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)
Ben Zanotto
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was romance in the air
When the autumn sunlight Sharmon Palms
There was romance in the air
Sitting on the steps
Shit-head drunks
We had a crew and we called it the skunks
Me and Ben we spent years
By the park trees drinking beers
When the center of the universe was a street called Sharmon Palms
There was romance in the air for sure
There was romance in the air
When the autumn sunlight Sharmon Palms
There was romance in the air
Nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Youth was exhausted
Some take it harder then most
My best friend he crumbled and he withered away (withered away)
I went back to the palm trees
The safest place Ben could ever be
Mixed his ashes with the dirt
He'll be safe there Yeah!
There was romance in the air for sure
There was romance in the air
When the autumn sunlight Sharmon Palms
There was romance in the air
The song "Ben Zanotto" by Rancid is a tribute to the late Ben Zanotto who was a friend of the band. The song is about memories of the good times they had together in their youth. The lyrics talk about how there was romance in the air back then, especially around the Sharmon Palms area where they used to hang out. The verses describe the group of people who used to gather there, including punk rockers, skinheads, misfits, and misunderstood kids. They called themselves "the skunks" and spent a lot of time together on the park steps, drinking beers.
The chorus repeats the phrase "there was romance in the air" to emphasize the nostalgia that the band members feel when they reflect on their past. However, the mood of the song takes a somber turn in the third verse when the lyrics describe how much their friend, Ben, meant to them. The line "youth was exhausted" implies that they were all getting older and losing touch with each other. The lyrics suggest that Ben struggled with this and eventually passed away. The band members scatter his ashes around the palm trees where they used to hang out, as a way of bringing him back to his favorite place.
Overall, the song "Ben Zanotto" captures the bittersweet feelings of nostalgia and loss that come with growing up and losing touch with friends.
Line by Line Meaning
There was romance in the air for sure
The energy of youthful passion and excitement was present.
There was romance in the air
The feeling of being alive and free was palpable.
When the autumn sunlight Sharmon Palms
The scene was set, the place was Sharmon Palms and the time was autumn.
There was romance in the air
The vibe was one of fun, freedom and friendship.
Sitting on the steps
We spent time together enjoying each other's company.
Shit-head drunks
There were unpleasant people around us, but we didn't let them ruin our good time.
We had a crew and we called it the skunks
We had formed a close-knit group of people who had each other's backs.
Punk rockers, skinhead, misfits and misunderstood kids
Our group was made up of people who were often not accepted by mainstream society.
Me and Ben we spent years
My friend Ben and I had a deep and enduring friendship.
By the park trees drinking beers
We used to hang out at the park and drink beer together.
When the center of the universe was a street called Sharmon Palms
We felt that our little corner of the world was the most important place on earth.
Nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
A moment of musical interlude, conveying the emotion and feeling of the moment.
Youth was exhausted
As we got older, we lost some of the energy and drive that we had when we were young.
Some take it harder then most
Some people have a harder time dealing with the challenges that life throws at us.
My best friend he crumbled and he withered away (withered away)
My friend Ben struggled with the difficulties of life and eventually died.
I went back to the palm trees
In my time of grief, I returned to the place where I had felt the most alive and happy.
The safest place Ben could ever be
I felt that the park was the best place for my friend's remains to be at peace.
Mixed his ashes with the dirt
I scattered my friend's ashes in the park, where he had spent so much of his time.
He'll be safe there Yeah!
I found comfort in the belief that my friend was at peace in his favorite place on earth.
There was romance in the air for sure
The memory of our youthful friendship and the happiness we shared lived on, even after my friend's passing.
There was romance in the air
The love, bond and joy that we shared were still present, in spite of the sadness of loss.
When the autumn sunlight Sharmon Palms
The place and time where we had formed our deepest bonds was still present in our memories.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Salty Wizard
Ben Zanotto was a friend of Lars, featured on Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the STreet (you can watch it on youtube). He died from a drug overdose and this song was written in dedication to him.
Evan May
Thanks for this. I knew about his death but never knew about a featured video.
MartyMcFly -
I love how Tim and Lars both sing "Na na na na" together
Gina Coffin
Ben was his best friend from their youth. Ben died of a heroin overdose in 1999.
Solid Snake
Spring 2008 was when I first heard this =)
HAYDS510
awesome song
Damon0mania
Ben was my friend. I found his door ajar and his room empty .An hour later I found out why: he was dead of an overdose. And he'd just gotten home.
steve o
this is the most rancid rancid song. if i wana show somebody rancid in a song id show them this
Ahmad Awaludin
now...ben sing nananana...
fukazepe
buon gustaio ;)