Oxymoron is a German Oi!/streetpunk band formed in 1992. The band was found… Read Full Bio ↴Oxymoron is a German Oi!/streetpunk band formed in 1992. The band was founded by Sucker (vocals) and his cousin Bjoern (drums), who recruited two friends, Martin (guitar) and Filzlaus (bass).
Originating from the Erlangen/Nuernberg area of Germany, their first real public performance was at an annual punk rock festival in their hometown, along with other local bands. After the show, they were offered several slots as support acts for more established bands all over Germany.

In May 1994, they released their debut EP, Beware, Poisonous! on their own Oxyfactory Records label. The EP was soon reissued by Helen of Oi! Records in October of that year, which led to a full-length album deal. While recording Fuck The Nineties—Here’s Our Noize, bassist Filzlaus left the band, and was eventually replaced by a friend, Arne. Helen of Oi! Records originally released the album on vinyl in May 1995, and re-released it on CD in the United States in February 1996.

Following the release of Fuck The Nineties—Here’s Our Noize, which received great underground reviews, Oxymoron began to tour across Germany as well as in Europe. They band released a split EP with english band Braindance, entitled Mohican Melodies in September 1995. Oxymoron released the Crisis Identity EP in March 1996 on Arne’s short-lived Rough Beat Records label, and the band appeared on Helen Of Oi!’s Streetpunk Worldwide compilation EP in the same year. They also embarked on their first US tour, along the east coast with Braindance and The Casualties. Also in 1996, Oxymoron made the jump to the German Knock-Out Records label, which released the band's second full-length, The Pack Is Back, in April 1997. The release was followed by more touring in Europe, as well as a three-week summer tour in Japan with The Discocks. Oxymoron established themselves well in the American and German punk scene as an anti-racist streetpunk band.

In 1998, several tours were cancelled, Sucker had to be hospitalized for nerve damage, and Arne decided to leave the band just weeks before they were to head back into the studio. They released a split with Dropkick Murphys titled Irish Stout vs. German Lager. Chrissy, who temporarily had been a second guitarist and had played bass on the first US tour, stepped in on bass. March 1999 saw the release of the mini-album, Westworld, and was followed by more touring of Europe as well as a seven-week coast-to-coast US tour with Dropkick Murphys and the Ducky Boys. Chrissy left the band after the tour and was quickly replaced by Morpheus.

In October 2000, Oxymoron released a compilation album, Best Before 2000, which included all previous 7” singles, along with tracks from previous compilations. November 2001 marked the release of the Savage Output EP, which included three tracks from their upcoming full-length along and one unreleased track. Their third full-length album, Feed The Breed was also released in November 2001, and was followed by a six-week coast-to-coast US tour, as well as a European/German tour.

Martin, decided to leave the band, which led to Chrissy stepping in on guitar. They eventually found a replacement guitarist, but he left in the middle of the 2002 US tour. The band’s driver, Davey, filled the void for the remainder of the tour, and also on the following European tour.

While not announcing an official breakup, Oxymoron has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2002, when Oxymoron announced: "In the near future you won't hear much from us. Oxymoron will have a break for a while! We'll let you know what's going on here, but first of all we definitely [need to] take some time off with the band." In 2005 they reported that "the band is still on ice." 2006 saw the release of somewhat new material in the Noize Overdose split EP with Bonecrusher. The EP contained previously unreleased tracks, along with live footage from a 1999 Hamburg, Germany concert. 2006 also marked the release of the first album of Sucker’s solo project, Bad Co. Project, entitled Sucker Stories.

Current members
Sucker: Vocals (1992-Present)
Bjoern: Drums (1992-Present)
Morpheus: Bass (1999-Present)

Former members
Filzlaus: Bass (1992-1994)
Martin: Guitar (1992-2001)
Arne: Bass (1995-1998)
Chrissy: Bass (1996 US Tour, 1998-1999)
Chrissy: Guitar (2001)
Unknown Member: Guitar (Played for part of 2002 US Tour)
Davey: Guitar (2002)

Alive or Dead
Oxymoron Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You ain't like us but you try to be
You're a fake you're a joke, you are nothing like me
See no spirit behind the sound you play
You're a fake
It's still our music you abuse
You're a fake
It's our way of life that you misuse
You're a fake

On the dole, on parole - but not selling out, alive or dead
We won't sell our soul for a faggy rock'n'roll career

This is the way we feel
This band's for now and real

We're seeing you through
And your intentions ain't true
So fuck you, fuck you
If I was in your way
You would bury me alive or dead
You could hear our vows
If you came to our shows
Singing fuck you, fuck you
There's too many of you yet
And you're full of shit

The bandwagon's jumped on there's one ahead
You're a fake
You'll be gone as fast as your name was spread
You're a fake

You'd play jazz tomorrow if that was hip
You're a fake
Five minute fashion's stardom trip
You're a fake
There's no place among us if you wanna get
You're a fake

Just a famous rockstar, alive or dead
You're a fake

Overall Meaning

The song "Alive or Dead" by Oxymoron is a punk rock anthem that expresses defiance against those who pretend to be part of the punk culture but are not genuine. The lyrics are a proclamation to fake and pretentious individuals who try to emulate the punk rockers’ lifestyle by selling out their authenticity to gain superficial fame. The band members question their dedication to the music they play and their lifestyle, pointing out the inauthenticity of their spirit behind the sound they produce. The lyrics assert that the punk rock culture embodies values such as honesty, authenticity, and a do it yourself attitude, which the fake individuals lack. The song is a tribute to the punk rock subculture community, and it declares that the punk lifestyle is not a trend or a fashion statement.

The lyrics also convey that the punk rock community is a selective and tight-knit community that does not welcome outsiders who do not share the same values. The song exposes the fake individuals' lack of originality and their tendency to jump on the bandwagon to pursue fame and fortune, regardless of the cost. The band members question their commitment and their intentions, declaring that they will not sell their souls for a faggy rock'n'roll career. The song's message is clear: those who exploit the punk culture for fame and fortune are not welcome in the punk rock community.

Line by Line Meaning

You ain't like us but you try to be
You don't fit in with us but you pretend to

You're a fake you're a joke, you are nothing like me
You're dishonest and a laughingstock, nothing like who I am

See no spirit behind the sound you play
There is no soul in the music you perform

It's still our music you abuse
You mistreat the music that we created

It's our way of life that you misuse
You exploit and take advantage of our way of living

On the dole, on parole - but not selling out, alive or dead
We may be unemployed or in legal trouble, but we won't betray our beliefs or principles, no matter what happens to us

We won't sell our soul for a faggy rock'n'roll career
We won't compromise our integrity for a shallow and meaningless rock and roll career

This is the way we feel
This is how we genuinely feel

This band's for now and real
This band is current and authentic

We're seeing you through
We see through your facade

And your intentions ain't true
Your motives are insincere

So fuck you, fuck you
We express our anger and disdain towards you

If I was in your way
If I was blocking your path

You would bury me alive or dead
You would harm me, whether or not I was alive

You could hear our vows
If you attended our performances, you would understand our convictions

If you came to our shows
If you attended our musical events

Singing fuck you, fuck you
We would express our derision towards you through our songs

There's too many of you yet
There are too many people like you around