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.
Warriors
Flatfoot 56 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(You'll try)
Where thorns infest the ground that pain yields
Where the bones of triumph show
(You'll fail)
The beast they feed on the dying flesh of old
But the sun on this land has set
(You won't)
Roll up the sleeves with bended knees
(Kill me)
This plain will see life again
(Chorus)
This one's for the warriors
The torch and spade warriors
The thorns of this land are pulled
(You'll try)
The beast was slain before the fold
Now the table has turned
(You'll fail)
We came we saw we slashed and we burned
In this task we aren't alone
(You won't)
These figures were made the flesh and the bone
This field's my life the torch and the spade
The tools of repentance the tools of the trade
The song "Warriors" by Flatfoot 56 takes listeners into a bleak and violent world. The opening lyrics sets the scene for the "killing fields" where thorns infest the ground and pain yields. The singer describes a beast that feeds on the dying flesh of old, a metaphor for the cycle of violence and destruction that has plagued the land. However, the singer believes that the sun has set on this land and the day of redemption is close at hand. He urges his fellow warriors to roll up their sleeves and prepare to fight. The chorus declares that this song is for the warriors, the "torch and spade warriors" who will pull the thorns from the land and slay the beast.
In the second verse, the singer declares that the thorns of the land have been pulled and the beast has been slain. The table has turned and they have come, saw, slashed, and burned. The figures of the warriors are made of flesh and bone, a reminder that they are not invincible. The field that they fight on is their life, and they carry the torch and spade as tools of repentance and the tools of their trade. The message of the song is one of hope and redemption, that even in the midst of violence and destruction, there can be a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to the killing fields
You are entering a place of strife and struggle
(You'll try)
Prepare to face challenges and difficulties
Where thorns infest the ground that pain yields
The environment is hostile and unforgiving
Where the bones of triumph show
History has proved that others have succeeded here
(You'll fail)
You may not succeed in your endeavors
The beast they feed on the dying flesh of old
The enemy is ruthless and feeds on the dead
But the sun on this land has set
Darkness has settled over the land
(You won't)
However, there is hope for redemption
The day of redemption is close at hand
The day of salvation is near
Roll up the sleeves with bended knees
Prepare to work hard and pray
(Kill me)
Be willing to sacrifice it all for the cause
This plain will see life again
The land will flourish once more
This one's for the warriors
This song is dedicated to those who fight and struggle
The torch and spade warriors
Those who use these tools as symbols of their mission
The thorns of this land are pulled
The obstacles have been overcome
(You'll try)
But the fight is not over, and new challenges will arise
The beast was slain before the fold
The enemy was defeated early on
Now the table has turned
The power dynamic has shifted
(You'll fail)
But there is risk of failure at every step
We came we saw we slashed and we burned
We fought fiercely and relentlessly
In this task we aren't alone
Others are fighting alongside us
(You won't)
Together, we will overcome the odds
These figures were made the flesh and the bone
These warriors are real, not just abstract symbols
This field's my life the torch and the spade
This mission is our entire existence
The tools of repentance the tools of the trade
These tools are used for both redemption and warfare
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mr. Brown
As a PE teacher, I wish I could teach this sport every day of the year. Praise God for legit music, legit hits, legit toughness, and of course, for God working through these bros so awesomely. Whoa yeah!
Frank Damien Wayne
I live in Chicago and I loved this band since high school, I will never get tired of this song nor the band EVER!!
BleachedSkin
Saw these guys at the Stronghold (Church Venue). Accidently hit a dude running around in the circle pit. His front teeth left a scar on my knuckles. We even split down the middle and did the "Brave Heart." Greatest show ever.
civilizationsdead
they are great guys. Tobin is probably the most down to earth singer. I chilled with him at taco bell after a show. cant wait to see them at cornerstone 2010
soydave1988
I saw these guys live. All i have to say is "WALL OF DEATH". If you've ever seen these guys live, you know what I'm talking about
Mac Sanford
HELL YES!!!! How have I not heard of these guys until JUST NOW??
Ajijoe S
don't feel so bad me too this song is awesome and appeals to my old school appetite for music
cheifofsinners
Thats their bagpiper. And he is just as awesome and Bad Ass in real life! But I have never met a band as fun to be around, and genuinely warm to the fans and people who were just at teh show. I must say though, when they got all the people down to sing Amazing grace, Only a couple of us knew to expect the mosh halfway through, Im pretty sure that the rest got terrified! Awesome Vid Flatfoot, cant wait for the new record, see you guys at the BBQ Fest in KY Next month!
Tanner McDowell
Their concerts are the BOMB!!!!
Mr. Brown
Would really dig seeing this song live. God bless for rocking so awesome! <41><