The groups name came about as a mere fluke from some light hearted criticism. According to vocalist Jason Sears in a 2002 interview with Thrasher magazine: “It happened that some guy said, 'Ha, those kids will never be anything, they're just a bunch of rich kids on LSD, man.' The first party we played we didn't have a name for the band, so we put that one on the flier and it just stuck.”
Their musical evolution can be heard on their webpage, which features "RKL Radio" with nearly all of their songs streamed including a complete discography.
RKL break-up and return
After a couple line-up changes in the late eighties and early nineties, the original vocalist Jason Sears returned to the band in 1994 to help finish their European tour. This sparked the band to record its first album, Riches to Rags, with him in a little under a decade. The band suffered an ill-fated break-up in 1996 which led most of the members of the band to go on to other projects and form new bands. However only a year later did the band return with most of its previous members minus drummer Dave Raun and guitarist Barry "D'Live" Ward who had their spots filled by Boz Rivera and Chris Flippin.
Guitarist Chris Rest and the bands original drummer Richard "Bomer" Manzullo, formed The Other with Mad Caddies drummer Boz Rivera. Boz would later go on to join RKL when they reunited in 1997.
Former guitarist Barry Ward otherwise known as "Barry D'Live" went on to play with such acts as Hotbox as well as playing under the alias "The Wooper" with the group he currently resides in, the Crosstops. He also stood in for some bands on tour such as filling in for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes guitarist Chris Shiflett (who also plays for the Foo Fighters) as well as being hired on as Balsac the Jaws of Death for the theatrical shock rock group GWAR.
Former drummer Dave Raun, Chris Rest and future member Chris Flippin joined the Goleta based punk band Lagwagon. Dave also went on to play drums for the all-star cover band, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
Bassist Joe Raposo along with Chris Rest and Boz Rivera also compose half of the San Francisco based group King City.
Vocalist Jason Sears did a track for a Snot tribute album to their late lead singer Lynn Strait. He later did an album with the San Diego based band Mercury Legion.
RKL today
On March 30, 2005, Derrick Plourde, former drummer of RKL, who also played in Lagwagon, Bad Astronaut, Jaws, and The Ataris, committed suicide. Lagwagon paid tribute to Derrick with their 2005 release of the album Resolve.
On December 12, 2005, the original drummer Richard Anthony Manzullo (aka "Bomer") died due to heart failure at his home in Summerland, California. The cause of death was the result of a long time battle with drug addictions.
On January 31, 2006, Jason Sears died due to complications while undergoing a detox treatment involving ibogaine in Tijuana, Mexico. The cause of death was the result of a pulmonary embolism caused by thrombosis.
Currently the future for RKL remains uncertain. There are rumors of an "RKLAOKE" show sometime in the Summer of 2006 as a benefit concert to raise money for Jason's kids. The show as well as time and venue have yet to be confirmed. The show would feature the remaining members of the band playing all the past favorites with different members of the audience.
Past and present band members of R.K.L.
Current Lineup (1997-2005)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Chris Flippin -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
Joe Raposo -- bass
Boz Rivera -- drums
Lineup (1994-1996)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Barry Ward -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
Joe Raposo -- Bass
Dave Raun -- drums
Lineup (1992-1993)
Bomer Manzullo -- vocals
Barry Ward -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
Joe Raposo -- Bass
Dave Raun -- drums
Lineup (1987-1989)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Joe Raposo -- bass
Barry Ward -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
"Bomer" Manzullo -- drums
Lineup (1985-1987)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Vince Peppars -- bass
Chris Rest -- guitar
Barry Ward -- guitar
"Bomer" Manzullo -- drums
Original lineup (1983-1985)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Vince Peppars -- bass
Chris Rest -- guitar
"Alpo" -- guitar
"Bomer" Manzullo -- drums
R.K.L. Discography
Nardcore, Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984; "US Steel", "Lies", "No Respect")
It's a Beautiful Feeling, 7" EP (Mystic Records, 1984)
Covers, Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984; "Chinese Rocks")
Mystic Super Seven Sampler #1, Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984)
Return to Slimey Valley LP , Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1985; "Evil In You")
Keep Laughing LP (Mystic Records, 1985)
RocK 'n Roll Nightmare LP (Alchemy Records, 1987; re-released on CD by Epitaph Records)
Double Live in Berlin LP (Destiny Records, 1989; recorded live in Germany on 1988 tour)
Reactivate LP (Epitaph Records, 1993)
Riches to Rags LP (Epitaph Records, 1994)
Revenge is a Beautiful Feeling, CD (2000?)
Keep Laughing (w/ It's a Beautiful Feeling), Mystic Re-release, CD (2002)
Videos
Still Flailing After All These Beers, VHS (1997)
Betrayed
RKL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a burning in my head and in my heart.
Promises were made, friendship lost along the way,
A twisted path of lies, deception from the start.
We had our dreams, high hopes, we trusted you.
But the decisions that you made,
And the staring role you played.
Quickly made us realize what we must do.
And I gave my trust to you,
Got stabbed in the back and left for dead,
Why'd you do the things you do?
With all the lies, deceit, wrong things got said.
Never expected this of you,
Should've known better than to do what I did,
I was blind and you were shrewd.
Had me eating from your hand like a naive little kid
Laid down my guard wound up screwed!
Betrayed!
There comes a time in all our lives when quickly we
must learn from our mistakes,
Now trusting no one, guard held high,
Second guessing all the chances that he takes.
We all must learn to use the term my friend,
To those deserving of the phrase.
Avoiding the pain and all the rage from knowing
That you've been Betrayed.
Never again will I trust you,
Left for dead knife buried in my back.
I wish I would have knew,
Your sneakiness, plan of attack.
This is what you do.
Lying, cheating, and all that crap,
No chance for number two.
With my guard held high and my wall built strong,
Next time around I'll screw you!
There comes the time in all of our lives
When quickly we must learn from our mistakes.
Not knowing why we made them, just the outcome
And the feelings they create.
Whether it's sadness, loss of trust, death, pain, forgiveness,
love, joy, sex, happiness, or fate,
It's one of these, the biggest one, that I really hate
It's a feeling you get when a trust so deep,
A trust between friends has been broken
And you know you got played, it's that feeling...
You straight up been Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Straight up been Betrayed!
Betrayed!
There comes the time in every life
When quickly we must learn from our mistakes.
Betrayed!
Now trusting no one
Guard held high, second guessing
All the chances that he takes...
Betrayed!
The song "Betrayed" by RKL is an emotive expression of pain and anguish caused by a breach of trust. The singer sings about the betrayal that was inflicted on them by someone they trusted implicitly, someone who they thought was a friend. The lyrics depict the shattered hopes and dreams that were built on the foundation of promises that were made and the loss of friendship that ensued. The songwriter accuses the betrayer of lying, cheating, and using underhanded methods to achieve their goals, leaving the singer feeling disillusioned, hurt, and alone. The song ends on a note of caution, warning that trust must be earned and not blindly given, and that betrayal can be an ever-present danger in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Feelings of rejection, no false hopes or misconception,
I feel rejected and there is no room for misinterpretation.
Just a burning in my head and in my heart.
This feeling of rejection is causing me great emotional pain.
Promises were made, friendship lost along the way,
We made promises; you betrayed our friendship.
A twisted path of lies, deception from the start.
There has been constant lying and deception from the beginning.
The future lay in your hands with talk of stardom, all your plans,
We had high hopes for the future with your promises of fame.
We had our dreams, high hopes, we trusted you.
We had big dreams and trusted you to help us achieve them.
But the decisions that you made,
Your choices were detrimental to our friendship.
And the staring role you played.
You had a starring role in the deception and betrayal.
Quickly made us realize what we must do.
Your actions quickly made us realize that we could no longer trust you.
And I gave my trust to you,
I trusted you completely.
Got stabbed in the back and left for dead,
You betrayed me and left me distraught.
Why'd you do the things you do?
I don't understand your motives for betraying me.
With all the lies, deceit, wrong things got said.
Your lies and deceit caused many hurtful things to be said and done.
Never expected this of you,
I never thought you would do something like this.
Should've known better than to do what I did,
I should have known better than to trust you.
I was blind and you were shrewd.
I was naive and you were cunning.
Had me eating from your hand like a naive little kid
You had complete control over me like I was a child.
Laid down my guard wound up screwed!
I let my guard down and now I'm in a bad situation.
Betrayed!
You betrayed me.
There comes a time in all our lives when quickly we must learn from our mistakes,
We must learn from our mistakes as soon as possible.
Now trusting no one, guard held high,
I no longer trust anyone and am constantly on guard.
Second guessing all the chances that he takes.
I am hesitant to take any risks or chances.
We all must learn to use the term my friend,
We must be careful with whom we call 'friend.'
To those deserving of the phrase.
Only those who are trustworthy and deserving of our friendship should be called 'friend'.
Avoiding the pain and all the rage from knowing
We must avoid the pain and anger that comes from betrayal.
That you've been Betrayed.
The feeling of being betrayed is one that is hard to forget.
Never again will I trust you,
I will never trust you again.
Left for dead knife buried in my back.
You left me to suffer alone after betraying me.
I wish I would have knew,
I wish I had known beforehand.
Your sneakiness, plan of attack.
Your deceitful actions and motives.
This is what you do.
Betrayal is a part of your character.
Lying, cheating, and all that crap,
You constantly lie, cheat, and deceive.
No chance for number two.
I will not give you another chance to betray me again.
With my guard held high and my wall built strong,
I will protect myself by being cautious and untrusting.
Next time around I'll screw you!
I will not allow you to betray me again; I will be the one in control.
There comes the time in all of our lives
There will always be a time in our life when we experience betrayal.
Not knowing why we made them, just the outcome
Sometimes we don't understand why we make certain decisions until it's too late.
And the feelings they create.
The consequences of our actions can create strong emotions.
Whether it's sadness, loss of trust, death, pain, forgiveness,
Betrayal can cause a range of emotions including sadness, loss of trust, pain, and the need for forgiveness.
love, joy, sex, happiness, or fate,
Betrayal can affect any aspect of our lives.
It's one of these, the biggest one, that I really hate
The biggest emotion that comes from betrayal is hate.
It's a feeling you get when a trust so deep,
Betrayal is a feeling that arises when someone has deeply trusted another person.
A trust between friends has been broken
Betrayal often happens between people who consider themselves to be friends.
And you know you got played, it's that feeling...
The feeling of betrayal is the feeling of being played or taken advantage of by someone you trusted.
You straight up been Betrayed!
You have been betrayed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JOE J. RAPOSO, DAVE M. RAUN, CHRISTOPHER N. REST, JASON KEMPER SEARS, BARRY WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marcobertoletti5132
Lyrics:
Feelings of rejection, no false hopes or misconception
Just a burning in my head and in my heart
Promises were made, friendship lost along the way
A twisted path of lies, deception from the start
The future lay in your hands with talk of stardom, all your plans
We had our dreams, high hopes, we trusted you
But the decisions that you made
And the staring role you played
Quickly made us realize what we must do
And I gave my trust to you
Got stabbed in the back and left for dead
Why'd you do the things you do?
With all the lies, deceit, wrong things got said
Never expected this of you
Should've known better than to do what I did
I was blind and you were shrewd
Had me eating from your hand like a naive little kid
Laid down my guard wound up screwed!
Betrayed!
There comes a time in all our lives when quickly we must learn from our mistakes
Now trusting no one, guard held high
Second guessing all the chances that he takes
We all must learn to use the term my friend
To those deserving of the phrase
Avoiding the pain and all the rage from knowing
That you've been Betrayed
Never again will I trust you
Left for dead knife buried in my back
I wish I would have knew
Your sneakiness, plan of attack
This is what you do
Lying, cheating, and all that crap
No chance for number two
With my guard held high and my wall built strong
Next time around I'll screw you!
There comes the time in all of our lives
When quickly we must learn from our mistakes
Not knowing why we made them, just the outcome
And the feelings they create
Whether it's sadness, loss of trust, death, pain, forgiveness
Love, joy, sex, happiness, or fate
It's one of these, the biggest one, that I really hate
It's a feeling you get when a trust so deep
A trust between friends has been broken
And you know you got played, it's that feeling...
You straight up been Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Straight up been Betrayed!
Betrayed!
There comes the time in every life
When quickly we must learn from our mistakes
Betrayed!
Now trusting no one
Guard held high, second guessing
All the chances that he takes...
Betrayed!
@concretecaliban
Such a great song, they play hardcore punk while simultaneously putting most of the 'technically proficient' metal bands of that time to shame with ease. RIP Jason Sears
@marcobertoletti5132
Lyrics:
Feelings of rejection, no false hopes or misconception
Just a burning in my head and in my heart
Promises were made, friendship lost along the way
A twisted path of lies, deception from the start
The future lay in your hands with talk of stardom, all your plans
We had our dreams, high hopes, we trusted you
But the decisions that you made
And the staring role you played
Quickly made us realize what we must do
And I gave my trust to you
Got stabbed in the back and left for dead
Why'd you do the things you do?
With all the lies, deceit, wrong things got said
Never expected this of you
Should've known better than to do what I did
I was blind and you were shrewd
Had me eating from your hand like a naive little kid
Laid down my guard wound up screwed!
Betrayed!
There comes a time in all our lives when quickly we must learn from our mistakes
Now trusting no one, guard held high
Second guessing all the chances that he takes
We all must learn to use the term my friend
To those deserving of the phrase
Avoiding the pain and all the rage from knowing
That you've been Betrayed
Never again will I trust you
Left for dead knife buried in my back
I wish I would have knew
Your sneakiness, plan of attack
This is what you do
Lying, cheating, and all that crap
No chance for number two
With my guard held high and my wall built strong
Next time around I'll screw you!
There comes the time in all of our lives
When quickly we must learn from our mistakes
Not knowing why we made them, just the outcome
And the feelings they create
Whether it's sadness, loss of trust, death, pain, forgiveness
Love, joy, sex, happiness, or fate
It's one of these, the biggest one, that I really hate
It's a feeling you get when a trust so deep
A trust between friends has been broken
And you know you got played, it's that feeling...
You straight up been Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Betrayed!
Straight up been Betrayed!
Betrayed!
There comes the time in every life
When quickly we must learn from our mistakes
Betrayed!
Now trusting no one
Guard held high, second guessing
All the chances that he takes...
Betrayed!
@mikemyers7340
The bass is beyond incredible, like omfg holy shit!! Love this band!
@bob97460
joe raposo no in lagwagon
@galleryofrogues
The drumming is incredible too
@caffeinatedinsanity2324
Everyone in this band can play their asses off.
@mikemyers7340
@Caffeinated insanity Hellyeah they can! 👍👍👍
@jumpfart666
REST IN PEACE this band is GOD
@powelmacid
Best punk album ever.
This was right when they got really good.
@yenrabjb
Uh... Rock'n Roll Nightmare is by far their best album, & one if the best punk albums of all time.