Current line-up:
Chris Doherty – Vocals, Guitar (July 1980 – present)
Mike Earls – guitar (1996 – 1998; 2007 – present)
Walter Gustafson – drums (Feb 1984 – Sep 1985, Feb – Aug 1991, 1996 – 1998; 2005-present)
Matt Sandonato – Bass (1996 – present)
Past lineups
In 1985 Doherty reemerged with an all new Gang Green lineup consisting of himself (vocals, guitar), Chuck Stilphen (guitar, vocals), Glen Stilphen (bass, vocals) and Walter Gustafson (drums). This second lineup is the most famous nationally as it was both the first to tour and the one that recorded the classic songs "Alcohol" and "Skate to Hell". This edition of Gang Green released the Another Wasted Night LP on Taang! Records in 1986. It is regarded as one of the definitive hardcore records of its time.
By 1987, when they were signed by Roadrunner Records the band’s musical style had become to lean more toward heavy metal and the personnel of the band, save Doherty, had changed completely. This incarnation of Gang Green consisted of Doherty, Fritz Erickson (guitar), Joe Gittleman (bass) and former Jerry's Kids drummer Brian Betzger. In 1989 Gittleman left to devote more time to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and was replaced by Josh Pappe, formerly of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles.
After touring the United States with Social Distortion in 1990 Gang Green experienced a few more lineup shuffles before being dropped by Roadrunner and going on hiatus for several years in which Doherty founded the bands Klover (Mercury Records) and Hamerd.
In 1996 Gang Green surfaced yet again with 5 reunion dates on the east coast with the Stilphen brothers which included shows at The Rat and CBGB's. With Walter Gustafson remaining on drums, along with newcomers Mike Earls (guitar, vocals) and Matt Sandonato (bass, vocals), the band re-signed with Taang! Records and in 1997 released Back & Gacked (EP) and Another Case Of Brewtality. These records saw the band returning their punk roots and even moving in a pop direction. Gang Green toured Europe and the U.S. extensively in 1997 and 1998. Chris Doherty moved from Boston to Cincinnati shortly afterwards and in the early 2000s Gang Green played only once or twice a year in Boston and NYC.
Current
In 2005 Chris Doherty and a new Gang Green lineup supported the Dropkick Murphys’ tour of the U.S. west coast tour. The band began a European tour in 2007. The same year, they announce that they were working on a new album set to be released summer of that year.
In 2009 Chris Doherty formed a Cincinnati chapter of the band with a lineup featuring Chris Donnelly, Matt Bryant and Troy Bryant and began playing a few local shows. It was announced in 2010 that the band is working on their new album in studio and also preparing for several live dates.
Voices Carry
Gang Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm frightened of the things I might find
Oh, there must be something he's thinking of
to tear him away-a-ay
When I tell him that I'm falling in love
why does he say-a-ay
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
I try so hard not to get upset
Because I know all the trouble I'll get
Oh, he tells me tears are something to hide
and something to fear-eh-eh
And I try so hard to keep it inside
so no one can hear
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Uh-ah
Oh!
He wants me, but only part of the time
He wants me, if he can keep me in line
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, shut up now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, darling, she might overhear
Hush, hush - voices carry
He said shut up - he said shut up
Oh God can't you keep it down
Voices carry
Hush hush, voices carry
The lyrics to Gang Green's song Voices Carry tell the story of a woman who is trying to understand the thoughts and feelings of her partner. The opening lines of the song reveal her fear of discovering something about her partner that she may not want to know. However, her curiosity gets the best of her, and she wants to understand what is causing her partner to act the way he is. She suspects that there is something on his mind that is tearing him away from her, but when she confronts him, he tells her to keep quiet and not to reveal their situation to others.
The woman is torn between wanting to express her love to her partner and the fear of being hurt. She is also struggling to keep her emotions under control, which is made evident in the line "I try so hard not to get upset because I know all the trouble I'll get". Her partner tells her to hide her tears and to not show any signs of weakness, which only adds to her emotional turmoil. The chorus of the song emphasizes the need for secrecy as her partner tells her to keep her voice down.
Overall, the song portrays the pain and anguish of trying to understand and keep a relationship together while dealing with conflicting emotions and the need for secrecy.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in the dark, I'd like to read his mind
I wish I could understand his thoughts, but it's making me nervous
But I'm frightened of the things I might find
I don't want to discover anything unsettling
Oh, there must be something he's thinking of to tear him away-a-ay
He's preoccupied with something that's stealing his attention from me
When I tell him that I'm falling in love why does he say-a-ay
I don't know why he's so indifferent when I express my feelings
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
We need to keep our conversations private to avoid any unwanted attention
Uh-ah I try so hard not to get upset
I'm trying my best to stay calm and composed
Because I know all the trouble I'll get
I'm aware of the negative consequences if I let my emotions take over
Oh, he tells me tears are something to hide and something to fear-eh-eh
He advises me to conceal my emotions because they're seen as a weakness
And I try so hard to keep it inside so no one can hear
I'm struggling to contain my feelings in order to avoid scrutiny
He wants me, but only part of the time
He's not fully committed to me, only when it suits him
He wants me, if he can keep me in line
He prefers me when I don't disrupt his life, opinions or views
Hush hush, shut up now, voices carry
We need to be completely silent and not attract any attention
Hush hush, darling, she might overhear, Hush, hush - voices carry
We need to avoid other people's scrutiny and gossip
He said shut up - he said shut up
He's frustrated with me and wants me to stop voicing my opinions
Oh God can't you keep it down Voices carry
Please don't cause a scene or draw attention to us
Hush hush, voices carry
We need to make sure no one overhears us
Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.