Each year, critics at the Chicago Tribune name a "Chicagoan of the Year." The 2008 winner for music was Local H.
Local H started as hard-rock duo formed by Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar/bass) and Joe Daniels (drums). The two began in 1987 at their mainline high school in Zion. After failed attempts at recruiting a bassist, Lucas added bass pickups to his electric guitar.
Local H's 1995 debut Ham Fisted was released to lukewarm reception, but their 1996 follow-up As Good as Dead was certified gold and contained the hits "Bound for the Floor" and "Eddie Vedder." It was better received by critics, as was 1998's Pack Up the Cats, which spawned the single "All the Kids Are Right." Unfortunately, their label Polygram merged with Universal, and the album was all but forgotten in transition.
Daniels left in 1999. Lucas recruited recent Triplefastaction drummer Brian St. Clair later that year. St. Clair was a drum tech for Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Lucas and St. Clair released their first album together, Here Comes the Zoo, in 2002 on Palm Pictures. The No Fun EP came next in 2003, and Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? followed in 2004 to favorable reviews, with the track "Everyone Alive" being featured in the 2004 video game Burnout 3. The break-up concept album 12 Angry Months followed in 2008, and to coincide with the 2012 presidential election the group issued Hallelujah! I'm a Bum that year, both albums receiving critical praise.
Brian St. Clair would amicably leave the band, playing his last show in November 2013, before Ryan Harding joined to fill in his spot. In 2015, the duo would issue their ninth studio album Hey, Killer through G&P Records, an independent label they operate that has also been utilized for smaller releases for the band in the past. In 2020, the duo iussued Lifers through AntiFragile Music.
Local H garnered good publicity for a cover of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic". The cover was available on the band's web site and is the last track on the otherwise live album Alive '05, issued in 2005. "Toxic" has been performed at recent concerts.
Local H is known for creativity in concerts. In 2003, the band auctioned off a concert on eBay, and in 2004, performed at Fritz's Corner in Zion. In 2005, the duo performed a series of set-list request shows, where the audience got to vote on what they wanted the band to play. Gabe Rodriguez often accompanied the band on tour and provided back-up vocals or kazoo playing.
Every Halloween, Local H plays in Ardmore, masquerading as a certain group. They have performed as Nirvana, Tom Petty, Oasis, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Sex Pistols.
Half-Life
Local H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half-life
Welcome the worse
Run to your station and your stations a curse
Daddy says wait and see
Ain't seen the sun since 1973
Fake your claim
Falling asleep and waking up is the same
Half-life
And half-dead too
Work is for suckers and the sucker is you
You know the lies they tell are told until they're true
You know they hardly ever
I'm falling fast
You know they hardly ever
I'm not gonna last
You want it
They got it
It's your circumstance
You know they hardly ever give a leaper a chance
Half-life
Half-life
Half-life
Or no life at all
Half-life
All fucked up
You're born with nothing better make it enough
Pat on the back and kicked in the teeth
Alcohol will be your only relief
You know the lies they tell are told because of you
You know they hardly ever
I'm falling fast
You know they hardly ever
I'm not gonna last
You want it
They got it
It's your circumstance
You know they hardly ever give a leaper chance
You know the lies they tell are told until they're true
The lyrics to Local H's song Half-Life paint a dismal picture of societal and personal decay. The phrase "half-life" refers to a type of radioactive decay where half of the substance's atoms break down over time. This imagery is used to convey the idea that the characters in the song are breaking down, both due to external circumstances and their own choices.
The song starts with an urgent call to action, imploring the listener to "run to your station" even though it is "a curse." This could refer to a job or other responsibility that the character feels trapped in. The line "Daddy says wait and see" suggests that there is a generational divide, with older people advising patience while younger generations struggle to find their place in the world. The mention of not seeing the sun since 1973 adds to the bleakness of the situation.
The second verse focuses on the character's struggle to keep up with the demands of society. They are "fake[d]...claim" and feel like they are barely functioning ("falling asleep and waking up is the same"). The line "work is for suckers and the sucker is you" is a harsh indictment of the way that society treats those who are not successful, implying that they are viewed as foolish or lazy.
The chorus repeats the phrase "half-life" multiple times, emphasizing the theme of decay and the idea that life is not fully lived. The third verse continues this imagery, describing someone who is "All fucked up" and turns to alcohol for relief. The phrase "Pat on the back and kicked in the teeth" is a vivid description of the mixed messages that people receive from society.
Overall, the lyrics to Half-Life paint a bleak picture of life in the modern world. The song suggests that people are trapped in cycles of decay and are struggling to find meaning and purpose in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Three, four
Counting in time with the music
Half-life
Referring to a half-life as a metaphor for someone who is stuck in a rut or is feeling unfulfilled in life
Welcome the worse
Expecting negative outcomes
Run to your station and your stations a curse
Feeling trapped in a job or situation that makes you unhappy
Daddy says wait and see
Receiving advice from a parental figure to be patient and wait for things to get better
Ain't seen the sun since 1973
Being in a dark, negative place for a long time
Fake your claim
Faking happiness or success when really feeling unfulfilled
Falling asleep and waking up is the same
Feeling like every day is the same and nothing is changing
And half-dead too
Feeling like a part of you is missing or not alive
Work is for suckers and the sucker is you
Believing that working hard does not lead to success and feeling like a failure
You know the lies they tell are told until they're true
Not trusting what people say because they may be lying
You know they hardly ever
Expressing a lack of faith in others
I'm falling fast
Feeling like things are getting worse quickly
I'm not gonna last
Feeling like you cannot handle the pressures of life
You want it
Desiring success or happiness
They got it
Believing that others have what you want
It's your circumstance
Feeling that external factors are blocking your path to success
You know they hardly ever give a leaper a chance
Feeling like opportunities for success are few and far between
All fucked up
Feeling mentally or emotionally disturbed
You're born with nothing better make it enough
Feeling that you have nothing and need to try to make the best of it
Pat on the back and kicked in the teeth
Feeling like others praise you while secretly wanting to bring you down
Alcohol will be your only relief
Using alcohol or other substances to escape feeling unfulfilled or unhappy
Or no life at all
Feeling that there are only two options: feeling unfulfilled or not living at all
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DaemionBlackFire
18 years ago I bought this album. Damn. I remember the line "Alcohol will be your only relief" because at the time, it was :P
@donnix1192
Yes, around 2002 when I got this record alcohol was my only relief too! Then it was my only reason for existence lol
@silver3365
[Intro]
Three, Four!
[Verse 1]
Half-life
Welcome the worst
Born to your station and your station's your curse
Daddy says, "Just wait and see"
Ain't seen the sun since 1973
[Verse 2]
Half-life
Fake your claim
Falling asleep and waking up is the same
I'm half alive, and half dead too
Work is for suckers and the sucker is you
[Pre-Chorus]
You know the lies they tell are told until they're true
[Chorus]
You know they hardly ever
(Yeah, I'm falling fast)
You know they hardly ever
(I'm not gonna last)
You want it, they got it
It's your circumstance
You know they hardly ever give a lepar a chance
[Post-Chorus]
Half-life
Half-life
Half-life
Or no life at all
[Verse 3]
Half-life
And all fucked up
You're born with nothing, better make it enough
Pat on the back
Or kicked in the teeth
Alcohol will be your only relief
[Pre-Chorus]
You know they lies they tell are told because of you
[Chorus]
You know they hardly ever
(Yeah, I'm falling fast)
You know they hardly ever
(I'm not gonna last)
You want it, they got it
It's your circumstance
You know they hardly ever give a lepar a chance
[Post-Chorus]
Half-life
Half-life
Half-life
Or no life at all
[Pre-Chorus]
You know the lies they tell are told until they're true
[Chorus]
You know they hardly ever
(Yeah, I'm falling fast)
You know they hardly ever
(I'm not gonna last)
You want it, they got it
It's your circumstance
You know they hardly ever give a lepar a chance
You know they hardly ever
(Yeah, I'm falling fast)
You know they hardly ever
(I'm not gonna last)
You want it, they got it
It's your circumstance
You know they hardly ever give a lepar a chance
[Post-Chorus]
Half-life
Half-life
Half-life
You know they hardly ever give a lepar a chance
[Outro]
@clancy76
Love this song, always wondered if it was an homage to Kiss' "Parasite."
@LorenStClair
way before, but get it
@kjloteexkilotonni6635
perkele
@charlesmoore5954
Are you Local H? No? No ads then, You don't deserve revenue for THEIR WORK
@jdphunky
local h can monetize this so just relax. Even when it's not their channel
@o-donnell
if a video features a song that gets copy right claimed, ads will be placed on the video by the songs distributor, and they make the money
@doctypepublic
They are the record label...