1. The fi… Read Full Bio ↴There are more than one Artists with the name Fear Itself.
1. The first one is a late sixties San Francisco outfit, whose album is full of fuzz-blues material sounding rather like a psychedelic Groundhogs. Its more psychedelic tracks included Underground River and For Suki. Only two covers are present, a bluesy version of The Letter and Born Under A Bad Sign, both were chosen for their 45. The album is now a very minor collectors' item and was produced by Tom Wilson.
2. The 2nd Fear Itself was a Hardcore/Speedcore Band from South Carolina. The band was founded sometime in the mid 80's and recorded their first demo in 1986. One year later the "Til death do us Part" LP was released on Phantom Records from Anchorage. The EU pressing was released on We Bite Records from Germany and featured a new mix and one bonus track (Werewolf's Life). In the following years they were featured on several compilations, the most famous one being "The North Atlantic Noise Attack" which featured some of the best Speed/Thrashcore bands from the Mid to late 80's.
1. The album was originally released in 1969 on Dot-Records but didn´t receive too much attention - maybe it appeared as a too freaked out heavy version of Jefferson Airplane or Big Brother & the Holding Co. The group started back in Atlanta Georgia in 1967 as a quartet with 2 guitars and played true psychedelic sounds, recorded at the Record Plant in NYC, and moved to Woodstock (NY). Their 5 original tunes, 2 arrangements of traditional tunes and 3 others are electric heavy blues with a strong Hendrix feel with duelling guitarwork, an outstanding female voice/vocals/screams...lots of intense stereo effects. They performed at Woodstock Festival in 1968 (one year before...) and at the hottest locations of NYC such as Filmore East. Ellen McIlwaine, the founder of the group made an international solo career as blues-singer and slide guitarist sharing the bill with Jimi Hendrix, Laura Nyro, Howlin' Wolf, Weather Report, Taj Mahal, George Thorogood, Tom Waits, Chicago, Bruce Springsteen and played a series of concerts with Johnny Winter. This release, is issued with stunning sound quality and includes a great booklet with pictures and biographical background. - For all 60´s collectors who are not familiar with this masterpiece - it´s a must - there a not many groups that were able to present the freewheelin´ live on stage feeling on their studio album!
01.Crawling Kingsnake
02.Underground River
03.Bow'd Up
04.For Suki
05.In My Time Of Dying
06.The Letter
07.Lazarus
08.Mossy Dream
09.Billy Gene
2. The 2nd Fear Itself was a Hardcore/Speedcore Band from South Carolina. The band was founded sometime in the mid 80's and recorded their first demo in 1986. One year later the "Til death do us Part" LP was released on Phantom Records from Anchorage. The EU pressing was released on We Bite Records from Germany and featured a new mix and one bonus track (Werewolf's Life). In the following years they were featured on several compilations, the most famous one being "The North Atlantic Noise Attack" which featured some of the best Speed/Thrashcore bands from the Mid to late 80's.
Born Under a Bad Sign
Fear Itself Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been down since I began to crawl, alright yeah
If it wasn't for bad luck
You know, I wouldn't have no luck at all, alright yeah
Hard luck and trouble
Been my only friend
Been out on my own
Born under a bad sign, yeah
Been down since I began to crawl, alright alright
If it wasn't for bad luck
You know, I wouldn't have no luck at all
I can't read
Can't seem to write
My whole life has been just
One big fight
Born under a bad sign, yeah
Been down since I began to crawl, alright yeah
If it wasn't for bad luck
You know I wouldn't have no luck at all, alright yeah
If it wasn't for bad luck
You know I wouldn't have no kinda luck
If it wasn't for real bad luck
You know I wouldn't have no luck at all, alright yeah
Hard luck and trouble
Been my only friend
Been out on my own
Ever since I was ten
Born under a bad sign, yeah
Been down since I began to crawl, alright yeah
If it wasn't for bad luck
You know, I wouldn't have no luck at all, oh yeah
If it wasn't for bad luck
You know I wouldn't have no kinda luck
If it wasn't for real bad luck
You know I wouldn't have no luck at all, oh, oh, oh, yeah
The song "Born Under A Bad Sign" by Fear Itself speaks of a person who feels like they have been plagued by misfortune for their entire life. They are resigned to the fact that they have faced hard luck and trouble at every turn, and that it has been their only constant companion. This person sees their life as one big fight, where they have had to struggle just to survive from a very young age. The lyrics suggest that this person cannot even read or write, which further emphasizes the idea that they have had to overcome many hardships just to make it this far.
Despite all of this, the person in the song seems to accept their fate, acknowledging that they were simply born under a bad sign. They feel that if it wasn't for bad luck, they would have no luck at all, suggesting that there has never been any redeeming quality to their life. The song concludes with a repetition of this sentiment, emphasising that the singer's luck has just been that bad.
Overall, "Born Under A Bad Sign" is a powerful song that conveys a sense of hopelessness and despair. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who has had to overcome insurmountable odds just to make it to where they are now, and who seems to have no hope of ever achieving anything beyond just surviving.
Line by Line Meaning
Born under a bad sign yeah
I was born with bad luck; this is my fate.
Been down since I began to crawl, alright yeah
I've had a rough journey from the start, but I'm used to it.
If it wasn't for bad luck
Without bad luck, there would be no luck in my life.
You know, I wouldn't have no luck at all, alright yeah
I rely on my bad luck because it's all I know.
Hard luck and trouble
I've faced many difficult situations and problems.
Been my only friend
I've had to face these problems alone, with no one else to help me.
Been out on my own
I've had to be independent and self-reliant my entire life.
Ever since I was ten
These struggles started at a young age and have continued throughout my life.
I can't read
I may lack education or opportunities due to my bad luck.
Can't seem to write
I struggle to express myself and communicate effectively.
My whole life has been just
My experiences have been nothing but difficult and challenging.
One big fight
I've had to constantly battle and struggle to survive.
If it wasn't for bad luck
Again, without bad luck, there would be no luck in my life.
You know I wouldn't have no kinda luck
I may not have much luck, but it's better than none at all.
If it wasn't for real bad luck
I acknowledge that my luck is incredibly terrible.
You know I wouldn't have no luck at all, alright yeah
Without my bad luck, I would have nothing in my life.
Oh yeah
A simple expression of agreement or affirmation.
Oh, oh, oh, yeah
An expression of frustration or despair.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOOKER T. JONES, WILLIAM BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind