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)
Harry Bridges
Rancid Lyrics
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The pigs killed three workers harry bridges grabbed the mic
The city shut down July 6th the workers outrage it was a general strike
The media claimed that the commies were taking over and some believed it was true
Three uncompromising strikes was paved the way
Minn Sf and Toledo
Over and over again the doors are locked
And the windows are broken
Eddie worked for general motors and he swore
That he´d never lose his job again
A union man who owned his own home
In beautiful flint Michigan
Eddie lost his job and Eddie lost his wife
So Eddie lost his self esteem
The last time I saw Eddie
He was living in the trailer park again
Over and over again the doors are locked
And the windows are broken
I believe Eddie for gave too much too soon
I got a letter from Eddie and it was bad news
Over and over again the doors are locked
And the windows are broken
The song Harry Bridges by Rancid is a tribute to the West Coast labor leader of the same name, and the lyrics refer to the events leading up to the bloody Battle of Rincon Hill on July 6, 1934. The first verse describes Bloody Thursday, which was the day when three workers were killed by the police. Harry Bridges, the Australian-American union leader, took to the microphone to speak out against the injustice and called for a citywide shutdown. The media at the time portrayed it as a communist takeover, but Rancid's lyrics point out that it was simply workers expressing their outrage.
The second verse is about Eddie, a union man from Flint, Michigan, who worked for General Motors. He had a home and a stable life until he lost his job and his wife, and moved into a trailer park. The line "Over and over again the doors are locked, and the windows are broken" represents the cyclical nature of the struggle for workers' rights.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "Over and over again the doors are locked, and the windows are broken," highlighting the struggle and sacrifices made by workers in the pursuit of better working conditions, job security, and a decent standard of living. The song is a tribute to the struggles of the working class and the labor leaders who have fought for their rights throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
Bloody Thursday was July 6th
On July 6th, a tragic event known as Bloody Thursday occurred.
The pigs killed three workers harry bridges grabbed the mic
Three workers were killed by the police, and Harry Bridges took action by addressing the public.
The city shut down July 6th the workers outrage it was a general strike
As a result of the worker's outrage, the city shut down and a general strike occurred.
The media claimed that the commies were taking over and some believed it was true
The media falsely accused the workers of being communists, and some individuals believed their claims.
Three uncompromising strikes was paved the way
Three successful strikes laid the foundation for future labor movements.
Minn Sf and Toledo
These three cities were locations where significant labor strikes took place.
Over and over again the doors are locked
Repetitively, workers are locked out of their jobs.
And the windows are broken
Frustration leads workers to break company property, such as windows.
Eddie worked for general motors and he swore
Eddie was an employee at General Motors and was adamant about not losing his job.
That he´d never lose his job again
Eddie was confident that he would not lose his job again.
A union man who owned his own home
Eddie was a member of a labor union and owned his own house.
In beautiful flint Michigan
This house was located in Flint, Michigan.
Eddie lost his job and Eddie lost his wife
Unfortunately, Eddie both lost his job and his wife.
So Eddie lost his self esteem
The loss of his job and wife caused Eddie to lose his confidence and sense of self-worth.
The last time I saw Eddie
The singer is referencing a past moment where they last saw Eddie.
He was living in the trailer park again
At the time of the artist's last encounter with Eddie, he was residing in a trailer park.
I believe Eddie for gave too much too soon
The artist thinks Eddie may have been too forgiving too quickly.
I got a letter from Eddie and it was bad news
The singer received a letter from Eddie and it contained unfavorable information.
Over and over again the doors are locked
Continually, workers are excluded from their positions due to labor disputes.
And the windows are broken
Repeatedly, employees become so frustrated that they resort to vandalizing company property.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terence Scott
Great song to play when your life sux or everything is going wrong lol i guess that's why i like it!
Mike Murphy
Song for the struggling man
Musk1996
rancid, transplants and op iv always make me happy!
You Dang Kids
or when you have union pride...
Richard Yescas
I worked on the waterfront, L.A/L.B. as a casual for twelve years, starting in 1987 until 2018. Bloody Thursday lives on. Thank you, sir. For what you did for labor.
Roland Deschain
Liar.
darthdunc911
I knew him from my great gran nikki. time to start the union of the 2,000's
darthdunc911
I knew him from my great gran nikki. time to start the union of the 2,000's
Jack Ponce
ILWU Forever.
screenfixer
Perfect punk voice ....TIM armstrong