History
Formation and It's Our Time (2001–2006)
Rise or Die Trying, Explains It All (2006–2009)
The band's 2007 release Rise or Die Trying with I Surrender Records peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in its debut week. On the back of their increasing popularity, the band was signed to Decaydance Records in February 2008.
On July 21, 2009, Four Year Strong released an album of covers from the 1990s, titled Explains It All. The album features guest appearances from Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, and JR and Buddy of Less Than Jake. The band explained their reasoning behind the album in a MySpace blog, saying "It’s what we grew up listening to. Everyone has those songs that instantly transport you back to when you were younger. Whether we were in our bedrooms playing air guitar, or riding in the car to little league practice, or it was just that song that was all over the radio during that awesome summer at the Cape. These songs have impacted us in some way and we want to share that feeling with you."
Enemy of the World (2010)
The band's 3rd full-length album, Enemy of the World, was released on March 9, 2010 on Universal Motown Records. The band released the album's first single, "It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now", on December 21, 2009. The name of the song is a reference to the final sentence of a review in Alternative Press in which the magazine praised Set Your Goals' new album while remarking on the future of Four Year Strong and how their record would compare. The vinyl record was made available to pre-order on March 2, 2010. The album sold 12,400 copies in its first week, debuting at number 40 on the Billboard 200.
On April 3, 2011, it was announced that Josh Lyford would be leaving the band. Initially, it was implied that Lyford had chosen to leave in order to focus on his side project, Foxfires. However, it was later confirmed by both Lyford and Alan Day, that the band had elected to remove synthesizers from their sound leaving no room for Lyford to continue. The band has said they will continue as a four piece.
In Some Way, Shape or Form (2011–present)
On April 13, 2011, in an interview with Alternative Press, the band revealed that they had been in the middle of recording their fourth studio album with producer David Bendeth in New Jersey's House of Loud. The band is set to return to the studio, without Josh Lyford, to finish the album in June, after they finish touring with Rise Against. Vocalist Alan Day has also revealed that the new songs the band had written were very diverse, and that the new material is different than anything the band has ever written. While touring with Rise Against, they have been playing a newly recorded, yet unreleased song called "Falling on You".
On August 18, 2011, the band released "Stuck in the Middle", a new song from the upcoming album. The band announced that the new album will be titled In Some Way, Shape, or Form, and will be released on November 8, 2011. On September 8, 2011, the band released another song from the album, entitled "Falling on You." The first official single from the album, "Just Drive", is set for release on September 27, 2011
During the Fall 2011 AP Tour, the band played another new unreleased song which will be released on the upcoming album. The band dedicates it to fans who have been there "from the very beginning, and will be there till the very end." a video of the song has been leaked on YouTube. It is called "Fairweather Fan."
Touring
The band has done multiple national tours, sharing the stage with such bands as The Starting Line, Slip On It, Hellogoodbye, From First to Last, Every Time I Die, Meg & Dia, Hidden in Plain View, Alexisonfire, All Time Low, Mayday Parade, New Found Glory, Bayside and Steel Train. The band toured in February–April 2009 as part of the Taste of Chaos tour, alongside Thursday, Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil, and Cancer Bats. They undertook the Summer co-headline tour with Set Your Goals, and also Fireworks, The Swellers, Polar Bear Club, A Loss For Words, Drive A and Grave Maker from July to August 2009. Four Year Strong also performed on the Australian Soundwave festival in February and March 2010, alongside headliners Faith No More, Janes Addiction, Placebo; also playing alongside Alexisonfire, Set Your Goals, A Day To Remember, Paramore, It Dies Today, Gallows, Emarosa, A Wilhelm Scream, Anthrax, All Time Low, Escape The Fate, This Is Hell, Enter Shikari, Anti-Flag, Baroness, Comeback Kid, The Almost, Dance Gavin Dance, Architects, You Me At Six, Rolo Tomassi, Dichi Michi, Sunny Day Real Estate and many more. The band was in the lineup for Vans Warped Tour 2010 and played on the Altec Lansing stage along side Breathe Carolina, Hey Monday, and Set Your Goals.[7] They also played the first day on the Bamboozle festival. Late 2010, Four Year Strong headlined a tour with Comeback Kid, The Wonder Years, American Fangs, and Mountain Man. The tour was entitled "Tonight We Feel Alive!", and spanned the entire United States. In February 2011, Four Year Strong co-headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2011 with Good Charlotte with support from Framing Hanley and The Wonder Years, The tour began February 3rd in Dublin, Ireland. On the 15th February 2011 it was announced that they had been added to support Blink 182 on their UK tour alongside You Me At Six They will be joining Rise Against and Bad Religion on a US summer tour in 2011. They have also announced that they will come back to Australia later in the year to play Soundwave Revolution along with already announced bands The Damned Things, Story of The Year, Every Time I Die, Hellogoodbye, We Are The In Crowd and many others. They still have yet to announce an upcoming Detroit show. It is long overdue.
Musical style
The band's sound can be described as popcore a blend of pop punk, hardcore punk, and power pop. This genre is popularly referred to as "easycore" or "happycore". The band simply developed their sound off the idea of playing 'exactly what they want to hear' or music that they would listen to, but no one else was playing at the time.[8] The band has cited their influences as being Lifetime, Saves the Day, Gorilla Biscuits, Blink-182, and New Found Glory, to name a few. Though the band would primarily start out as a post-hardcore , the release of their demo in 2004 would mark a shift from post-hardcore to more synthesizer-heavy tracks, where the band would begin to embrace the styles of power pop and general hardcore punk. Prior to the release of and at times within Rise or Die Trying, the band also incorporates more facets of modern hardcore, such as double bass drums, breakdowns and screaming vocals. For their 3rd studio album, Enemy of the World, the band decided to expand upon their hardcore influences.
Influences
The band has many references to 1990's pop culture. They have been known to quote lines from '90s films in lyrics/song titles/ and in conversation. They were influenced by all the bands on their cover album Explains It All.
Bada Bing! Wit A Pipe!
Four Year Strong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soon to be unforgettable, totally unpredictable
I''m either calling it quits or you're calling me out
It's not who or what you know
Because you're better with nothing at all
Sing it back to me, this is your life story
You didn't even know it, you're trying not to blow it
Here I am just riding out the storm
Believe me when I say
That I want to give up, I want to give up
But it's bad enough to keep me hooked
Just to watch you curse my name and toss and
Turn around and cross the line
You so casually walk between function and fashion
Are you dressed to kill or dressed to impress?
Don't act like you can do better than this
Let me see you put your hands upon the stereo
It's spitting out a ridiculous frequency
But turn it up, turn it up, break a sweat
'Cause we're just burning up and hitting up the scene
That was ours to hit up
Take, take me out because I'm ready for your best shot
Make, make me out to be a bullet from the pulpit
Or anything that would make you believe
All that we've seen would be just another scene
That was ours to hit up
Play it back for me, if you feel you've got to
Do you want to call it intuition, 'cause after intermission
We'll be flashing the house lights
To let you know that we''re back in action
Simply for your satisfaction
Turn around and cross the line
You so casually walk between function and fashion
Are you dressed to kill or dressed to impress?
Don't act like you can do better than this
Turn around and cross the line
You so casually walk between function and fashion
Are you dressed to kill or dressed to impress?
Don't act like you can do better than this
Let me see you put your hands upon the stereo
It's spitting out a ridiculous frequency
But turn it up, turn it up, break a sweat
'Cause were just burning up and hitting up the scene
That was ours to hit up
Take, take me out because I'm ready for your best shot
Make, make me out to be a bullet from the pulpit
Or anything that would make you believe
All that we've seen would be just another scene
That was our to hit up
Roll with the punches 'cause you know that it's inevitable
Soon to be unforgettable
We're either calling it quits or you're calling me out
It's not who or what you know
Because you're better with nothing at all
Roll with the punches
Roll with the punches
Let me see you put your hands upon the stereo
Its spitting out a ridiculous frequency
But turn it up, turn it up, break a sweat
'Cause were just burning up and hitting up the scene
That was ours to hit up
Take, take me out because I'm ready for your best shot
Make, make me out to be a bullet from the pulpit
Or anything that would make you believe
All that we've seen would be just another scene
That was ours to hit up
The lyrics to Four Year Strong's song "Bada Bing! Wit A Pipe!" are largely about accepting the inevitability of life's challenges and the importance of perseverance. The line "Roll with the punches 'cause you know that it's inevitable, soon to be unforgettable, totally unpredictable" emphasizes this theme, suggesting that we cannot avoid difficult situations in life but we can choose how we respond to them.
The song also touches on the importance of self-awareness and self-belief. The lines "I'm either calling it quits or you're calling me out, it's not who or what you know because you're better with nothing at all" suggest that success is not solely determined by external factors such as connections or knowledge, but by one's own determination and resilience. This is further emphasized in the chorus when the singer declares "Take, take me out because I'm ready for your best shot, make, make me out to be a bullet from the pulpit, or anything that would make you believe all that we've seen would be just another scene that was ours to hit up."
Overall, "Bada Bing! Wit A Pipe!" is a song about overcoming obstacles with strength and determination, and refusing to give up in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Roll with the punches 'cause you know that it's inevitable
Accept the challenges that come with life because they're unavoidable
Soon to be unforgettable
This moment is significant and memorable
Totally unpredictable
The future is unknown and impossible to forecast
I'm either calling it quits or you're calling me out
I may give up or face a challenge depending on the circumstances
It's not who or what you know
Connections or skills don't guarantee success
Because you're better with nothing at all
Sometimes having no expectations or attachments can be an advantage
Sing it back to me, this is your life story
Reflect on your experiences and tell me about them
You didn't even know it, you're trying not to blow it
You're unaware of the significance of your experiences and trying not to mess them up
'Cause you're kicking back a death wish
Your actions could have severe consequences
Here I am just riding out the storm
I'm bracing myself and waiting for the difficult times to pass
Believe me when I say that I want to give up
Trust me, I feel like quitting
But it's bad enough to keep me hooked
The situation is challenging or intense, but still keeping me interested
Just to watch you curse my name and toss and
I'm enduring this difficulty to see your reaction to it
Turn around and cross the line
You're pushing boundaries or breaking social norms
You so casually walk between function and fashion
You balance practicality and style effortlessly
Are you dressed to kill or dressed to impress?
Are you trying to make a statement or gain approval?
Don't act like you can do better than this
Don't pretend you're superior or above certain things
Let me see you put your hands upon the stereo
Show me your enthusiasm for the music
It's spitting out a ridiculous frequency
The music is loud and chaotic
But turn it up, turn it up, break a sweat
Increase the volume and dance energetically
'Cause we're just burning up and hitting up the scene
We're passionate and making a statement with our presence
That was ours to hit up
We owned or dominated the space or situation
Take, take me out because I'm ready for your best shot
Challenge me because I'm prepared to face it
Make, make me out to be a bullet from the pulpit
Portray me as powerful or influential
Or anything that would make you believe
Use any means to convince and persuade
All that we've seen would be just another scene
Our experiences are not unique or remarkable
Roll with the punches
Accept challenges and difficulties as they come
Let me see you put your hands upon the stereo
Show me your passion and enthusiasm for music
Its spitting out a ridiculous frequency
The music is loud and chaotic
But turn it up, turn it up, break a sweat
Increase the volume and dance energetically
'Cause were just burning up and hitting up the scene
We're passionate and making a statement with our presence
That was ours to hit up
We owned or dominated the space or situation
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
itsnicksharpbro
It's one of those nights I'm going back to bands I found when I was younger. This is one of those albums I'll call timeless. Always a party when I listen to it.
dr .n0
same for real! no other band had energy like these guys did hey. i saw them live before THANK GOD! those were the days man
Nicholas Hyatt
Best song ever made I wish music was still like this in the mainstream
Danielle Purcell
I used to think I was dumb or annoying posting lyrics on Facebook in highschool, I'm so glad I did. It brings me back to songs I loved so deeply when they show up in my memories.
Rainier Zamboni
Icônico! Minha adolescência resumida em uma música ❤
Howard Jones
The vocals were prime on this album.
Dan Milner
Its impossible not to love these guys, so catchy and sick
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
This album is so amazing. Still remember all of the lyrics by heart years later
wowbenwtf
Oh my gosh this song is a freaking mouthful to sing. I've listened to it many times and i was ready the lyrics but DAMN i'm out of breath every time. Anyone agree?
x12xColbyGx12x
i dont understand how you could not like this song.. it ROCKS!! \m/