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)
Brews
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going out to terrorize Goyem
Stompin' Shagitz, screwin' shicksas
As long as we're home by Saturday morning
'Cause hey! We're the brews
Sporting anti-swastika tattoos
Oi oi, we're the boys
Orthopedic doctor martens good for
Waffle making, kicking through the shins
Reputation gained through intimidation
Pacifism no longer tradition
Cause hey we're the Brews
Sportin' anti swastika tattoos
Oi Oi we're the Brews
The fairfax ghetto boys skinhead Hebrews
We've got the might, psycho mashuganas
We can't lose a fight as we are the chosen ones
Chutzpah driven, we battle then we feast
We celebrate and separate our milk plates from our meat
The lyrics of Rancid's song, "Brews" are loaded with cultural and ethnic references, which makes them an interesting subject of interpretation. The song is about the Jewish-American subculture, particularly the orthodox Hasidic Jews who embrace punk rock aesthetics. The song is written in a fast-paced, aggressive manner, which reflects the combative and rebellious nature of the subculture. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the group's identity, values, and attitudes towards the wider society.
The opening lines of the song, "Friday night we'll be drinkin' Manaschevitz, Going out to terrorize Goyem" allude to the Jewish practice of drinking wine on Shabbat, which is seen as a holy day in Judaism. The use of a specific brand of kosher wine, Manaschevitz, signals the group's adherence to Jewish customs and traditions. The lyrics then shift to a confrontational tone, as the group expresses their desire to "terrorize" the "Goyem," which is a Hebrew word meaning non-Jewish people. The emphasis on Jewish identity, and the desire to assert it against the "other" is typical of the orthodox Jewish subculture, which often feels marginalized and persecuted.
The lyrics then introduce several cultural references that highlight the group's unique blend of punk rock and Jewish heritage. The line "Sporting anti-swastika tattoos, Oi oi we're the boys" alludes to the skinhead culture, which was prevalent in the punk rock scene in the 1980s. The group proudly wears anti-swastika tattoos as a show of solidarity with the Jewish community, which suffered greatly during the Holocaust. The line "Orthodox hassidic O.G. Ois" is a play on words, as it combines the term "Orthodox Hassidic," which refers to a specific type of Jewish denomination, with "O.G," which stands for "Original Gangster." The phrase is meant to convey the idea that the group sees themselves as the original and authentic exponents of the punk rock culture.
Overall, the lyrics to Rancid's song "Brews" are an ode to the unique blend of Jewish pride and punk rock aesthetics that define the orthodox Hasidic subculture. The lyrics are provocative, confrontational, and full of cultural references that highlight the group's identity and values. They speak to the broader themes of cultural identity, subcultural resistance, and the relationship between music and social movements.
Line by Line Meaning
Friday night we'll be drinkin' Manaschevitz
On Friday night, we will consume Manaschevitz wine.
Going out to terrorize Goyem
We will go outside and intimidate non-Jewish people.
Stompin' Shagitz, screwin' shicksas
We will beat up Gentile men and have sex with their women.
As long as we're home by Saturday morning
However, we will make sure to return home before Saturday morning.
'Cause hey! We're the brews
We proudly refer to ourselves as 'the brews.'
Sporting anti-swastika tattoos
We have tattoos on our bodies that display a hatred towards the Nazi party.
Oi oi, we're the boys
As Jewish men, we proudly declare ourselves as 'the boys'.
Orthodox hassidic O.G. Ois
We are the original gangsters from the Orthodox Hassidic Jewish community.
Orthopedic doctor martens good for
We wear boots made by orthopedic doctors. These boots allow us to make waffles and injure people's shins.
Waffle making, kicking through the shins
We use our orthopedic doctor boots to create waffles and inflict harm on others.
Reputation gained through intimidation
We have become well-known due to our intimidating behavior towards others.
Pacifism no longer tradition
We no longer follow a tradition of non-violence.
The fairfax ghetto boys skinhead Hebrews
We are Jewish men who live in the Fairfax ghetto and have skinhead appearances.
We've got the might, psycho mashuganas
We possess strength and craziness.
We can't lose a fight as we are the chosen ones
We will never lose a fight due to our belief that we are chosen by God.
Chutzpah driven, we battle then we feast
We are driven by our chutzpah and after fighting, we enjoy a feast.
We celebrate and separate our milk plates from our meat
We celebrate by separating our dishes used for milk and meat consumption from each other.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKE BURKETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brownleafpuddle7621
Oh my god the bass... can't get enough of it
@shaneclasby6474
One of the best albums. Rancid makes nofx songs better, nofx makes rancid songs better.
@noahfecks7598
I would have loved to been there when these guys first listened to each others covers for the first time.
@TedSpacey
I like this version way better... NOFX rule tho
@zbe94
This bass.. God, gives me the shivers. Someone learn me to play bass like this!
@wildmike85
Just keep practicing bro
@denilsonleite6755
Caralho Que foda! FODA MSM🤟🔥
@andymunggaran5039
Kickass bass.. Cheers matt freeman.!!
@M8WhoSk8s
One of my favourite split albums tbh
@hageman14
Damn, I've said it before ill say it again. Matt Freeman. Is. A. God!