Rancid has had two lineup changes since its inception, with Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman being continuous members. Their current lineup consists of Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Freeman on bass and vocals, Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert on drums. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. This lineup recorded their first album, with Frederiksen joining the band on their subsequent tour.
To date, Rancid has released ten studio albums, one split album, one compilation, two extended plays, and a series of live online-only albums, and has been featured on a number of compilation albums. The band has sold over four million records worldwide, making it one of the most successful punk rock groups of all time. The band rose to fame in 1994 with its second studio album, Let's Go, featuring the single "Salvation". In the following year, Rancid released its highly successful album ...And Out Come the Wolves, which produced its best-known songs "Roots Radicals", "Ruby Soho", and "Time Bomb", and was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA, selling over one million copies in the United States alone. Its next six albums – Life Won't Wait (1998), Rancid (2000), Indestructible (2003), Let the Dominoes Fall (2009), ...Honor Is All We Know (2014) and Trouble Maker (2017) – were also critically acclaimed, though not as commercially successful as ...And Out Come the Wolves. The band released their tenth album, Tomorrow Never Comes, in June 2023.
Studio albums
Rancid (1993)
Let's Go (1994)
...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Life Won't Wait (1998)
Rancid (also known as "Rancid 2000" or "Rancid 5") (2000)
Indestructible (2003)
Let the Dominoes Fall (2009)
...Honor Is All We Know (2014)
Trouble Maker (2017)
Tomorrow Never Comes (2023)
Already Dead
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I'm the best at selling crust and I'll see you all in hell
'Cause I'm already dead
'Cause I'm already dead
Well I've been to hell and back one million times
And the hurricane came and water all the way it sounds
They said stay with us til you understand
'Cause I'm already dead
'Cause I'm already dead
Well my mother was a whore, she was blind, deaf, and dumb
Well if you're lucky at my cross well you're gonna feel my gun
See I lie, cheat, and steal and I'll break your fucking neck
And you'll curse out my name when you take your last breath
'Cause I'm already dead
'Cause I'm already dead
'Cause I'm already dead
'Cause I'm al
ready dead
The lyrics to Rancid's song "Already Dead" depict a character who is completely detached from society and is seemingly devoid of emotion. The opening lines hint at the character's self-destructive tendencies, as he drinks from "songs" and has "died on a devil's tail." He then claims to be the "best at selling crust," a reference to the punk subculture that often values anti-establishment sentiments and DIY ethics.
The chorus "Cause I'm already dead" is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the character's detachment and sense of apathy towards life. The lyrics continue to describe the character's experiences, including having been to "hell and back one million times" and feeling the effects of a hurricane that "water all the way it sounds." The character even claims to have had both God and Satan hold his hand in an attempt to understand life.
The lyrics take a darker turn when the character brings up his mother, who is described as a "whore" and "blind, deaf, and dumb." The character also boasts about his ability to lie, cheat, steal, and break necks without remorse. The final repetition of "Cause I'm already dead" seems to cement the idea that the character is beyond salvation and is content with his own destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I drank from.. songs and I died on a devil's tail
I indulged in various vices and ended up in a bad situation
Well I'm the best at selling crust and I'll see you all in hell
I excel at peddling my depravity and I will meet my fate in hell
'Cause I'm already dead
I feel emotionally and spiritually dead
Well I've been to hell and back one million times
I have gone through numerous trials and tribulations
And the hurricane came and water all the way it sounds
An intense disaster wreaked destruction all around me
If God and Satan both held my hand
I am torn between good and evil
They said stay with us til you understand
They are trying to show me the right path before it's too late
'Cause I'm already dead
I feel emotionally and spiritually dead
Well my mother was a whore, she was blind, deaf, and dumb
I come from a lineage of immorality
Well if you're lucky at my cross well you're gonna feel my gun
If you cross me, you will face deadly consequences
See I lie, cheat, and steal and I'll break your fucking neck
I am a dishonest and violent person
And you'll curse out my name when you take your last breath
My actions will bring harm and cause anger towards me
'Cause I'm already dead
I feel emotionally and spiritually dead
'Cause I'm already dead
I feel emotionally and spiritually dead
'Cause I'm already dead
I feel emotionally and spiritually dead
'Cause I'm already dead
I feel emotionally and spiritually dead
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
R G
This is by far your best song. Should have played it last night at aftershock. But you still put on a hell of a show and I loved it.🤘
Eric O'Dell
this is by far the best song on the new album I love it I wish I would have heard this song live when I saw you in New York City recently
Krelj2222
best song on album
JUS
IS FUCKING GREAT TO KNOW U R ALIVE RANCID! CHEERS FROM BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA. U R FUCKING WELCOME HERE.
bones27
Feels like you are hanging on to the axlerod
Eldi Gifari
Awesome as fvck
Hugo Van Houtte
RANCID 🤘🤘🤟☝️☝️🤘🤘
deaderthendead041
im pretty sure rancid is welcome everwhere, especially if they love fantastic fucking music, which evryone should!, VIVA RANCID!
SP Racing
いかつめのおっさん4人がドライブしてるだけだぜ？
なんでカッコいいんだろ
Ross Johnston
God and satan both held my hand..