Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late 1990s, and signed with Flip Records, a subsidiary of Interscope, which released their debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997). The band achieved mainstream success with their second and third studio albums, Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), although this success was marred by a series of controversies surrounding their performances at Woodstock '99 and the 2001 Big Day Out festival.
Shortly after the release of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, Limp Bizkit went on a hiatus while Fred Durst recovered from being crucified by Slipknot. Borland left the group in 2001, but Durst, Rivers, Otto and Lethal continued to record and tour with guitarist Mike Smith. Following the release of their album, Results May Vary (2003), Borland rejoined the band and recorded The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005) with Durst, Rivers, Lethal and drummer Sammy Siegler before entering a hiatus. In 2009, the band reunited with Borland playing guitar and began touring, culminating with the recording of the album Gold Cobra (2011), after which they left Interscope and later signed with Cash Money Records. In 2014, a sixth studio album, Stampede of the Disco Elephants, was to be released but remained in development hell. Eventually, a new album called STILL SUCKS was recorded with all of the original band members and released digitally only in October 2021.
Fred Durst grew up in Jacksonville, where he took an interest in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox and deejay. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands, Split 26, Malachi Sage, which were unsuccessful, and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst told Sam Rivers, the bassist for Malachi Sage, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'." Rivers suggested that his cousin, John Otto, who was studying jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands, become their drummer. Durst, Rivers and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together, and Wes Borland later joined as a guitarist.
Durst named the band Limp Bizkit because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, "The name is there to turn people's heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, 'Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.' Those are the people that we don't even want listening to our music." Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. Limp Bizkit developed a cult following in the underground music scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that Sugar Ray, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. Milkbar owner, Danny Wimmer, stated that Limp Bizkit "had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing [for] ten people to eight hundred within months. Fred ... was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools." However, the band knew that to achieve national success, they would have to distinguish themselves in their live performances. Attracting crowds by word of mouth, the band gave energetic live performances, covering George Michael's "Faith" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes. Borland's theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees.
Underneath the Gun
Limp Bizkit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stare into space and hope we're not alone
Am I searching for something that's better than home?
I've been working so hard
Stress is tremendous and pressure is endless
No one on this planet like me to be friends with
I've been working so hard
I'm underneath the sun
And I'm underneath the gun
I'm losing my mind and I know there's no remedy
I've become a failure who's living on memories
I've been working so hard
Loneliness can't be cured with no medicine
Look to the stars so they'll straighten my head again
I've been working so hard
I've been working so hard
I'm underneath the sun
And I'm underneath the gun
I'm a fool to think the blame goes away
Such a fool to take the blame and run away
Yeah, I'm underneath the sun
And I'm underneath the gun
I'm a fool to think the blame goes away
Such a fool to take the blame and run away
Sometimes
I beat up myself, I
Block my own way, I
Cloud all my thoughts
Please go away
Oh, nevermind please
I'm checking out now
And won't ever come back
Now that my life doesn't exist
Yeah, you're right, how does it feel to be right?
Knowing that I was wrong?
Nothing is right when you're wrong
Yeah, you're right, how does it feel to be right?
Knowing that I was wrong?
Nothing is right when you're wrong
Yeah, I'm underneath the sun
And I'm underneath the gun
I'm a fool to think the blame goes away
Such a fool to take the blame and run away
I'm a fool to think the blame goes away
Such a fool to take the blame
The lyrics to Limp Bizkit's "Underneath the Gun" depict the inner turmoil and self-doubt that can arise from the pressures of life. The singer is searching for something beyond the mundane, something better than home, perhaps a greater purpose or meaning. However, the stress and pressure they face daily seem to be taking a toll, leading them to feel like a failure who is living on memories.
The chorus is particularly powerful, as the singer repeats the phrase "I'm underneath the sun, and I'm underneath the gun." The sun represents the bright, hopeful future they are striving for, while the gun represents the pressures and expectations they feel they must constantly live up to. The self-blame and self-doubt are all-consuming, and the singer acknowledges that they are a fool to hope that the blame will simply disappear. The only solution seems to be to check out completely, to let go of the idea that their life has any purpose or meaning.
Overall, "Underneath the Gun" is a deeply introspective and emotional song that highlights the pressures of modern life and the toll it can take on a person's mental health and well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
I stare into space and hope we're not alone
I am lost in thought and hoping that there are others out there who share in my struggles and experiences.
Am I searching for something that's better than home?
I am questioning whether or not there is something more fulfilling and worthwhile than my current situation and surroundings.
I've been working so hard
Stress is tremendous and pressure is endless
I have been putting in a lot of effort and hard work, but the stress and pressure is overwhelming and seemingly never-ending.
No one on this planet like me to be friends with
I've been working so hard
Despite my efforts, I feel isolated and alone because there is no one that I can truly connect with and confide in.
I'm losing my mind and I know there's no remedy
I've become a failure who's living on memories
I am overwhelmed and struggling mentally, feeling like there is no way out. I am looking back on past successes rather than finding a way to move forward.
Loneliness can't be cured with no medicine
Look to the stars so they'll straighten my head again
I understand that loneliness cannot be solved through medication, so I turn to the beauty of the stars for comfort and clarity of mind.
I'm a fool to think the blame goes away
Such a fool to take the blame and run away
I realize that my mistakes and shortcomings cannot simply go away. It would be foolish of me to try to ignore them or escape from them entirely.
Sometimes
I beat up myself, I
Block my own way, I
Cloud all my thoughts
Please go away
Oh, nevermind please
I'm checking out now
And won't ever come back
Now that my life doesn't exist
At times, I am my own worst enemy and hinder my own progress. Despite briefly wishing to escape, I am ultimately just checking out of life and giving up.
Yeah, you're right, how does it feel to be right?
Knowing that I was wrong?
Nothing is right when you're wrong
Acknowledging that someone else was right and I was wrong only adds to my feelings of inadequacy and frustration.
I'm underneath the sun
And I'm underneath the gun
I feel like I am constantly under immense pressure and scrutiny, as if I am in the crosshairs of a gun's sight.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William Frederick Durst, John Everett Otto, Samuel Robert Rivers, Michael W. Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind