Prior to the release of Foo Fighters' 1995 debut album Foo Fighters, which featured Grohl as the only official member, Grohl recruited bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith, both formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as Nirvana touring guitarist Pat Smear. The band began with performances in Portland, Oregon. Goldsmith quit during the recording of their second album, The Colour and the Shape (1997); most of the drum parts were re-recorded by Grohl. Smear departed soon afterward but appeared as a guest with the band frequently from 2005; he rejoined in 2010.
Smear and Goldsmith were replaced by Franz Stahl and Taylor Hawkins; Stahl was fired before the recording of the group's third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999). The band briefly continued as a trio until Chris Shiflett joined on guitar after the completion of There Is Nothing Left to Lose. Foo Fighters released their fourth album, One by One, in 2002. It was followed with the two-disc In Your Honor (2005), which was split between acoustic songs and heavier material. Foo Fighters released their sixth album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, in 2007.
For Foo Fighters' seventh studio album, Wasting Light (2011), produced by Butch Vig, Smear returned as a full member. Sonic Highways (2014) was released as the soundtrack to the television miniseries directed by Grohl. Concrete and Gold (2017) was the second Foo Fighters album to reach number one in the United States and their first studio album to feature longtime session and touring keyboardist Rami Jaffee as a full member. The band's tenth album, Medicine at Midnight (2021), was the last to feature Hawkins, who died in March 2022.
Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, "But Here We Are" (the band's 11th) would release on June 2nd, 2023.
On May 21, 2023, some days before the album's release, Foo Fighters would officially announce that Josh Freese would be the new drummer. On May 12, 2025, Freese was let go from the band, which he publicly announced on May 16, 2025, via a social media post. No reason was given.
Over the course of their career, Foo Fighters have won 15 Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album five times, making them among the most successful rock acts in Grammy history. In 2021, the band was announced as recipients of the first-ever "Global Icon" award at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, their first year of eligibility.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_Fighters
Studio albums
Foo Fighters (1995)
The Colour and the Shape (1997)
There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)
One by One (2002)
In Your Honor (2005)
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)
Wasting Light (2011)
Sonic Highways (2014)
Concrete and Gold (2017)
Medicine at Midnight (2021)
But Here We Are (2023)
Wind Up
Foo Fighters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each time I hear about the hand you've been dealt
Spare me confessions, it's confession you sell
Maybe I'll fall behind, I don't mind 'cause I'll catch up
Want a song that's indelible, like manimal
I hope you never see me wind up
Will I be happy on the back of the shelf?
Will you be happy when we're sharing a cell?
Spare me the questions since you know me so well
Someday you'll realize I get shy and I choke up
Want a song that's indelible, like manimal
I hope you never see me wind up
What is wrong with this animal?
I'm terrible
I hope you never see me wind up
Farewell, my sweet paramania
Farewell, my sweet paramania
My only promise is that I'll never tell
Keep you at a distance from the things that I felt
I'll bite the bullet, take the beating until
I take it all back anyway
What was I supposed to say?
Want a song that's indelible, like manimal
I hope you never see me wind up
What is wrong with this animal?
I'm terrible
I hope you never see me wind up
In "Wind Up," Foo Fighters use the metaphor of being wound up like a toy, ready to snap at any moment, to convey feelings of frustration, anger, and a desire for control. The lyrics are cryptic and open to personal interpretation, but the underlying theme is one of self-doubt and a fear of vulnerability. The line, "I have a choice between the bat or the belt," suggests a sense of powerlessness in the face of adversity or mistreatment, while the repetition of "want a song that's indelible, like manimal" expresses a longing for something immutable in a world that seems constantly in flux.
The chorus, "I hope you never see me wind up," might be interpreted in a few ways. At face value, it seems to imply a fear of losing control, but it could also be interpreted as a fear of revealing one's true, vulnerable self to others. The lines, "Spare me the questions since you know me so well / Someday you'll realize I get shy and I choke up!" suggest a desire to keep personal feelings hidden, even from those who are close.
Overall, "Wind Up" seems to be a meditation on the challenges of living authentically in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving, and the struggle to maintain personal autonomy and dignity in the face of obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a choice between the bat or the belt
I'm faced with a decision between two bad options
Each time I hear about the hand you've been dealt
Whenever I hear about the struggles you've faced
Spare me confessions, it's confession you sell
Don't bother confessing to me, as you're just trying to sell me something
Maybe I'll fall behind, I don't mind 'cause I'll catch up!
It doesn't bother me if I fall behind, as I'll eventually catch up
Want a song that's indelible, like manimal,
I want a song that will leave a lasting impact, like a creature out of legend
I hope you never see me wind up
I hope you never see me reach my breaking point
Will I be happy on the back of the shelf?
Will I be forgotten and abandoned, like an old toy on a shelf?
Will you be happy when we're sharing a cell?
Will you be content being trapped with me in a cell?
Spare me the questions since you know me so well
I don't want to hear any more questions from you, as you think you know everything about me already
Someday you'll realize I get shy and I choke up!
One day, you'll understand that I become nervous and tongue-tied
Farewell, my sweet paramania
Goodbye, my addiction to intense excitement
My only promise is that I'll never tell
The only promise I can give is that I won't reveal my secrets
Keep you at a distance from the things that I felt
I'll keep you at arm's length so you won't know what I've experienced
I'll bite the bullet, take the beating until
I'll endure the pain and suffering until...
I take it all back anyway.
...I take it all back and don't mean any of it
What was I supposed to say?
I don't know what I was supposed to say
What is wrong with this animal?
What is wrong with me?
I'm terrible
I'm no good
I hope you never see me wind up
Once again, I hope you never see me at my breaking point
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nate Mendel, David Grohl, Georg Ruthenberg, Pat Smear
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind