Since the year 2000, FLATFOOT 56 have ste… Read Full Bio ↴http://www.flatfoot56.com/
Since the year 2000, FLATFOOT 56 have steadily unleashed a rollicking barrage of Celtic punk and folk-tinged hardcore from the South Side of Chicago to an international audience with intense and positive party-like energy. Coinciding with their 10-year anniversary, Flatfoot launched the release of their 3rd label-backed studio effort, Black Thorn, on March 30, 2010.
Led by spirited front man Tobin Bawinkel (Vocals/Guitar), along with brothers Justin (Drums), and Kyle (Bass), and multi-instrumentalists Eric McMahon (Bagpipes/Guitar) and Brandon Good (Mandolin/Guitar), the band is fueled by a sense of camaraderie that directly translates to their die-hard fans and highly energetic live shows. “We really try to create a positive environment every time we play so people feel comfortable and can let loose. It’s an experience that everyone is a part of,” explains Tobin.
Produced by the Street Dogs’ Johnny Rioux, Black Thorn tightly packs the quartet’s eclectic and driving musical charge into thirteen tracks that celebrate the pride of the working class and their Chicago roots. A collection of songs that delves into weighty thematic content, Tobin explains that the cohesive theme of Black Thorn is a fundamentally universal one. “Everyone goes through hardships, but you aren’t alone. Punk rock is about community and brotherhood. This record is our contribution to that.” As cathartic as it is ambitious, Black Thorn is an emphatic assault that remains vintage Flatfoot in its effortless combination of Celtic instrumentation and street corner punk rock. Bagpipes and mandolins remain just as vital as drums and guitars in defining Flatfoot’s sound.
While other bands run the risk of turning their message into overbearing banter from high on the soapbox, FLATFOOT 56 remain true to their ability to convey the profound all while allowing fans to get lost in the sheer energy of the music. The band’s multi-faceted approach to their craft, both in substance and in presentation, ensures that from the novice to the die-hard fan, everyone walks away with a reason to come back. After ten years of tour vans, dive bars, late nights, diverse crowds, broken bones, blood, sweat, and tears, FLATFOOT 56 offers sincere semblance of the tradition behind the music. When you have a reason to sing, you will sing louder. And when you have a reason to dance, you will bring the house down brick by brick.
The band’s sonic arsenal, which includes classic rough-and-tumble albums Knuckles Up and Jungle Of The Midwest Sea, captures both the nostalgia of brass tacks street punk and hardcore as well as inspiration taken from traditional Celtic folk. Within this musical fury, FLATFOOT 56 attacks dark and pressing subject matter—avarice, strength, faithlessness, courage, and cowardice—that speaks volumes of the values and principles on which the band was founded.
The band’s new album, Black Thorn, was released on Old Shoe Records in the United States, Stomp Records in Canada, People Like You Records in Europe, and Big Mouth Japan in Japan.
This Time
Flatfoot 56 Lyrics
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I'm all alone. This time, we don′t care what you say. And even if you take it all away. This time we don't care what you say. What you want we′re not willing to pay. We're not willing to pay.
The lyrics of "This Time" by Flatfoot 56 are a poignant commentary on the state of parental neglect and absenteeism in modern society. The song revolves around a young boy who is left alone for most of the time, with only the television for company. The parents are too busy with their own lives to spend quality time with him, and resort to medicating him with Adderall and Ritalin to keep him docile. The boy is a latchkey kid with his own keys, but he is still just a child. He's all alone but has nobody to put him to bed at night.
The chorus of the song, "This time we don't care what you say", repeated twice, is a powerful statement of defiance against a world that values material possessions over emotional well-being. The parents are not willing to pay the price of spending time with their child, and the boy is not willing to accept it anymore. He is waiting for his parents to come home, looking out the window, hoping for some connection with them. The song ends on a note of sadness and loneliness, with the boy acknowledging that he is all alone.
Overall, "This Time" is a commentary on the dark side of modern consumerist society where people are valued based on what they have and not who they are. It highlights the importance of spending quality time with loved ones and the consequences of ignoring emotional needs and accepting materialistic substitutes.
Line by Line Meaning
He′s all alone with nothing to be, but a propaganda junkie for the TV screen.
He's isolated from his parents and turns to consuming propaganda on TV for entertainment.
Twenty short minutes to see his parents home.
He only has a short amount of time to spend with his parents when they get home.
Quality time is a thing of the past.
There is no longer enough time for quality family time.
He's always on his own, just ten and a half.
At a young age, he's left on his own most of the time.
He′s got his own keys but he is still just a kid.
Despite having his own keys, he is still a child and unable to take care of himself completely.
This time we don't care what you say. And even if you take it all away. This time we don't care what you say. What you want, we′re not willing to pay. We′re not willing to pay.
We're no longer willing to accept the situation as it is or pay the price for what is expected of us.
Adderall, Ritalin, dope him up so you don't have to deal with him.
The child is given medication to keep him under control so his parents don't have to deal with him.
Folks get home and send him to his room.
Once his parents get home, they send him to his room for the rest of the night.
What are you gonna do with a latchkey kid who doesn′t have parents, but a TV instead?
With absent parents and TV as his only companion, what is there to do?
Who's gonna put him to bed? Not your 401k. No way.
There's no financial solution to a child who needs parental care at night.
Get it together. There is a purpose, always a reason.
We need to find a way to address this situation and find a purpose or solution.
Staying up late, looking out the window. Daddy's coming home. Staying up late, looking out the window. Mama′s coming home. Staying up late, looking out the window. Always a reason, I′m all alone...
The child anxiously waits for his parents to come home, but still feels alone despite their presence.
I'm all alone. This time, we don′t care what you say. And even if you take it all away. This time we don't care what you say. What you want we′re not willing to pay. We're not willing to pay.
The child continues to feel alone and neglected, and the situation cannot continue without consequences.
Writer(s): Bawinkel Justin Lou, Bawinkel Kyle David, Good Brandon, Mcmahon Eric Kevin
Contributed by Chase E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miller Marcin
Rat Boy... Fucking good memories :D
C E
He's all alone with nothing to be, but a propaganda junkie for the TV screen. Twenty short minutes to see his parents home. Quality time is a thing of the past. He’s always on his own, just ten and a half. He’s got his own keys but he is still just a kid. This time we don't care what you say. And even if you take it all away. This time we don't care what you say. What you want, we're not willing to pay. We’re not willing to pay. Adderall, Ritalin, dope him up so you don't have to deal with him. Folks get home and send him to his room. What are you gonna do with a latch key kid who doesn't have parents, but a TV instead? Who's gonna put him to bed? Not your 401k. No way. This time we don't care what you say. And even if you take it all away. This time we don't care what you say. What you want, we're not willing to pay. We’re not willing to pay. Get it together. There is a purpose, always a reason. Staying up late, looking out the window. Daddy's coming home. Staying up late, looking out the window. Mama's coming home. Staying up late, looking out the window. Always a reason, I'm all alone...I'm all alone. This time, we don't care what you say. And even if you take it all away. This time we don't care what you say. What you want we're not willing to pay. We’re not willing to pay.