HWM recorded an album with their good friends and mentors Leatherface for the first volume of the BYO split series. They also recorded with Alkaline Trio for a split LP on Jade Tree shortly thereafter.
In 2001, Hot Water Music signed with Epitaph Records and released the record A Flight and A Crash, and went on to release two more records with Epitaph, Caution and The New What Next.
In addition to their full length albums and the two aforementioned split releases, Hot Water Music have also released 5 other EPs and split albums: Push for Coin (1995 - demo tape), Eating the Filler (1995- Toybox Records), Hot Water Music vs. Discount (New American Dreams) and Colors, Words, and Dreams (2002 - split with The Casket Lottery, Second Nature Recordings).
In 2005 the band took a hiatus as vocalist Chuck Ragan wanted to spend more time with his family. Soon after, the rest of the band formed The Draft, and released their debut record, In A Million Pieces, September 12, 2006 on Epitaph Records, along with various 7" vinyl records on No Idea. Ragan has opted for a solo-acoustic act with No Idea records, releasing a monthly vinyl to prelude a full studio album, as well as two live discs. As for Hot Water Music, No Idea is getting ready to release a b-sides disc later this year.
Members of Hot Water Music have been in various side projects, including Crows/artist], Rumbleseat and Blacktop Cadence
On October 22, 2007, music website Punknews.org reported that a reunion of the band is currently in the works.
The band kicked off their reunion tour with a "secret show" at Common Grounds in their hometown of Gainesville, Florida on January 18, 2008 to be followed by shows in Orlando, Florida, Sayerville, New Jersey and two sold out shows in Chicago, Illinois.
After that, they played at the Groezrock festival in Meerhout, Belgium in May 2008.
During 2009 Hot Water Music played a bunch of concerts in the U.S. plus a short German tour in November.
Since 2010, the band has continued to tour, write and record new music including 2012's album Exister and 2017's Light It Up. In November 2017 Chris Wollard announced that he was taking a break from the band to focus on his health. The band continued to play previously booked shows with The Flatliners' Chris Cresswell and Chris DeMakes of Less Than Jake filling in for Wollard at several dates.
As of their 2019 25th anniversary tour, Cresswell was still filling in for Wollard on guitar and vocals. Cresswell also played guitar and backing vocals on their 2019 Shake Up The Shadows EP.
No Surrender
Hot Water Music Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had to get away from those fools
We learned more from a 3-minute record, baby
Than we ever learned in school
Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound
I can feel my heart begin to pound
You say you're tired and you just want to close your eyes
And follow your dreams down
Chorus:
Well, we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Like soldiers in the winter's night
With a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Well, now young faces grow sad and old
And hearts of fire grow cold
We swore blood brothers against the wind
Now I'm ready to grow young again
And hear your sister's voice calling us home
Across the open yards
Well maybe we'll cut someplace of own
With these drums and these guitars
'Cause we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in the stormy night
With a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
The walls of my room are closing in
There's a war outside still raging
You say it ain't ours anymore to win
I want to sleep beneath
Peaceful skies in my lover's bed
With a wide open country in my eyes
And these romantic dreams in my head
Once we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in a stormy night
With a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
The lyrics to "No Surrender" by Hot Water Music tell a story of youth, rebellion, brotherhood, and nostalgia. The opening lines of the song describe the singers bursting out of class and getting away from their peers who presumably do not share their passion for music and creativity. They express that they learned more from a three-minute record than they ever did in school, indicating a sense of disillusionment with the traditional education system. The reference to the "neighborhood drummer sound" evokes a feeling of communal spirit and the energy that comes with pursuing one's passion.
The chorus of the song reinforces the theme of brotherhood and determination, as the singers make a promise to never retreat or surrender. The reference to soldiers in the winter's night suggests a feeling of solidarity in the face of adversity. As the song progresses, the singers reflect on the passage of time and the loss of youthful idealism. However, they still hold onto the vow they made with their blood brothers and are ready to "grow young again" and pursue their dreams.
The closing lines of the song paint a picture of a world that is closing in on the singers, both metaphorically and literally. The war outside is still raging, and the walls of the singer's room are closing in. However, they still hold onto the romantic dreams and the sense of freedom and possibility that comes with music and creativity.
In summary, "No Surrender" is a song about youthful rebellion, brotherhood, and the pursuit of creative passion. It speaks to the longing for connection and the desire to hold onto one's ideals even as the world changes around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, we bursted out of class
We felt the need to escape from our dull classroom and monotonous lessons.
Had to get away from those fools
We knew that we could not learn from those who were ignorant and did not understand us.
We learned more from a 3-minute record, baby
Rather than being taught in school, we learned more about life and passion by listening to music we understood.
Than we ever learned in school
Our academic education failed to provide us with meaningful insights on life as it was too constrained by the institution's rules and regulations.
Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound
I hear the heartbeat of the city where we live and feel its energy.
I can feel my heart begin to pound
I feel my emotions intensify as I become one with the city's rhythm, passion, and intensity.
You say you're tired and you just want to close your eyes
You express your fatigue and desire to stop feeling so much and just rest.
And follow your dreams down
You want to disconnect from reality and immerse yourself in your sleep and the realm of dreams.
Well, we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
We made a vow to ourselves that we would never forget our passions, dreams, and the things that matter to us the most.
No retreat, baby, no surrender
We made our pledge to never give up, no matter how hard things may seem or how far we may be from our goals.
Like soldiers in the winter's night
We compare ourselves to soldiers who bravely face the dangers of the unknown and strive to protect their comrades.
With a vow to defend
Our commitment is to defend our beliefs and aspirations and never stray from them, no matter how much resistance we encounter.
Well now, young faces grow sad and old
We observe how youthfulness fades away and people become jaded and apathetic with age as they lose sight of their passions and what they once held dear.
And hearts of fire grow cold
People's desires and aspirations wane as they get older, and the flame of their spirit is extinguished.
We swore blood brothers against the wind
We made an oath to each other to be close friends and allies in the face of adversity and obstacles.
Now I'm ready to grow young again
We long to feel that youthful vigor and passion again, to revisit the spark that once drove us.
And hear your sister's voice calling us home
We recall the memories of friends, family, and community, and seek that sense of belonging once more.
Across the open yards
We visualize a path, a journey that takes us to a place, physically or emotionally, where our souls can breathe again.
Well maybe we'll cut someplace of own
We hope to carve out a niche for ourselves, to make our own path and find meaning where we can be true to ourselves.
With these drums and these guitars
We use music to help us find meaning, passion, and clarity in life.
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
A musical bridge that connects different parts of the song, and provides a moment of reflection and deep thinking.
Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
We find ourselves plunged into darkness, the light of our aspirations and dreams lost in the shadows.
The walls of my room are closing in
We feel trapped, as if there is no way out of our current situation, unable to find the escape we seek.
There's a war outside still raging
Despite our efforts to find peace, the world around us is still full of struggle and conflict.
You say it ain't ours anymore to win
We acknowledge that things may not end as we desire, yet we are determined to see our quest through to the end.
I want to sleep beneath peaceful skies in my lover's bed
We crave freedom from our woes and aspire to be at peace with ourselves and our loved ones.
With a wide open country in my eyes
We yearn to travel and to live, to explore and to see the world and all it has to offer without constraint or limitations.
And these romantic dreams in my head
We hold on to our dreams, romanticized visions of what our lives could and should be, even though they may not be realistic.
Once we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
We revisit the promises of our past, to remind ourselves what we once held dear and determine whether it still matters to us in the present.
No retreat, baby, no surrender
We reiterate our determination to never give up, to press on despite any obstacle.
Blood brothers in a stormy night
We again reference our loyalty to each other, likening it to the bond formed between brothers in war or danger.
With a vow to defend
We acknowledge the commitment we made to ourselves and to each other, to fight for the things we believe in and to not let anything stop us.
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
The song again transitions into a musical bridge, a moment of reflection and contemplation.
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
This is the second part of the musical bridge that connects different parts of the song, and provides a moment of reflection and deep thinking.
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhhh
This is the third and final part of the musical bridge that establishes an ambiance that supports the lyrics of the song.
Contributed by Brayden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.