment they are in is slowly crushing them, and the only way to escape is to keep pushing forward. The final line, "and down we go", underscores the sense of inevitability and foreboding.

Overall, "Why Do You Bother?" is a reflection on the chaos and urgency of modern life, and the sense of helplessness that can come with it. The characters are caught up in a kind of existential free-fall, rushing towards an uncertain future with no guarantees, no lifelines, and no brakes.

Line by Line Meaning

Why hold on
Why bother holding on?

Your hands are getting sore
You're tired of holding on

You must be scared of something
You're holding on because you're afraid

From the time before, well
This isn't the first time you've felt like this

We're here again
You've reached this point before

How long, who knows
You don't know how long you'll feel this way

It's not your right to tell me
You can't control where this journey goes

Where this trip will go
You don't know where we're headed

Pull away
Let go

You're dying today
You're losing grip on life

You could enjoy it
You could find pleasure in letting go

If you could take your feelings with you
If only you could detach emotionally

But put your mind on me
Focus on me instead

And suck my energy
Leach off of me

And see the speed gets higher
Watch things escalate

I see you hold on tighter
Your grip is getting stronger

But just fatigue
You're just tired

Is all your face will show
Your face reveals exhaustion

It's weary from the stress
You're worn out from anxiety

Getting delirious
Losing touch with reality

I didn't want this race
I didn't ask for this situation

We can't keep up this pace
We can't continue like this

We don't want to get well
We're content with being unwell

We want to go to hell
We want to indulge in our vices

We want an urban dream
We want a life of excess

The fucking urban scream
Living in a chaotic urban environment

This time was mine to borrow
This time was meant to be enjoyed

I'll pay for it tomorrow
Consequences will have to wait until tomorrow

You'll pay for it today
You'll face the consequences now

And as we drive away
As we leave this moment behind

I'll make my pleasure greater
I'll indulge myself even more

Push the accelerator
Speed up and escape

(And down we go)
(Off to our downfall)

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL GOULD, BILL DAVID GOULD, CHARLES HENRY III MOSLEY, JAMES BLANCO MARTIN, JIM B. MARTIN, MICHAEL ANDREW BORDIN, RODDY CHRISTOPHER BOTTUM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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