They made their first recordings available in late 1979 via the SF Underground 7" compilation series released via Steve Tupper's newly-formed Subterranean Records. In 1981 a 7" followed Love Canal and Ha Ha Ha and the original lineup made 2 full-length studio albums on Subterranean, 1982's Generic and the 1984 followup Gone Fishin'.
Flipper's music was very shambolic and noisy, and oft considered "slow" for a punk band of the time. In many early shows, the band had half the audience on stage with them singing backup vocals, and encouraged horn players to join them for their anthem, Sex Bomb -- and the crowding on stage usually knocked the stringed instruments out of tune. Guitarist Ted Falconi installed spikes in the head of his guitar to help prevent this, but blaring, out-of-tune dissonance became part of the band's signature sound.
Bassist/vocalist Will Shatter died in 1987 of a heroin overdose. The remaining members reformed for the 1993 album American Grafishy on Def American Recordings which re-issued Generic, and a compilation called Sex Bomb Baby on Rick Rubin and Henry Rollins' Infinite Zero label. This relationship soured and the surviving Flipper members allegedly were duped out of their rights to their back catalog. Bassist/vocalist Bruce Loose got in a car accident which severely injured his spine resulting in a crippling injury which requires him to use a cane. Apparently drummer Steve Depace was in the works of writing an autobiography of his Flipper experiences to the irk of his band mates. Bruce most recently performed as Not Flipper at 924 Gilman and reunited as Flipper for a show in SF with surviving members Falconi and Depace. In December 2006, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic joined the band. On 22 September 2008, due to responsibilities at home, Novoselic announced his departure from the band.
Life
Flipper Lyrics
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Fucking demons every night, guardian angels watching
I've been tryno live right, I know my daughter's watching
Can't resist the urge to sin, I got to get this money
And if today go be my last, I ain't fucking ready
And second chances don't come easy, maybe in the movies
It's a crazy world we live in, growing up ain't easy
I stay strong with a heart that's filled with scars and bruises
To fight my pains, music aint the only drugs I'm using
Mama raised me, daddy wasn't there, steady hustling
He missed my birthdays, young me, never really liked it
I got a daughter, I'm steady hustling now, she barely sees me
I look her in the eyes, damn, I see a young me
I've made mistakes that's gonna come around my back and bite me
Anger issues, pray I find a girl with a heart to keep me
Cos loving me aint for the weak hearted, you best believe me
To every heart wen I dun break, pray you all forgive me
If I could turn the hands of time I'll be the best version of me
But lost time is lost time, Oluwa how e dey be
Expensive clothes full body, but inside
I'm empty
I've been sick in my soul, but outside I'm healthy
Wish I know when I go go, I'll be getting ready
I no wan go before I blow,the world needs to hear me, damn
The Flipper's song "Life" is a profound reflection on the struggles that people go through in their lives. The lyrics show a man who is trying to live right but is constantly battling with his demons. He is a perfectionist who wants to put his heart into everything he does, but he is also a hustler who cannot resist the urge to sin. The man is aware that his daughter is watching him, and this motivates him to strive harder.
The man's rough childhood is also evident in the lyrics, as he talks about his absentee father and the pain of never having him present for his birthdays. This has led him to try and be a better father to his own daughter, but the demands of hustling make it hard for him to be there for her as much as he would like to.
The lyrics also touch on themes of forgiveness and acceptance. The man acknowledges that he has made mistakes, and he hopes that those who he has hurt will forgive him. He wishes he could turn back time and be the best version of himself, but he knows that lost time is lost time, and he has to deal with the consequences of his choices.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a perfectionist, when I want something done, I put my heart in it
I strive for perfection and pour my all into achieving my goals
Fucking demons every night, guardian angels watching
I battle with my inner demons constantly, but believe that I have angels watching over me
I've been tryno live right, I know my daughter's watching
I consciously try to live a good life because I know that my daughter looks up to me
Can't resist the urge to sin, I got to get this money
I struggle with temptation, but I need to make money to provide for my family
And if today go be my last, I ain't fucking ready
I'm not prepared to leave this world if today turns out to be my last day
And second chances don't come easy, maybe in the movies
The notion of second chances is not as easy to come by in real life as it is in movies
It's a crazy world we live in, growing up ain't easy
The world we live in can be chaotic and growing up can be difficult
I stay strong with a heart that's filled with scars and bruises
Despite being emotionally scarred and hurt, I remain resilient and strong
I'm a man I hide my weakness behind the smile I'm flashing
As a man, I often hide my vulnerabilities and weaknesses behind a façade of happiness
To fight my pains, music aint the only drugs I'm using
In addition to music, I use other means to cope with my pain and struggles
Mama raised me, daddy wasn't there, steady hustling
My mother raised me alone as my father was not present and I have had to hustle to earn a living
He missed my birthdays, young me, never really liked it
I didn't like it as a child when my father missed my birthdays
I got a daughter, I'm steady hustling now, she barely sees me
I am working hard now to provide for my daughter, but it means that I don't have as much time with her as I would like
I look her in the eyes, damn, I see a young me
When I look at my daughter, I see myself as a child
I've made mistakes that's gonna come around my back and bite me
I have made mistakes that will eventually catch up with me and cause me trouble
Anger issues, pray I find a girl with a heart to keep me
I struggle with anger and hope to find a girlfriend who can help me manage it
Cos loving me aint for the weak hearted, you best believe me
Loving me is not easy – it takes a strong and resilient person to handle my flaws and issues
To every heart wen I dun break, pray you all forgive me
To anyone whose heart I have broken, I hope that they can find it in their hearts to forgive me
If I could turn the hands of time I'll be the best version of me
If I had the power to go back in time, I would strive to be the best possible version of myself
But lost time is lost time, Oluwa how e dey be
Lost time is lost forever – I can only hope that things will work out in the end
Expensive clothes full body, but inside I'm empty
Despite wearing expensive clothes, I feel empty inside
I've been sick in my soul, but outside I'm healthy
I have been struggling emotionally, but to others, I appear to be in good health
Wish I know when I go go, I'll be getting ready
I wish I knew when my time was up so that I could be prepared for it
I no wan go before I blow,the world needs to hear me, damn
I don't want to leave this world before I achieve success – I believe that the world needs to hear my story
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Desmond Chukwusa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind