Ramshackle Glory are a punk rock band from Tucson, USA formed in early 2011… Read Full Bio ↴Ramshackle Glory are a punk rock band from Tucson, USA formed in early 2011. Their music is marked by unconventional instrumentation, an emphasis on lyrical content, and low-quality equipment. The band self-releases music on Savage Wasteland, a collective label run by members of the band, as well as cooperating with friends at Plan-It-X Records and DIY Bandits. Find out more information at www.ramshackleglory.com

Their debut album, "Live The Dream" (2011), explores addiction, recovery, politics, and friendship in the context of trying to make serious life changes without selling out what's important. The raw, self-produced follow up, "Who are your friends gonna be?" (2012), finds home in a darker space with more developed arrangements. Both albums are up for free streaming at http://ramshackleglory.bandcamp.com.

Ramshackle Glory has toured all over the United States. Currently the group is on hiatus after completing a 68 day tour in the summer of 2012, a journey documented by the band in the documentary "One more time for Texas!" (2012), available at http://youtu.be/9rmDXpoiUOE.

The band consists of Disdane on bass, Douglas on banjo, Eric on trumpet, Luke on drums, Nick on accordion, Pat on guitar, and Wyndham on piano. Andrew Link from the Taxpayers filled in on bass for parts of the summer 2012 tour while Disdane was stuck at home in Arizona, facing down 20 years in prison for standing up against Nazis in Phoenix during November 2010. (Disdane is currently not in jail, on three years of probation, after pleading guilty to one felony charge of Disorderly Conduct. More about that is on http://azantifa.wordpress.com.)

Exploration of Coercion in Everyday Life
Ramshackle Glory Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the space between a neighborhood and a street map,
Between a battle fought and a ballot cast,
Between our vacant hands and the things we lack,
In the space between having nothing and everything.
Between your tired bones and the empty buildings,
Between this abandoned lot and a vegetable garden,
There are people with guns who know how to use them,
Nothing better to do than hop in their cruisers,

And go crack the skulls of some dropouts and losers,
And get congratulated on restraint when they do it.
So if we can't blow up a social relationship, we also can't reason with bullets,
So let's not be confused who uniforms and badges work for.
It's not intelligence that keeps assholes rich,
It's fucking armies of blue rolling with full clips,
With handcuffs and clubs for anyone who's sick of going without just because they're poor.
And in the space between who I am and who I should be,
Between a tired loner and a community,
Between where the van broke down and Alturas Street,
And in the space between me and the neighbors out on the street,
Between these walls that we pay to keep,
And the ruins that this world deserves to be.
There are people with guns who know how to use them,
Nothing better to do than hop in their cruisers,
And go crack the skulls of some dropouts and losers,
And get congratulated on restraint when they do it.
So if we can't blow up a social relationship, we also can't reason with bullets,
So let's not be confused who uniforms and badges work for.
It's not intelligence that keeps assholes rich,

It's fucking armies of blue rolling with full clips,
With handcuffs and clubs for anyone who's sick of going without just because they're poor.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ramshackle Glory's song, "Exploration of Coercion in Everyday Life", describe the space between societal disparities and the use of force by those in power. The song points out that in the space between a neighborhood and a street map, between having nothing and everything, between being a tired loner and a community, there are people with guns who know how to use them, and are willing to crack the skulls of those they consider dropouts and losers. The song highlights how the police and other uniformed personnel reinforce the existing power structures through violence, instead of attempting to reason with the community.

The song laments that even though blowing up societal relationships through violence is not the answer, the use of force cannot reason with bullets. Therefore, one cannot be confused about who uniforms and badges work for. The song concludes by pointing out that armies of blue rolling with full clips, handcuffs, and clubs for those who are sick of going without just because they're poor is not an intelligent way of keeping assholes rich.

Overall, the song raises important questions and criticisms about power, privilege, and the use of force to maintain the status quo. It highlights the emotional and physical tension between the haves and the have-nots and the systemic violence that perpetuates inequality.

Line by Line Meaning

In the space between a neighborhood and a street map,
The divide between the reality of our communities and the planned design on paper.

Between a battle fought and a ballot cast,
The difference between fighting for change and using the established political system to make a difference.

Between our vacant hands and the things we lack,
The discrepancy between what we have and what we need.

In the space between having nothing and everything.
The space of inequality between the haves and the have-nots.

Between your tired bones and the empty buildings,
The connection between the exhaustion of the individual and their surroundings that are in disrepair or lack of use.

Between this abandoned lot and a vegetable garden,
The transformation of an empty space into something productive and useful for the community.

There are people with guns who know how to use them,
The threat of violence from those in power and the authority that comes with it.

Nothing better to do than hop in their cruisers,
The mindless actions of law enforcement who seek to exert their power for the sake of exerting power.

And go crack the skulls of some dropouts and losers,
The violent tendency to inflict harm on those who society has deemed as outcasts or unworthy.

And get congratulated on restraint when they do it.
The dangerous normalization and justification of excessive force and violence from those in authority.

So if we can't blow up a social relationship, we also can't reason with bullets,
The recognition that violence only begets violence and there needs to be a different way to enact change.

So let's not be confused who uniforms and badges work for.
The understanding that those who wear badges and uniforms are not necessarily serving the good of the people but rather their own interests.

It's not intelligence that keeps assholes rich,
Intelligence does not necessarily equate to wealth or power.

It's fucking armies of blue rolling with full clips,
The true source of power and control lies with law enforcement and their ability to inflict violence.

With handcuffs and clubs for anyone who's sick of going without just because they're poor.
Law enforcement is used as a tool to maintain the societal structures that enable poverty and inequality to exist.

Between where the van broke down and Alturas Street,
The physical distance between points is often full of challenges and obstacles.

And in the space between me and the neighbors out on the street,
The social distance between individuals in the same community can lead to a lack of understanding and empathy.

Between these walls that we pay to keep,
The barriers that exist between individuals due to societal norms and expectations.

And the ruins that this world deserves to be.
The belief that the world is inherently flawed and full of destruction and chaos.

Contributed by Anna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS