Their first release was a 7" EP on Porcell's label Schism (which he ran along with Side By Side/Gorilla Biscuits guitar player Alex Brown) entitled New York Crew. The record featured five songs, one of which was a cover of "Warriors" by the British oi!/punk band Blitz. On this recording, the band was merely a two-piece, featuring Porcelly on bass and guitar, and Ferraro on vocals and drums. But with the addition of bass-player Jimmy Yu (of Mike's former band Death Before Dishonor, which eventually evolved into Supertouch) and drummer "Lukey" Luke Abbey (Warzone/Gorilla Biscuits), they got together a fully functional live line-up.
The band received much criticism due to their militant Straight Edge lyrics, especially from fanzines like San Francisco's Maximum Rock'N'Roll. The militant lyrics were a conscious move on the band's part, as they were sick of seeing bands like Youth Of Today, who in reality had a very positive message, get slagged for being too militant. So they decided to give the nay-sayers exactly what they wanted – the most militant Straight Edge band imaginable. Mike Ferraro has later on admitted that provocation was an important aim for the band.
Judge was not just heavy in message, the music had very metal-influenced riffing, but remained close to its hardcore roots, without going all out metal, such as bands like Agnostic Front and DRI.
With a new line-up of Sammy Siegler (Side By Side/Youth Of Today/Project X etc.) on drums and Matt Pincus on bass, the band proceeded to record their full-length LP Bringin' It Down for Revelation Records at Chung King Studios in New York City. The recording was finished, but the band were so unhappy with the result that they decided to scrap it and re-record it at Normandy Sound in Rhode Island, where The Cro-Mags had recorded their Best Wishes album. Revelation did however put out a limited pressing of the original recording, fittingly titled Chung King Can Suck It (LP). It was given to people who had pre-ordered the record, and with only 110 copies pressed (all on white vinyl), it is one of the most sought-after hardcore records in existence, going for as much as $6,600 USD on online auction sites such as eBay. Eventually, Bringin' It Down was released in 1989. Judge continued touring up until 1991, and even released another 7" EP, There Will Be Quiet, featuring "The Storm" and "Forget This Time" (the CD-version also contains a cover-version of "When the Levee Breaks", originally by Led Zeppelin).
In May 2013 Judge have reunited and played two sold out shows in NYC. In 2014 and 2015 the band have continued to play shows in United States as well as in South America and Europe.
Like You
Judge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
AND FOUGHT TO MAKE IT WORK
THOUGHT I FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR
OH GOD I'M FUCKING LOST
LIKE YOU, I FACE REJECTION
LIKE YOU, I LOOK FOR ACCEPTANCE
LIKE YOU, I don't ALWAYS DO RIGHT
NOW I'M TRYING TO FIND THE THINGS I FOUGHT TO HIDE
I'VE GOT TO FIND
THE THINGS I LEFT BEHIND
NOW ALL I SEE
IS THE DAMAGE I'M CAUSING ME
I'VE FOUND THINGS AREN'T BLACK AND WHITE
I'VE LOST THINGS THAT WERE RIGHT IN SIGHT
I'VE HAD MY SHARE OF DISCOURAGEMENT
I TRIED TO FORGET, I TRIED TO FORGET
I WAS LIKE YOU
The song "Like You" by Judge is an introspective exploration of the challenges of finding oneself and dealing with the consequences of one's actions. The lyrics suggest a sense of regret and disillusionment with the choices and mistakes made in the past. The opening lines of the song, "Just like you I chose a path, and fought to make it work," suggest a common experience with the listener, highlighting the shared struggles and hardships of life.
The lyrics go on to describe the search for meaning and purpose and the difficult journey of self-discovery. The lines, "thought I found what I was looking for, oh god I'm fucking lost," reveal a sense of desperation and confusion in trying to find one's place in the world. In the chorus, the singer identifies with the listener, highlighting that they too have faced rejection, looked for acceptance, and haven't always done right.
However, the singer also acknowledges the damage they have caused to themselves and others along the way, and the need to confront the consequences of their actions. The lines "now all I see is the damage I'm causing me, I've found things aren't black and white" suggest a growing self-awareness and a willingness to confront the difficult truths about themselves.
Overall, "Like You" is a powerful expression of personal struggle and the search for redemption. It reminds us that although we all face difficulties and setbacks in life, we must confront our mistakes and work to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
JUST LIKE YOU I CHOSE A PATH
I, like you, made a decision about the direction of my life.
AND FOUGHT TO MAKE IT WORK
I struggled and worked hard to achieve my goals, just like you.
THOUGHT I FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR
I believed that I had discovered what I wanted, just like you might have also experienced.
OH GOD I'M FUCKING LOST
But now I feel lost and uncertain, just like how you might feel at times.
LIKE YOU, I FACE REJECTION
I have been rejected in life, just like you have possibly faced before.
LIKE YOU, I LOOK FOR ACCEPTANCE
Like you, I seek validation and acceptance from others.
LIKE YOU, I don't ALWAYS DO RIGHT
I make mistakes, just like you do. I am not perfect.
NOW I'M TRYING TO FIND THE THINGS I FOUGHT TO HIDE
I am looking for the things I tried to hide, just like you might do.
WHEN I WAS YOUNG
These things might relate to my past, when I was younger.
I'VE GOT TO FIND
I feel compelled to search for these hidden things in myself.
THE THINGS I LEFT BEHIND
I have left behind certain things in my past that I need to uncover and confront.
NOW ALL I SEE
I have a new perspective now and can see things more clearly.
IS THE DAMAGE I'M CAUSING ME
But I am also aware of the harm I am causing myself in my current state of confusion and lostness.
I'VE FOUND THINGS AREN'T BLACK AND WHITE
Life is not as simple as I once thought. There are shades of gray.
I'VE LOST THINGS THAT WERE RIGHT IN SIGHT
I have sometimes overlooked what was right in front of me, such as opportunities or relationships.
I'VE HAD MY SHARE OF DISCOURAGEMENT
I have faced discouragement and disappointment along the way.
I TRIED TO FORGET, I TRIED TO FORGET
I attempted to push these negative experiences out of my mind, just like you might try to do as well.
I WAS LIKE YOU
In summary, I share many of the same struggles and experiences as you do.
Lyrics © KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, Songtrust Ave
Written by: MICHAEL FERRARO, JOHN PORCELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
newbreed
"JUST LIKE YOU I CHOSE A PATH
AND FOUGHT TO MAKE IT WORK
THOUGHT I FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR
OH GOD I'M FUCKING LOST
LIKE YOU, I FACED REJECTION
LIKE YOU, I LOOK FOR ACCEPTANCE
LIKE YOU, I DON'T ALWAYS DO RIGHT
NOW I'M TRYING TO FIND THE THINGS I FOUGHT TO HIDE
WHEN I WAS YOUNG
I'VE GOT TO FIND
THE THINGS I LEFT BEHIND
NOW ALL I SEE
IS THE DAMAGE I'M CAUSING ME
I'VE FOUND THINGS AREN'T BLACK AND WHITE
I'VE LOST THINGS THAT WERE RIGHT IN SIGHT
I'VE HAD MY SHARE OF DISCOURAGEMENT
I TRIED TO FORGET, I TRIED TO FORGET
LIKE YOU
LIKE YOU
LIKE YOU
I'M JUST LIKE YOU
SO HOW DOES IT FEEL?
HOW CAN YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF?
DOES IT TAKE A STRONG MAN?
I'M JUST LIKE YOU"
Poprawka tekstu ;)
Kyle Mc
Hardcore is a way of life....Not just a genre of music
Adam Turner
This song is really helping with my mindframe at the moment. I feel 16 again.
19boro76
widzialem film na youtube o Mikeu Ferraro (voc JUDGE), gosciu bardzo wporzadku, fajnie bylo posluchac co opowiada o czasach punk rocka a potem hardcore w NY. Mike opowiadal o smierci matki i o jego muzycznym zainteresowaniu potem klub GBCB itd. Musze przyzna, ze ciagle jest bardzo charyzmatyczny i skromny za co go lubie i szanuje. ;), kciuki do gory. Swietna piosenka i swietny text. Nie jestem juz HC SE ale scena HC ciagle jest w kregu moich zainteresowan.
I've seen the short movie about Mike Ferraro (voc Judge) very decent guy. It was good to listen what he was telling about punk rock and begining of hardcore in NY. He was talking about his mothers passed away when he was teenager then him being interested in music then GBCB etc. I must admit he is very decent and humble guy. I admire and respect him for that. thumbs up ;) great song and great lyrics. I use to be HC SE not now but still very like the HC scene.
Fokker TISM
Out of the 3 versions of the song on What It Meant (the demo, the Chun King version and this one), I think this is the best, most developed version of the song.
Shawn Boogz
Great music from an amazing era!!!
Ken Wilson
Fuckin right bro!!
Jacchernus
Stunning song!
cmm98
awesome....long live hardcore
Diego Sandoval
Acompañandome y haciendome mas fuerte desde los 15 años
Razredni
What a badass HC ballad......