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)
Ballad Of Jimmy & Johny
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skinheads what they claimed
Outside similarities but they don't feel the same
Johnny thinks Jimmy is a mod
And Jimmy thinks Johnny's a punk
Jimmy listens to ska
And Johnny likes last resort
Jimmy and Johnny in the trenches
Drinking Guinness smoking 555's
Once you're in the middle you feel alright
Skinheads tats and a Fred Perry
There's a was in the cemetery
Start to fight stop drinking
What the fuck were they thinking
Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Jimmy had his two tone girl on the back of his scooter that night
Johnny had a jacks up Chevy that could blow you right off the line
Skinheads tats and a Fred Perry
There's a was in the cemetery
Start to fight stop drinking
What the fuck were they thinking
Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
The Ballad of Jimmy & Johnny by Rancid tells the story of two friends who identify as skinheads, but have different tastes in music and fashion. Jimmy listens to ska music and thinks Johnny is a punk, while Johnny likes Last Resort and assumes Jimmy is a mod. Despite their differences, they still enjoy hanging out together, drinking Guinness and smoking cigarettes. The song describes a night when they get drunk in a cemetery and start fighting for no apparent reason.
The song highlights the similarities and differences between people, using the characters of Jimmy and Johnny as examples. It reveals that even though they have different tastes, they are still good friends and enjoy each other's company. However, their excessive drinking leads to conflict and the song questions why they would fight each other when they are supposed to be friends. The lyrics also showcase the music and fashion that is associated with the skinhead subculture and how it brings people together, but can also lead to violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Jimmy and Johnny two friends of mine
These lines introduce two friends of the singer - Jimmy and Johnny.
Skinheads what they claimed
Jimmy and Johnny claimed to be skinheads.
Outside similarities but they don't feel the same
Despite having similar outward appearances, Jimmy and Johnny don't share the same beliefs and interests.
Johnny thinks Jimmy is a mod
Johnny believes that Jimmy is a mod, rather than a skinhead.
And Jimmy thinks Johnny's a punk
Conversely, Jimmy thinks that Johnny is a punk, rather than a skinhead.
Jimmy listens to ska
Jimmy enjoys listening to ska music.
And Johnny likes last resort
Johnny is a fan of the band Last Resort.
Jimmy and Johnny in the trenches
This line refers to the two friends being in the midst of some kind of conflict.
We down tonight
This line is likely a reference to being depressed or feeling defeated.
Drinking Guinness smoking 555's
Jimmy and Johnny are drinking Guinness beer and smoking 555 cigarettes.
Once you're in the middle you feel alright
Despite being in the midst of a conflict, being in the middle of it can sometimes make you feel okay or neutral about the situation.
There's a was in the cemetery
This line is unclear in meaning, but could potentially refer to a dead body or a wasp infestation in a cemetery.
Start to fight stop drinking
This line suggests that drinking alcohol may have played a role in the conflict that Jimmy and Johnny were involved in.
What the fuck were they thinking
The singer questions the actions of Jimmy and Johnny in getting into a fight over their differing beliefs and interests.
Jimmy had his two tone girl on the back of his scooter that night
Jimmy had a girlfriend who was into the ska subculture riding on the back of his scooter on the night in question.
Johnny had a jacks up Chevy that could blow you right off the line
Johnny drove a modified Chevy car that was very fast.
Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing
This line repeats the request for Jimmy and Johnny to describe their perspectives on the situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jon Rock
Let's go is my favorite album by far.
Eddie Warren
Still great
Dmytro Sidorenko
Much more bigger than Great! Guys this is classics of punk, after Ramones obviously:)
Dmytro Sidorenko
The song is not for tailored for sensitive ears of “deeply concerned personalities with especial nature of feelings”:))))...who cares! Punks not dead, yeah!!!
Adrian Begay
Rancid sang about skinheads b4 it was popular. Now daze everyone wannabe a skinheads, also Lars was a skin b4 joined rancid oi!!!