Fifteen released their first record in 1991 on Lookout records. It was singer/guitarist Jeff Ott's vision to create music that didn't just rock, but had something important to say as well. After four records on Lookout, two on Grass Records, three on Sub City Records, and three more on indefinite self-published labels, Fifteen were viewed as the leaders in the political-punk music scene. They tackle such burning issues as homelessness, drug abuse, needle exchange, environmental destruction and the government's use of counterintelligence measures to violate activist's civil rights. Fifteen first broke up in 1996 after the self-released "extra medium kickball star."
They reformed in 1998 and released Hush and Survivor then disbanded 2000 with Jeff Ott stating that the anti-commercial DIY ethics of punk rock made it too expensive for him to have a band while raising a family.
The band had a total of fifteen members during its existence: Jeff Ott, Jack Curran, Mikey Mischief, Mark Moreno, Jean Repetto, Lucky Dog, Chris Flanagan, John Ogle, Jessie Wickman, Joe Cable, John Quintos, Scott Pierce, Jim Prior, Lisa D. and Vanessa Bain.
Subdivision
Fifteen Lyrics
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He found out that no one wins
Just a simple interchange
Between this and that
And it's really all the same
And races and places
Just create another subdivision
And one man's enemy
Jonny won the war today
Narrowly avoided going insane
But it all seems quite plain
And it seems quite plain
It seems quite plain to me
That one mans enemy
Is just the same
As You And Me, You and Me
White man, black man, yellow man, red man
This side, That side, You're wrong, I'm right
Every division is artificial
Ain't no reason to right anyone
We're all the same mankind
We all possess the same life
And sometimes I wonder if selfishness
Will be our end
I have a dream today
That all the armies will walk away
And go home to celebrate
Love and life and laughter
I dream the end of win and lose
Because there's no Victory without
Cooperation
In a world so full of enemies
I dream the end of competition
And five billion people
Learnin' to lose their fear of one another
I dream of a world free of enemies
So we can live together in PEACE
The song Subdivision by Fifteen is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of division and the need for unity in the world. The opening lines introduce Jonny, a character who has experienced a victory in his personal life. However, the chorus reveals that despite this success, the reality is that no one truly wins in the end. This idea is expanded upon in the subsequent verses through observations on the way in which dividing factors such as race and place only create more subdivisions and pit individuals against each other. The lyrics serve as a reminder that the labels and divisions that we impose on ourselves and others are ultimately self-destructive.
The chorus of the song takes on a more hopeful tone as it suggests that we can all come to see that we are essentially the same. The repeated phrase "one man's enemy is just the same as you and me" highlights the irrationality of seeing someone else as different or oppositional when, in reality, we are all just human beings. The final verse of the song serves as a call to action for a world free of enemies, where competition is not necessary for victory and fear does not divide us. Overall, the lyrics for Subdivision are a powerful reminder of the need for unity and connection in a world that often feels divided.
Line by Line Meaning
Jonny won the war today
Someone achieved something great
He found out that no one wins
It's impossible to actually win a war
Just a simple interchange
It's just a matter of exchanging one thing for another
Between this and that
Between two things
And it's really all the same
Everything is equal
And races and places
Different races and locations
Just create another subdivision
Just divide people even further
And one man's enemy
The person someone is against
Is another mans Brother
Is actually just like family
Jonny won the war today
Someone achieved something great
Narrowly avoided going insane
Was close to losing their mind
But it all seems quite plain
It's all clear to see
And it seems quite plain
It's obvious
It seems quite plain to me
It's obvious to me
That one mans enemy
The person someone is against
Is just the same
They are equal
As You And Me, You and Me
As everyone else
White man, black man, yellow man, red man
Different racial groups
This side, That side, You're wrong, I'm right
Different viewpoints
Every division is artificial
Every separation is man-made
Ain't no reason to right anyone
There's no need to fight anyone
We're all the same mankind
We're all the same species
We all possess the same life
We all have life
And sometimes I wonder if selfishness
And I question if being selfish
Will be our end
Will lead to our downfall
I have a dream today
I have hope for the future
That all the armies will walk away
All militaries will give up
And go home to celebrate
And celebrate life
Love and life and laughter
The good things in life
I dream the end of win and lose
I dream of a world without competition
Because there's no Victory without
Because it takes two people to compete
Cooperation
Working together
In a world so full of enemies
In a world where people are against each other
I dream the end of competition
I dream of a world without competition
And five billion people
And most of the world's population
Learnin' to lose their fear of one another
Learning to overcome their fear of others
I dream of a world free of enemies
I dream of a world without people against each other
So we can live together in PEACE
So we can all live in peace with each other
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JEFFREY OTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind