PRIDEBOWL’s vocalist Aaron left for home on December 29:th. Just before PRIDEBOWL split up many labels received a demo-tape. Lost & Found Records from Germany was soon to take interest and promised a seven-inch of the PRIDEBOWL demo and scattered exposure. This never happened though and Lost and Found had once again proved that they can never be trusted.
Through Satanic Surfers (who Pridebowl had played with just before Christmas) a demo found its way to the Bad Taste headquarters where everyone was very impressed with this young quintet. In March Aaron was flown back to Sweden to start rehearsing and later on recording the first Pridebowl EP “Long-Distance” (btr 4).
The sound of PRIDEBOWL can be said to be speedy, melodic punk-rock with serious, explosive lyrics and catchy rhythms. PRIDEBOWL simply means to roll with your pride, no matter what tries to bring you down. Basically, ”keep your chin up, the bad never lasts as long as the good” and ”value yourself or no one else will.”
A number of compilations and surf/bodyboarding videos followed and in January –96 the band was back in the studio again. This time they recorded at Studio Underground (where Satanic Surfers and No Fun At All had previously recorded) and the 12 tracks were released as “Dripping of the Past” late February the same year. This was followed by a CD-single in March and a video of the title track, “The Soft Song” in May. The video was shot by Apollon Bild & Film who had previously made videos by Millencolin, Roxette and E-Type to name but a few.
In June/July PRIDEBOWL played nine shows in California with bands like Strung Out, Good Riddance, Diesel Boy, Home Grown and Falling Sickness. In September/October they’re toured Sweden with Adhesive followed by Europe in February together with labelmates Intensity and Astream. Before leaving on this tour though they once again went to Västerås to record their second full length, “Where You Put Your Trust”, an album that still stands out as one of the best Swedish punk releases ever! The sales of the album quickly exceeded “Drippings…” and it was also licensed to Shock Records in Australia.
In the last week of March the band embarked on the first (and only) Canadian tour. It was the third annual Sno Jam tour and Pridebowl played approx. a dozen amazing shows together with Snfu, Good Riddance, Satanic Surfers & Diesel Boy. People went crazy when Pridebowl played and Canada has ever since been one of Pridebowl’s strongest territories.
During the remainder of the spring Pridebowl played a few shows in Sweden on their own or supporting bigger bands such as the Misfits for example. Late June they went out on a one week tour, playing three shows in France, a skate festival in Italy and a couple of shows in Belgium. Summer ended with them performing at a festival in Emmaboda.
Henrik and Stefan quit the band shortly hereafter and Patrik and Mattias took their places. The first recording they did together was in September when six tracks where recorded at the studio in Varberg, Recordia. Three of these tracks ended up the Adhesive split “No Better, No Worse” released in November –97 and the other three are available on the final album “Yesterday’s End”.
In October they went on a full European tour together with Turtlehead and this was immediately followed by a tour of Asia and Australia in Nov/Dec! The first show was in Hong Kong and the band went from here up to Beijing where another couple of shows were played. After touring China (as the first foreign punk band ever) and basically risking their lives considering the contents of their lyrics, they played four shows in Japan and then flew over to Australia for the last two weeks on this tour. In Australia they played with Frenzal Rhomb which is one of the biggest punk bands around attracting up to 5 thousand (people) at their shows!! Needless to say, Pridebowl played some incredible shows!
They returned from Australia at the end of 1997 and when Aaron went to the US for a month in January, the other members more or less decided to put an end to the band. Things had gotten worse and worse between them during the different tours and they all felt (Aaron included) that they couldn’t go on anymore. Three final songs were recorded before Aaron went back to the U.S. for good and “Yesterday’s End” (containing mostly unreleased, but also some out of print material) was released late September this year and can be seen as the band’s farewell album to all their fans.
Ambitious Ways
Pridebowl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your ambitious ways put me in a daze
Never giving up never putting up
Never walk away , your well-mannered way
A smoke filled room never turns you down
Your head held hild as you touch the sky
Honor compels you respect you have earned
But when someone puts you down it's something you have
A one man band
Controlling conversation with your inspiration
The one and only figure with so much devastation
You earn your way through as though you've nothing to do
With the scandalous acts you do proudly contribute
You have no way out , 'cause there's no way in
It's a one man band , a one man show
A one man band
[Repeat first half verse]
Never walk away your well-mandered way
The song Ambitious Ways by Pridebowl is about an individual who has ambitious ways that set him apart from others. The lyrics praise this person for never giving up, for always having a well-mannered way, and for never walking away. The lyrics also mention that this person is comfortable in a smoke-filled room and holds their head high as they touch the sky. This person has earned respect through their honor, but has also earned the disdain of those they have put down along the way. The person is described as a one-man band, in control of the conversation with their inspiration, and causing devastation with their scandalous acts.
This song could be interpreted as a homage to someone who has dared to be different and has achieved great things through their determination and ambition. However, the lyrics also hint at the darker side of this person's character, their arrogance and disregard for others, which has contributed to their success. The song presents this person as both admirable and flawed, reflecting the complexity of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Ambitious ways set the stage
Your drive and determination create the foundation for your success
Your ambitious ways put me in a daze
Your relentless pursuit of your goals leaves me awestruck
Never giving up never putting up
You never surrender or compromise your values
Never walk away , your well-mannered way
You handle difficult situations with grace and diplomacy, never retreating from a challenge
A smoke filled room never turns you down
Even in unfavorable conditions, you persevere and overcome obstacles
Your head held high as you touch the sky
Your confidence and determination propel you to new heights
Honor compels you, respect you have earned
Your code of ethics motivates you to act with integrity, and in turn, earns you admiration and esteem from others
But when someone puts you down it's something you have earned
You expect criticism or ridicule as a byproduct of your success, and take it as validation of your efforts
A one man band
You are self-reliant and capable of independently accomplishing your goals
Controlling conversation with your inspiration
You inspire others and influence their behavior through your words and actions
The one and only figure with so much devastation
Your power and influence are unmatched
You earn your way through as though you've nothing to do
Your success is earned through hard work and perseverance, as if it was effortless
With the scandalous acts you do proudly contribute
You are unafraid to challenge norms and push boundaries, even if it means being controversial
You have no way out , 'cause there's no way in
You are so committed to your goals that there is no retreating or giving up
It's a one man band , a one man show
You are the sole performer and driving force behind your success
Never walk away your well-mannered way
You persist in the face of adversity, while maintaining your poise and composure
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.