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)
Detroit
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Detroit mild on the bus downtown
Last night I was fighting on the street
But tonight I have a girl next to me in this cold world
She brings me heat
I got a good feeling in a bad city tonight
I gotta good feeling everything´s gonna be alright
I got a good feeling in a bad city tonight
Detained in illegal custody spent the night in jail
With a drunken priest and a hooker five hundred dollars bail
Nobody knew who was who standing in the street like that
I hit the ground to make a sound
I got a good feeling in a bad city tonight
I gotta good feeling everything´s gonna be alright
Some run some fight
I got a good feeling in a bad city tonight
Bus dropped me off and I had to cough I couldn't breath
Cuz I got ripped off I couldn't realize by being satisfied 'cause it runs so thin
And that's why I'm pissed off we had no money we had time
She had the champagne I had the Cisco wine
She said do you want to come you better hurry because
We'll have hell to pay
The song "Detroit" by Rancid captures the rawness and harsh reality of life in Detroit. The opening lines portray a sense of disorientation – the singer seems lost in time until the sun goes down. He is on a bus headed downtown, a place where he fights on the streets. However, tonight he has his girl with him to bring him some warmth in the cold city. Despite the struggles of living in Detroit, the singer has a good feeling about the city tonight, and believes everything is going to be all right. The lyrics suggest that some people run away from Detroit or fight to survive, but there are moments of hope in this bad city.
The second verse talks about the singer's experience of being detained in illegal custody and spending the night in jail. He was with a drunken priest and a hooker and had to pay five hundred dollars as bail. It is unclear who is who when standing on the street between the jail and freedom. The singer had to hit the ground to make a sound, which shows how oppressive the surroundings were. Despite being a bad experience, the singer still has a good feeling in a bad city tonight - he believes everything will be fine.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't know what time it was until the sun went down
I was lost and lacked direction in life, but now that darkness has descended, I can see my path more clearly
Detroit mild on the bus downtown
I'm traveling to downtown Detroit on a calm, peaceful evening
Last night I was fighting on the street
Yesterday, I was engaged in a physical altercation with another person in a public area
But tonight I have a girl next to me in this cold world
Today, I am in the company of a woman who brings warmth and comfort to my otherwise bleak surroundings
She brings me heat
Her affection and intimacy provide me with the emotional warmth I desperately require
I got a good feeling in a bad city tonight
Despite the dangers and troubles of Detroit, I have a strong sense of positivity and optimism
I gotta good feeling everything´s gonna be alright
I believe that everything will eventually work out for the better
Some run some fight
In this city, some people flee from their problems, while others confront them head-on
Detained in illegal custody spent the night in jail
I was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned for a night
With a drunken priest and a hooker five hundred dollars bail
My cellmates were an intoxicated religious figure and a prostitute, and it cost me $500 to be released from custody
Nobody knew who was who standing in the street like that
Confusion and chaos reigned while we were all detained on the street
I hit the ground to make a sound
In order to alert others to our predicament, I resorted to making noise by falling to the ground
Bus dropped me off and I had to cough I couldn't breath
After getting off the bus, I began coughing and found it difficult to breathe
Cuz I got ripped off I couldn't realize by being satisfied 'cause it runs so thin
I was scammed out of my money by deceptive individuals and didn't realize that my happiness was fleeting and artificial
And that's why I'm pissed off we had no money we had time
I'm angry because we had ample time to enjoy ourselves, but our lack of funds prevented us from doing so
She had the champagne I had the Cisco wine
My companion resorted to drinking champagne, while I had to settle for a cheaper brand of wine
She said do you want to come you better hurry because We'll have hell to pay
My friend offered me a chance to partake in her indulgences, but warned me that there could be consequences
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SavageLynelButtPlug
This is one of the best Rancid songs!
@anthroism26mc
right? :D
@SavageLynelButtPlug
Michael Campbell Just out of curiosity (and this'll sound weird if I'm wrong) but did you come here when you read that one comment on the new Rancid video?
@anthroism26mc
i didnt. i just love listening to detroit haha
@SavageLynelButtPlug
Michael Campbell Oh ok then. The whole comment chain was about Matt Freeman's singing and someone mentioned this song. I haven't listened to it in a while, I forgot how great this song and this whole album is.
@zappadadooi90
agreed. song for song, its their best album.
@Deetroiter
As a spokesperson of Detroit, I approve of this song
@amiatanamedmichelle5539
I tried playing this song on my bass today, now I’m in urgent care because I gave myself carpal tunnel
@JasonsDigitalStuff
Matt Freeman is a sick bass player. The guy is unreal.
@dan0507
@@JasonsDigitalStuff VERY underrated