The… Read Full Bio ↴Fucked Up is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The band formed and played their first shows in early 2001. The initial practicing lineup consisted of 10,000 Marbles (Guitar), Concentration Camp (Vocals), and Mustard Gas (Bass Guitar). Just prior to recording their demo tape, Concentration Camp moved to guitar and vocal duties were taken over by Pink Eyes (also known as Mr. Damian). Drums are played by Mr. Jo (also credited as G. Beat or J. Falco) and Young Governor was added as a third guitarist in 2007.
Following the release of the demo, the band embarked on a long series of 7" vinyl 45 rpms. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the band shunned full length LP or CD formats, preferring to output their music two songs at a time. While some record distributors refused to carry the singles, they were generally released to broad appeal, receiving glowing reviews in many punk fanzines. The artwork and feel of the records was a tribute to the Dangerhouse Records era of punk vinyl.
The band released the "No Pasaran" 7" in May of 2002. The records aesthetic and philosophy was greatly influenced by anarchism and the participation of anarchists in the Spanish Civil War in particular. The cover and insert featured anarchist propaganda posters and portraits of Spanish farmers and peasant soldiers.
The Police 7" was released on March of 2003, quickly followed by what is considered the bands most significant recording, the Baiting the Public 7" in May of 2003. This single was in tribute to the Viennese Actionism, a far left art movement during the 1960s, and the Situationist International. The record featured one song spread over two sides, and illegible liner notes, meant to shock and annoy the buyer.
Two more 7"'s followed in 2004, the Dance of Death single, and the Litany 4-song EP. The vinyl releases to this point were collected on 2004's Epics in Minutes CD.
The band's use of imagery and symbolism took a decided turn after the release of Epics in Minutes, as it was followed by two obscure and limited 12"s, the Looking for Gold 12", and the live Let Likes be Cured by Likes 12". Many felt at this point the band's message became esoteric to the point of confusion, while others felt the turn towards a more convoluted approach was ultimately more rewarding. The Looking for Gold 12" contained no liner notes or credits, no song titles, and a hidden track. It was self-released by the band in 2004 in a limited run of 600 copies and immediately became one of the most infamous and sought-after modern hardcore punk releases, selling for over $100 on internet auction sites like ebay. The title track was 17 minutes long, used 19 guitar tracks, had a three minute drum solo and contained 4 minutes of whistling, all unconventional by punk rock song-writing standards.
Following a lengthy and rumoured self-written interview in Maximum Rock and Roll, that discussed some of the band's politics and identity, many people became suspicious of the band's intentions, based on their allusions to mind control, fascism, early 20th centruy occultism, and Nazi mysticism. The release of a split 7" in 2004 with the band Haymaker did little to allay these concerns as it contained a picture of Hitler addressing a Hitler Youth Rally in 1938. A public clarification followed in late 2004 after the band was attacked onstage at a concert in Toronto.
In the summer of 2004 the band returned to form with the release of the Generation 7" and 12" EPs. The record contained the trademark sound the band had developed with their earlier releases. The record would go onto sell more than 6000 copies in that year and would represent the definitive Fucked Up release of the later period. The live performance of "Generation" had at this point become a focal point of most shows and saw hundreds of people dance and mosh in a mad frenzy of violence and aggression, and would result in many injuries.
After touring for most of 2005 the band took on David Eliade as a quasi-full time manager/promoter, and released a new UK-only 7", Triumph of Life, on VICE records. The band is currently signed to Jade Tree, on which they released the double album Hidden World in 2006. Hidden World was generally well received in the music community, although many traditional punk fans who once glorified Fucked Up for their "short and fast" older songs couldn't quite grasp Hidden World, which was 74 minutes long. Owen Pallett (commonly known as Final Fantasy) did the strings for the album, and Alexisonfire's vocalist George Pettit made an appearance as a guest vocalist on the final track. The album served as Fucked Up's "major label debut", receiving positive reviews from Pitchfork Media, SPIN magazine, and NOW magazine. The albums was also picked as "#1 punk album of the year" by the Canadian magazine Exclaim!.
After Hidden World, Fucked Up began their yearly record series based off of the Chinese calendar. They released the Year of the Dog 12" in late 2006. Fucked Up also appeared on MTV Live Canada in January 2007. Fans in attendance reportedly caused $2000 worth of damages during the recording. After a European tour in the spring and an early summer U.S Tour that took the band to the U.S Southeast for the first time ever, Fucked Up proceeded to play several major music festivals including South by Southwest, Tales of the Jackalope, Oshesga Fest, and POP Montreal. In July of 2007, the band released the second album in the Chinese calendar series "Year of the Pig". The 12" is technically a single, featuring the song Year of the Pig and it's b-side Black Hats. Year of the Pig is over 18 minutes long, and is about the treatment of sex workers in Canada.
Currently, the band has made comments about several different projects, including a follow up full length to Hidden World, and a musical based off the song 'David Comes to Life' from the Hidden World album.
Life In Paper
Fucked Up Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can I trust? What good's a God who can't hear my cries?
Who can I trust? These paper walls are closing in on me.
Who can I trust? Nothing left for me to believe.
With crooked compass, you navigate.
And slanted motive, you narrate.
Cross the lines to twist fate.
Lose the plot as you obdurate.
What are you hiding, why are you afraid?
I see a bias lurking in your verbs.
Your actions speak louder than your words.
As you allege I must object.
You are the cause to the effect.
Who can I trust? All I see is an empty sky.
Who can I trust? What good's a God who can't hear my cries?
Who can I trust? These paper walls are closing in on me.
Who can I trust? Nothing left for me to believe.
Dot your I's and cross your T's.
Build a cage of words and throw away the keys.
Paint a picture with foul adjectives.
Punish the subject with the subjective.
Steal the scene for your pronouncement of a sentence for the common nouns.
But you changed the name before the predicate, an error of grammatical etiquette.
I stand alone with my independent clause: she may be gone but I am not the cause.
You left your role with your passive voice.
Our outcome is not your choice.
Tried to set the tone and tense.
This life in paper that you have spent has left you cruel and discontent.
Rip the pages right out of your book.
Blind to your words, deaf to your hooks.
Escape the tempo and the time.
I cut the bars and fall out of my lines.
Who can I trust? All I see is an empty sky.
Who can I trust? What good's a God who can't hear my cries?
Who can I trust? These paper walls are closing in on me.
Who can I trust? Nothing left for me to believe.
Who can I trust? All I see is an empty sky.
Who can I trust? What good's a God who can't hear my cries?
Who can I trust? These paper walls are closing in on me.
Who can I trust? Nothing left for me to believe.
The lyrics to Fucked Up's song Life In Paper express a sense of disillusionment and mistrust that the singer feels toward the world around them. Throughout the song, the repeated question of "Who can I trust?" highlights the singer's feeling of isolation and uncertainty about the people and institutions in their life. The use of the metaphor of "paper walls" creates a sense of confinement, as if the singer is trapped and unable to escape their circumstances.
The second half of the song focuses more specifically on the issue of language and communication. The lines "Dot your I's and cross your T's" and "Build a cage of words and throw away the keys" suggest a frustration with the way in which language can be used to manipulate and control. The reference to "foul adjectives" and "subjective" punishment also suggests that the singer believes that language is being used unfairly against them.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment and mistrust with the world, as well as frustration with the way in which language is used to manipulate and control individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
Who can I trust? All I see is an empty sky.
I feel alone and lost with no one to rely on. My life is a vast emptiness.
Who can I trust? What good's a God who can't hear my cries?
I question the existence of a higher power when I feel unheard and helpless.
Who can I trust? These paper walls are closing in on me.
I feel trapped and suffocated by my surroundings, which offer no escape and no answers.
Who can I trust? Nothing left for me to believe.
I am left with no hope, no faith, and no trust in anything or anyone.
With crooked compass, you navigate.
You rely on deception and manipulation to find your way in the world.
And slanted motive, you narrate.
Your intentions are not pure, and your words are not truthful.
Cross the lines to twist fate.
You are willing to bend or break the rules to get what you want, even if it means altering destiny.
Lose the plot as you obdurate.
You stubbornly refuse to admit your mistakes or change your course, even if it leads to disaster.
Prop yourself on a turn of phrase.
You use clever words and phrases to make yourself look better or deceive others.
What are you hiding, why are you afraid?
I suspect that you are hiding something or that you are fearful of being exposed or vulnerable.
I see a bias lurking in your verbs.
I detect a prejudice or preference in the way you express yourself.
Your actions speak louder than your words.
Your behavior and deeds reveal more about you than your words or promises.
As you allege I must object.
I disagree with your accusations or claims and feel compelled to challenge them.
You are the cause to the effect.
Your actions or choices have led to the consequences you face.
Dot your I's and cross your T's.
You pay close attention to details and make sure everything is correct or precise.
Build a cage of words and throw away the keys.
You use language to control or manipulate others, and once you have them trapped, you discard them.
Paint a picture with foul adjectives.
You use insulting or derogatory words to describe someone or something, often to justify your mistreatment of them.
Punish the subject with the subjective.
You take a personal or biased point of view and use it to punish or criticize someone.
Steal the scene for your pronouncement of a sentence for the common nouns.
You monopolize the conversation and dictate the judgment or fate of those around you, without regard for their feelings or input.
But you changed the name before the predicate, an error of grammatical etiquette.
You make mistakes or overlook details in your attempts to control or dominate others, which undermines your credibility.
I stand alone with my independent clause: she may be gone but I am not the cause.
I take responsibility for my actions and do not blame myself or others unfairly for what has happened.
You left your role with your passive voice.
You avoid accountability or ownership by using passive language, which conceals who is responsible for what.
Our outcome is not your choice.
Others have their own agency and destiny, which you cannot control or dictate.
Tried to set the tone and tense.
You attempt to influence the mood and atmosphere of a situation or conversation, often to suit your own purposes.
This life in paper that you have spent has left you cruel and discontent.
Your obsession with words and control has made you bitter and unhappy, and you have lost touch with the real world and its people.
Rip the pages right out of your book.
You need to abandon your rigid and controlling ways and start anew, without the burden of your past mistakes and illusions.
Blind to your words, deaf to your hooks.
I am no longer swayed or fooled by your language or tactics, as I have seen through them.
Escape the tempo and the time.
I need to break free from your influence and leave behind the artificial constraints of language and power dynamics.
I cut the bars and fall out of my lines.
I break the rules and conventions that have kept me trapped and unhappy, and discover a new way of living and expressing myself.
Who can I trust? All I see is an empty sky.
I am still searching for someone or something to believe in and trust, and the search seems endless and hopeless.
Who can I trust? What good's a God who can't hear my cries?
My faith is shaken when I feel unheard and abandoned by the very force that is supposed to bring solace and hope.
Who can I trust? These paper walls are closing in on me.
My surroundings seem to conspire against me, limiting my choices and trapping me in a world of illusions and lies.
Who can I trust? Nothing left for me to believe.
I have exhausted all my options and have nowhere left to turn, no hope and no faith in anything or anyone.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Joshua Elliot Zucker, Sandy Miranda, Michael Ian Haliechuk, Paul Jonah Falco, Benjamin Peter Warden Cook, Damian Abraham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind