<… Read Full Bio ↴Link 80 was a punk rock/ska punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Link 80 started in early 1994 in the famous East Bay of California. In the beginning, original members (guitarist Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, drummer Joey Bustos, bassist Adam Pereria and singer Jeff Acree) played around town as Drano, The Rag-Tags, and Mr. Slave-Unit, before settling on Link 80.
The name came from the interstate highway I-80 which they used to get to the drummer's garage for band practice and connected the band members' homes.
In July 1995, Nick Traina joined the band after meeting Adam at a show in San Francisco's Mission District. Nick's passion and voice combined with the rest of the band to make them different from most ska bands and gave Link 80 the "against the rest" attitude they display throughout their lyrics. Far more punk than ska and with an energy and a sense of immediacy lacking in pop-oriented ska bands, Link 80 was able to avoid the clichés of ska-punk characterized by their peers. As Asian Man Records describes them, they are an energetic blend of ska, punk rock, and hardcore.
After some demos, split EPs, complilation releases, "17 Reasons" and "Killing Katie" (both on Asian Man Records) Nick left Link 80 and started another band called Knowledge. Knowledge released one record on Asian Man Records named "A Gift Before I Go". Shortly thereafter Nick Traina committed suicide, at the age of 19... Ryan Noble took over as lead singer of Link 80 and released "The Struggle Continues," as well as some split EPs.
In 2002, the band consisting of Adam Davis, Aaron Nagel, Steve Borth, Joey Bustos, Barry Krippene, and singer Ryan Noble went on hiatus. Steve Borth would join Rx Bandits, before forming his own band Satori in 2006. The remaining Link 80 members would form DESA. They have since maintained that Link 80 would return, but for now they are focused on their respective projects.
Joey and Ryan are now in The Soft White Sixties. Matt formed a band called Dolores (with Nick's brother Todd Traina) and is a member of the comedy trio Chad, Matt & Rob. Aaron runs Two Twenty Two Design Studio and is an artist whose work can be seen on the covers of The Resignation and ...And the Battle Begun. Adam Pereria played with Thought Crime after leaving Link 80.
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Nowhere Fast
Link 80 Lyrics
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She just wanted to get the hell out of Los Angeles
Thought maybe seattle but she ended up on Haight street,
Bumming change from a young gutterpunk named Mario
Do this: all I have to do is die
Think this: all I have to think is why
Be this: all I have to do is try
I'll be what I want
Though she didn't have a clue where it would take her
Nowhere fast, that's where I wanna be
Give me good times and someplace to sleep
The price of freedom doesn't actually come cheap
Julie had a migraine because she was out of cocaine and she finally got her
Ass back to Lost Angeles
Nowhere fast, that's where I wanna be
Give me good times and someplace to sleep
The price of freedom doesn't actually come cheap
Julie she was crying as she headed across the bay bridge
She just had to get the hell away from mario
Thought the lower east side sounded good
But she was so tired
She just parked outside a crack house in south Berkeley
Do this: all I have to do is die
Think this: all I have to think is why
Be this: all I have to do is try
I'll be what I want
Julie she was running so she kept the car at 80
And it died just north of Gilman street in Albany
Nowhere fast, that's where I wanna be
Give me good times and someplace to sleep
The price of freedom doesn't actually come cheap
Julie was a fuckup
But I swear she wasn't stupid and she finally got her ass back to Los Angeles.
The lyrics of Link 80's song "Nowhere Fast" tell the story of a woman named Julie who is on a journey to escape from her problems. She experiences a range of emotions throughout the song as she travels from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back again. Julie is initially portrayed as a troubled woman who is struggling with drug addiction and the challenges of life in Los Angeles. She decided to hit the road and head to Seattle to escape her problems but ended up in San Francisco. Along the way, she meets Mario, a young gutterpunk, who she bummed change off of.
The song highlights how Julie is searching for a sense of freedom and release from her troubles. The price of freedom is not cheap, but Julie is willing to pay it. Her journey takes her to South Berkeley, where she makes a stop at a crack house before finally heading back to Los Angeles. Although Julie is seen as a fuck-up, the lyrics suggest that she is not stupid. The repetition of the phrases "Do this/Think this/Be this" serves as a reminder that even though Julie has made mistakes, she still has control over her actions and choices.
Overall, "Nowhere Fast" is a song about the struggles of life and the search for freedom. Julie's journey is a representation of the struggles many people face as they try to escape their problems and find a sense of release. The lyrics are powerful and relatable, and the song is a testament to the enduring nature of the punk rock spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Julie had a bad day so she headed north on I-5
Julie was having a bad day, so she decided to drive north on Interstate 5
She just wanted to get the hell out of Los Angeles
Julie wanted to leave Los Angeles as soon as possible
Thought maybe seattle but she ended up on Haight street,
Bumming change from a young gutterpunk named Mario
Although Julie thought about going to Seattle, she ended up on Haight Street in San Francisco, where she asked a young homeless person named Mario for some money
Do this: all I have to do is die
Julie believes that her problems would be solved if she just died
Think this: all I have to think is why
Julie wonders why her life is so difficult
Be this: all I have to do is try
I'll be what I want
Julie realizes that all she needs to do is keep trying, and she will eventually achieve her goals
Julie was on cocaine but she kept the car in her lane
Though she didn't have a clue where it would take her
Julie was high on cocaine while driving, but she didn't know where she was going
Nowhere fast, that's where I wanna be
Give me good times and someplace to sleep
The price of freedom doesn't actually come cheap
Julie wants to live a carefree life, with good times and a place to sleep, but she knows that living freely comes with its own costs
Julie had a migraine because she was out of cocaine and she finally got her
Ass back to Lost Angeles
Julie had a headache because she was out of cocaine, and eventually returned to Los Angeles
Julie she was crying as she headed across the bay bridge
She just had to get the hell away from mario
Thought the lower east side sounded good
But she was so tired
She just parked outside a crack house in south Berkeley
Julie was crying as she drove across the San Francisco Bay Bridge, trying to get away from Mario. She thought about going to the Lower East Side of New York, but she was too tired and ended up parking outside of a crack house in South Berkeley
Julie she was running so she kept the car at 80
And it died just north of Gilman street in Albany
Julie was driving fast to get away from her problems, but her car eventually broke down just north of Gilman Street in Albany
Julie was a fuckup
But I swear she wasn't stupid and she finally got her ass back to Los Angeles.
Although Julie made mistakes, she was not unintelligent, and she eventually returned to Los Angeles
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIM STEINMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind