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)
Hit the Road
Oxymoron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plenty of new faces cos the nights are long
Tearing down the highway, full speed ahead
Miles uncounted, the van? become our bed
I really missed all that
All bottles empty so we gotta stop
Hey what a country we're not sold a drop
Out and up now because we're on the bill
And play we will
Chaos across the nation, we hit the road again
Chaos and fun and booze for free that's how life's to be
Chaos across the nation let's go to hit the road again
(up the next decade)
Living like a rover, troubles where we get
Getting pulled over - oh, how we're used to that
One room at a motel for the six of us
The rest too short cos our next show's away some hours
And we stuck in bars
The song "Hit the Road" by Oxymoron is an upbeat punk rock track that narrates a journey by a touring band on the road. The lyrics portray the life of musicians on tour, the ups and downs of the journey, the camaraderie among bandmates, and the excitement of playing live shows. The song starts with the band's journey to various cities while meeting new people along the way, singing: "Daily other places and we're still going on. Plenty of new faces cos the nights are long." The lyrics capture the essence of being on the road, never staying in one place too long, and experiencing a sense of freedom.
Moreover, the chorus of "Hit the Road" shifts towards the chaotic nature of touring, with the band encountering various challenges and indulging in drugs and alcohol. The line "Chaos across the nation, we hit the road again" serves as a reminder that road life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but ultimately, it is part of the appeal. The lyrics provide an honest impression of the touring lifestyle, warts and all, which is paradoxically both enchanting and exhausting.
In conclusion, "Hit the Road" is a powerful track that captures the heart of what it means to be on tour - the joy, the frustration, the sense of liberation, and the wild adventures on the way. Oxymoron expresses their passion for music, camaraderie with their bandmates, and a deep desire to continue playing live shows.
Line by Line Meaning
Daily other places and we're still going on
We travel to different places every day, but we keep moving forward.
Plenty of new faces cos the nights are long
During long nights, we meet many new people.
Tearing down the highway, full speed ahead
We are driving fast and recklessly on the highway.
Miles uncounted, the van? become our bed
We have traveled so far that our van has become our makeshift bedroom.
I really missed all that
I truly missed this adventurous lifestyle.
All bottles empty so we gotta stop
We need to stop because all our bottles are empty.
Hey what a country we're not sold a drop
We can't buy alcohol in this country, which is disappointing.
Heading for the venue for another kill
We're headed to the venue to perform and give it our all.
Out and up now because we're on the bill
We're excited to perform because we're part of the lineup.
And play we will
We will perform our music as planned.
Chaos across the nation, we hit the road again
We cause some chaos wherever we go while continuing to travel.
Chaos and fun and booze for free that's how life's to be
We believe life should be filled with chaos, fun, and free drinks.
Chaos across the nation let's go to hit the road again
We're ready to hit the road again and create more chaos as we travel.
(up the next decade)
We're planning to continue traveling like this for the next 10 years.
Living like a rover, troubles where we get
We live like nomads, and our problems follow us wherever we go.
Getting pulled over - oh, how we're used to that
We're so familiar with getting pulled over by the police that it's not surprising anymore.
One room at a motel for the six of us
All six of us have to share one motel room.
The rest too short cos our next show's away some hours
Our rest time is too brief because we have to leave for our next show in a few hours.
And we stuck in bars
We end up passing our time in bars because we have nowhere else to go.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind