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)
Dope Sick Girl
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who ripped me off
She was dope sick
Dope sick girl hit and run
She took my money
Eighty seven dollars gone
Now she's running
How was I to know
That girl could take my heart
Everywhere she go
Dope sick girl a rig and a ride she got no freedom
Little demon gonna hide inside she's gotta feed them
How was I I to know
That girl could take my heart everywhere she go
Everywhere, everywhere she go
Dope sick girl there she was at the methadone clinic
She drank a coup called it a base coat
She swore not to get back in it
How was I I to know
That girl could take my heart everywhere she go
Dope sick girl gotta rig and a ride to New York City
Gonna run away gonna watch it burn in the heart of New York City
How was I I to know
That girl could take my heart everywhere she go
The lyrics to Rancid's "Dope Sick Girl" tells the story of a girl who has fallen victim to addiction and the dangers that come with it. The singer laments about how this girl, who was also his drug dealer, ripped him off of $87 dollars while she was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. He emphasizes how her addiction has taken over her life and her actions, turning her into a "little demon" who is desperate to feed her habit.
Despite her unethical actions, the singer still finds himself drawn to her and speaks of how he never thought that someone like her would be able to take his heart. The repetition of the line "everywhere she go" emphasizes how the girl's addiction consumes every aspect of her life, shaping her every move and every decision.
The song also sheds light on the reality of addiction and how it affects not just the person addicted, but also those around them. It shows how addiction can lead to destructive behavior and how it often controls the addict's life.
Line by Line Meaning
This song is about a girl
The artist is singing a song about a girl.
Who ripped me off
The girl the artist is singing about stole something from him.
She was dope sick
The girl was experiencing withdrawal symptoms from drug addiction.
Dope sick girl hit and run
The girl stole from the artist and ran away.
She took my money
The girl took eighty seven dollars from the artist.
Eighty seven dollars gone
The artist lost eighty seven dollars to the girl.
Now she's running
The girl is fleeing from the artist after stealing from him.
How was I to know
The artist did not anticipate that the girl would steal from him or have an impact on his life.
That girl could take my heart
The artist became emotionally attached to the girl despite her stealing from him and struggling with drug addiction.
Everywhere she go
No matter where the girl goes, the artist's emotions follow.
Dope sick girl a rig and a ride she got no freedom
The girl is trapped by drug addiction and has no freedom or control over her life.
Little demon gonna hide inside she's gotta feed them
The girl is fighting against the inner demons of addiction that push her to continue using drugs.
There she was at the methadone clinic
The girl is seeking help for her addiction by attending a methadone clinic.
She drank a coup called it a base coat
The girl is drinking a substance called a base coat to help manage her addiction.
She swore not to get back in it
The girl is making a promise to herself to not relapse and return to drug addiction.
Gotta rig and a ride to New York City
The girl has transportation to leave and go to New York City.
Gonna run away gonna watch it burn in the heart of New York City
The girl is planning to flee and watch her past life of addiction and mistakes burn in the city.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MistaMahoney
Literally for the past 15 years up until now I thought that he was saying "I was high, how'd you know?" not "How was I, I to know?"
Titan Tron
To think I didn’t know what any of their lyrics meant yet there I was blasting them when I was 11.
koen0th
I love this song
Slickdown
HOly shit where'd you find all those rare pics ?
Rita Arriegas
fuck this song is great
jesse powell
i am dope sick.
KIRK
Every 2 weeks it sucks. Methadone time soon thank god 5 more hours..🙏🙏
Ivar 88
marry me
Jonathan Gonzalez
Same
David Goode
I married one and had kids.