Disorder and Disarray
Rancid Lyrics


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Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that I understand
You're my candle I'm your burnin wick
Two sides comin' in quick

Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me

The ground is fertile and the grass is green
So many things to be seen
So many bands to be heard
Just for once can I be ignored?

Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified

Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Yeah

He back, cool I say
Oh, gotta get away
No no no no reason for me to stay
But I'll come back another day
Get on the bus and
Hand the guy my money
He tried to say It ain't enough, man
I said What the fuck you talkin' bout?!

Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!

Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me

Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that I understand
You're my candle I'm your burnin' wick
Two sides comin' two sides comin' so quick

Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!

Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me

Oh, what the papers say
We're caught up in the disarray
Well'd you see their faces when we dropped the bomb?
Haha, Tim, had his pay all along





Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me

Overall Meaning

The song "Disorder and Disarray" by Rancid seems to express criticism towards the world of business and the superficial relationships that people entertain with each other. The lyrics tell the story of a businessman who approaches the singer and shows off his numbers, as if they were the only valuable stuff around. The singer then compares himself to a "burnin wick" while the businessman is his candle, which suggests that the former is being used by the latter to achieve some selfish aim. The chorus emphasizes the theme of suffering, as the singer feels "crucified" just because they dared to say goodbye.


Towards the end of the song, the singer seems to leave and escape from this superficial world, where people do not care for human relationships but rather for material gains. However, even when leaving, the singer has to face some last-minute obstacles, such as when the bus driver demands more money than the singer has. The last lines of the song suggest a kind of revenge, as the persona laughs at their former acquaintances' reactions when "we dropped the bomb," which may refer to some kind of exposure or revelation against these superficial people.


Line by Line Meaning

Business man come shake my hand
A businessman approaches the singer and greets him


Show me numbers that I understand
The businessman wants the singer to present data in a format he can comprehend


You're my candle I'm your burnin wick
The singer and the businessman are dependent on each other


Two sides comin' in quick
The two parties are approaching the situation from different angles, with urgency


Say goodbye when you see me sign
The artist has made a decision and urges listeners to accept it when they see the outcome


Now I'm crucified!
The singer is facing backlash and suffering consequences for their action


The ground is fertile and the grass is green
There are new opportunities and possibilities to explore


So many things to be seen
There are many potential experiences and sights to behold


So many bands to be heard
There is a wealth of music to listen to


Just for once can I be ignored?
The artist desires to avoid attention and scrutiny


He back, cool I say
Someone has returned and the singer acknowledges them in a casual manner


Oh, gotta get away
The artist feels the need to escape the situation or environment


No no no no reason for me to stay
The singer believes there is no compelling reason for them to remain in this situation


But I'll come back another day
The singer plans to revisit the situation at a later time


Get on the bus and
The singer boards a bus


Hand the guy my money
The artist pays the bus fare


He tried to say It ain't enough, man
The bus driver complains that the payment is insufficient


I said What the fuck you talkin' bout?!
The singer is frustrated by the bus driver's complaint


Oh, what the papers say
The singer is referencing media reports or articles


We're caught up in the disarray
The situation is chaotic and confusing


Well'd you see their faces when we dropped the bomb?
The artist and others caused disruption, and audience reaction is noted


Haha, Tim, had his pay all along
A person named Tim had an ulterior motive or gained from the situation


Crucify me, crucify me
The singer repeats this line, indicating a feeling of punishment and suffering


Crucify me, crucify me
The artist repeats this line, indicating a feeling of punishment and suffering


Crucify me, crucify me
The singer repeats this line, indicating a feeling of punishment and suffering




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@bruddanecessity34

Lyrics: Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that I understand
You're my candle I'm your burnin wick
Two sides comin' in quick
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
The ground is fertile and the grass is green
So many things to be seen
So many bands to be heard
Just for once can I be ignored?
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Yeah
He back, cool I say
Oh, gotta get away
No no no no reason for me to stay
But I'll come back another day
Get on the bus and
Hand the guy my money
He tried to say It ain't enough, man
I said What the fuck you talkin' bout?!
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that I understand
You're my candle I'm your burnin' wick
Two sides comin' two sides comin' so quick
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Oh, what the papers say
We're caught up in the disarray
Well'd you see their faces when we dropped the bomb?
Haha, Tim, had his pay all along
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me



All comments from YouTube:

@mystychrysmthehumanprism3507

I love Lars' "angry voice" on this song & elsewhere on this album. He adds a crucial 3rd dimension to Matt's shout-singing & Tim's slurry faux-Brit Joe Strummer-esque & rapid fire vox. It's a just great team effort trading leads, big chorus harmonies & gang shouts to maximize their Rancidity!

@dietervoncunth6850

I love this song just for that 10 seconds of angry Lars

@bugnut82

@Dieter Von Cunth Me too. I listen to this song because that is my favorite part, so much energy there!

@bruddanecessity34

Lyrics: Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that I understand
You're my candle I'm your burnin wick
Two sides comin' in quick
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
The ground is fertile and the grass is green
So many things to be seen
So many bands to be heard
Just for once can I be ignored?
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Yeah
He back, cool I say
Oh, gotta get away
No no no no reason for me to stay
But I'll come back another day
Get on the bus and
Hand the guy my money
He tried to say It ain't enough, man
I said What the fuck you talkin' bout?!
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Business man come shake my hand
Show me numbers that I understand
You're my candle I'm your burnin' wick
Two sides comin' two sides comin' so quick
Say goodbye when you see me sign
Now I'm crucified!
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me
Oh, what the papers say
We're caught up in the disarray
Well'd you see their faces when we dropped the bomb?
Haha, Tim, had his pay all along
Crucify me, crucify me
Crucify me, crucify me

@mauricio9187

Love listened this band on my 12 ,13,14 and 15s. Now a time has passed but now at 29 I am still rocking with this band. Some serious shit going on my life but so far so good 🫂💕

@bugnut82

@1:56... Good lord I love the verse starting here

@USAlien234

I just had a dream where an acoustic guitar player and a guy holding a drum would walk up and play for you while you ate at a nice restaurant.
I walked passed them to a table in the back as they started playing some kind of song I didn't recognize at first.
While I was still walking to my table, I saw some older lady signing the chorus to this song, to herself quietly. She did it while getting her kid ready to leave the restaurant. Like putting her jacket on her or something. Singing it as if it was a popular song nowadays, and she knew all the words.
I don't know why I thought of this song in my dream thou. I haven't heard it since like highschool. So long ago that I didn't remember the artist was even Rancid. So strange.
I woke up and had to find this song.

@airborneandrowdy

Memories.

@stevenhamilton9826

Best punk band since the clash

@lukacerar5215

better than clash:9

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