To date, Overkill has released nineteen studio albums, an album of cover songs, two EPs, one demo tape and three live albums. They were one of the first thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (having signed to Atlantic Records in 1986), and rose to fame as part of the genre's movement of the mid-to-late 1980s, along with the "Big Four" (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) as well as Exodus and Testament. Overkill achieved their first mainstream success with its second studio album and Atlantic debut, Taking Over (1987), which peaked at number 191 on the Billboard 200. The band's next five studio albums—Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993) and W.F.O. (1994)—were also successful on the Billboard charts, with the latter two cracking the top ten on the Top Heatseekers chart. Following their split from Atlantic in 1995, Overkill went through some label changes, but continued to enjoy moderate underground success, particularly in Europe and Japan. The band experienced a resurgence of popularity in the U.S. during the 2010s, with three of their studio albums released that decade—The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014) and The Grinding Wheel (2017)—reaching the top 100 on the charts. Overkill has sold over 16 million records worldwide; they are also estimated to have sold more than 625,000 records in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overkill_(band)
Studio albums
Feel the Fire (1985)
Taking Over (1987)
Under the Influence (1988)
The Years of Decay (1989)
Horrorscope (1991)
I Hear Black (1993)
W.F.O. (1994)
The Killing Kind (1996)
From the Underground and Below (1997)
Necroshine (1999)
Bloodletting (2000)
Killbox 13 (2003)
ReliXIV (2005)
Immortalis (2007)
Ironbound (2010)
The Electric Age (2012)
White Devil Armory (2014)
The Grinding Wheel (2017)
The Wings of War (2019)
Scorched (2023)
Old school
Overkill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A bit too much, a bit too proud
The only way we knew to do it right
It washed away the misery
So do you know your history
Or did you only show up for the fight
Now all my friends are heading to L'Amour
And if we had the chance to say
Not to go another way
Here's to the old school, didn'[t matter if you looked cool
We drank some beers and broke some heads
We never gave a shit
Climbed every mountain, stormed every city
They said that this would never last
We never gave a fuck
Yeah there's blood all over me
I caught the eye of Johnny Z
Bang your head, thrash around the pit
Who the fuck woulda thunk
They're playing us on Eddie Trunk
Catch some air, dive, who gives a shit
And all my friends are heading to the Ritz
Bobby G, Rat Skates, DD & Blitz
And if we get the chance to play
No, we'll never go away
Here's to the old school, didn't matter if you looked cool
We drank some beers and broke some heads
We never gave a shit
Climbed every mountain, stormed every city
They said that this would never last
We never gave a fuck
Here's to the old school, didn't matter if you looked cool
We drank some beers and broke some heads
We never gave a shit
Climbed every mountain, we stormed every city
They said that this would never last
We never gave a fuck
Here's to the old school, didn't matter if you looked cool
We drank some beers and broke some heads
We never gave a shit
Climbed every mountain, stormed every city
They said that this would never last
We never gave a fuck
The song "Old School" by Overkill is a tribute to the early days of the thrash metal movement, when everything was about just playing fast, loud, and hard without any regard for commercial success or fitting into any trends. The lyrics reflect the spirit of the time, where bands like Overkill and others were playing in small clubs and basements, just hoping to make a name for themselves.
The song describes the scene and the culture of the '80s thrash metal scene, where bands played with a fierce intensity and energy, and the fans would thrash around in the pit, often resulting in injuries and chaos. The lines "We played it fast, we played it loud / A bit too much, a bit too proud / The only way we knew to do it right" reflect the attitude of the time, where it was all about going all out and giving it your all on stage.
The chorus "Here's to the old school, didn't matter if you looked cool / We drank some beers and broke some heads / We never gave a shit / Climbed every mountain, stormed every city / They said that this would never last / We never gave a fuck" is a celebration of that spirit, of the DIY ethos and the rebelliousness that characterized the early days of thrash metal.
Line by Line Meaning
We played it fast, we played it loud
We performed our music quickly and with high volume
A bit too much, a bit too proud
We may have taken it to an extreme, but were proud of our style
The only way we knew to do it right
For us, this was the only way to properly create our music
It washed away the misery
Our music helped us forget our troubles
So do you know your history
Do you understand the roots of our music genre?
Or did you only show up for the fight
Are you genuinely interested in the music or just here to cause chaos?
Here's to the old school, didn't matter if you looked cool
Cheers to the original, authentic fans who didn't care about appearances
We drank some beers and broke some heads
We enjoyed ourselves with both alcohol and rowdy behavior
We never gave a shit
We were carefree and unbothered by others' views
Climbed every mountain, stormed every city
We went everywhere to play our music
They said that this would never last
Critics believed our music genre was a passing fad with no staying power
We never gave a fuck
But we didn't care and continued to do it anyway
Yeah there's blood all over me
After a particularly wild show, I am covered in bruises and scrapes
I caught the eye of Johnny Z
I made a connection with a prominent figure in the music industry
Bang your head, thrash around the pit
Move your body to the beat and get lost in the music with us
Who the fuck woulda thunk
Can you believe this music genre is now mainstream and respected?
They're playing us on Eddie Trunk
Our music is being featured on a respected radio show
Catch some air, dive, who gives a shit
Jump up and down in the crowd, it doesn't matter what others think
And all my friends are heading to the Ritz
My close friends and bandmates are headed to a popular music venue
Bobby G, Rat Skates, DD & Blitz
These are all members or former members of the band
And if we get the chance to play
If given the opportunity, we will take the stage and perform with passion
No, we'll never go away
We are dedicated to our music and will always be here to perform it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edison Mustaine Thrash 666
R.I.P OLD SCHOOL
R.I.P THRASH METAL
R.I.P GOLD METAL ERA
HEY JAMES HETFIELD THIS IS REAL KICK ASS THRASH METAL
OVERKILL FOREVER .......THRASH NEVER DIES .....MOSH 4 LIFE
Louis Csanko
EDISON, PEOPLE WILL DIE, UNFORTUNATELY!!! BUT METAL WILL NEVER DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oldmaninacave
The words in this song are so true to what overkill did (and are still doing). Constantly releasing amazing material! Nice job! \m/
Jan Kowalski
The best number off the worst album.
Living For The Kill
Can't wait for the new one this summer...
Gaming Room
this is perfect. they should hire you to make music videos for them
Francisco Javier Benítez García
Larga vida para Overkill
TORMENTNJBLASTEDNJ
This song is awesome 🤘🏻
chroscielewski
Man, You are band's hidden crew member. Do They know about Your work? It's great.
Bebe Ratm
Total respect for your work.my brother just told me to check for the song because i havent know it.its a nice one.
p.s.:can i ask what application do you use to insert lyrics?