<… 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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Turn It Around
Link 80 Lyrics
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Lives wasted away flipping though the channels on TV
We're taking our time
And throwing it away
Tomorr'ws killed by yesterday
Intimidation replacing unity
Blank generation, community
More factories are going up
It's up to us to turn it around
TURN IT AROUND (a lot of times)
We're rolling down hill and gaining speed
Snowballing all the way killing everything we see
We're taught when we're young,
Don't bite the hand that feeds
But it covers our ears and shades all we see
TURN IT AROUND (a lot of times)
Living in a world made for one
Lock the door
Pull the shades
Kill the sun
Failures all that I can get right
An empty hand and a bloody knife
TURN IT AROUND (a lot of times)
The song "Turn It Around" by Link 80 is a lamentation of the current state of society. The lyrics paint a picture of a civilization that is steeped in misery, wasting away their lives watching endless television. The song speaks to the dire consequences of living a life without purpose, allowing time to slip away into meaningless activities. The chorus calls for change and a need to turn things around. The second verse highlights the increasing conflict and division in society, the expanding industrialization and the resultant harm to humans and the environment. The lyrics highlight the need for a unity and a sense of community, in order to bring about positive change.
The song appears to be a call to action that draws attention to the way people are living today. The song is urging society to wake up from their slumber, to take control of their destiny, and to take responsibility for tomorrow. The lyrics speak to the growing sense of disillusionment and frustration that people experience in their lives, about the lack of progress, and the feeling that everything is now going downhill. The song highlights the consequences of passivity and inaction. The song broadly suggests that it is important to take responsibility for one's own life and to act decisively to change society for the better.
Line by Line Meaning
Dire civilization getting high of misery
Our society is becoming addicted to misery and pain, which is leading us to a rough path.
Lives wasted away flipping though the channels on TV
People are wasting their lives away by aimlessly watching TV, which doesn't contribute any value to their lives.
We're taking our time
And throwing it away
Tomorr'ws killed by yesterday
We are not making use of our time and instead are waste it away, leading to a future that is bleak and not hopeful.
Intimidation replacing unity
Blank generation, community
Fear and intimidation are replacing the unity that once held our communities together causing new generations to be ignorant and disconnected from their community.
More factories are going up
More people are falling down
It's up to us to turn it around
Factories are increasing, and the issues associated with these (e.g. pollution) are causing more problems for society. Fixing these problems will require proactive action from individuals and addressing the root causes.
TURN IT AROUND (a lot of times)
The chorus emphasizes that it's essential to take action and make meaningful changes to improve society's current state.
We're rolling down hill and gaining speed
Snowballing all the way killing everything we see
Our society is on a downward spiral, and instead of taking action to correct our path, we are making things worse.
We're taught when we're young,
Don't bite the hand that feeds
But it covers our ears and shades all we see
We are taught to respect the authority that feeds us and not to criticize it. However, this mentality blinds us from seeing the flaws in the system and prevents us from holding those in power accountable.
Living in a world made for one
Lock the door
Pull the shades
Kill the sun
Our society is geared towards individualism and the idea that everyone is in it for themselves. This results in people isolating themselves away from others and blinding themselves from the good around them.
Failures all that I can get right
An empty hand and a bloody knife
The artist feels like their only accomplishment is failing, and they have been forced to turn to violence due to this frustration with the world around them.
TURN IT AROUND (a lot of times)
The chorus reinforces the message of action and the need to make positive changes to improve our society's future.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MARK KEVIN DAVIS, MAXINE SANDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind