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)
Hyena
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nuckel up buckel up the ride´s getting rough but I will not loose my mind (Hey!!)
I asked 'em if I could come in and the first thing they said was no (Hey!!)
If I can't come in that's mean that I can't come back that means I got nowhere to go
[Repeat x2]
I'm a hyena fighting for lion share
Sometimes the lions share ain't there
Absent from political authority an animal I've become (Hey !!)
Total disorder and confusion is the life style that I run (Hey !!)
Permit me to do what I want and I will I'm a nomad to travel (Hey !!)
Concrete class stone and gravel
[Repeat x2]
I'm a hyena fighting for lion share
Sometimes the lions share ain't there
Every time I turn around it´s the same sad story
Getting ganked I wish it could end in life's commissary
I'm a bad missionary with a wicked message I sent
Who can I trust in a world of greed
When I'm taught to take and not to give
Who can I trust when I'm taught to take and not to give
I'm money broke and it's no joke can't core use the rope this time (Hey!!)
Nuckel up buckel up the ride´s getting rough but I will not loose my mind (Hey!!)
Permit me to do what I want and I will I'm a nomad to travel (Hey!!)
Concrete class stone and gravel
I'm a hyena fighting for lion share
Sometimes the lions share ain't there
Sometimes the lions share ain't there...shit
The lyrics of Rancid's song Hyena reflect the difficulties faced by the singer, who is a modern-day nomad struggling to make a living in a world of greed and corruption. The song describes the life of a person who is broke and has no money left to live on, unable to claim what is theirs or fight for it. The lines "I'm money broke and it's no joke can't core use the rope this time" and "I'm a hyena fighting for lion share, sometimes the lions share ain't there" are symbolic of the struggle of the underdog, those who possess little or nothing in a world dominated by the filthy rich.
The song captures the frustration and hopelessness of those who live on the margins of society, with lines like "Every time I turn around it’s the same sad story, Getting ganked I wish it could end in life's commissary". The singer is aware of the corruption and greed that surround him but has no one to trust. He is a "bad missionary" who tries to survive in this world without giving in to corruption. The lyrics are a reflection of the bleak outlook of those who are often forgotten or pushed to the margins, struggling to survive in a world that is always against them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm money broke and it's no joke can't core use the rope this time (Hey!!)
I am broke and cannot even afford basic necessities. I have tried everything to make money, but failed. This is not a joke.
Nuckel up buckel up the ride´s getting rough but I will not loose my mind (Hey!!)
I must hold my own in the face of hardship and adversity. Although life is tough and becoming unbearable, I will not let it drive me mad.
I asked 'em if I could come in and the first thing they said was no (Hey!!)
I approached someone for help and they immediately rejected me, without even asking the reason behind my request.
If I can't come in that's mean that I can't come back that means I got nowhere to go
Since I am not allowed to enter, I cannot even return to the place I came from. I am now left with no place to go.
I'm a hyena fighting for lion share
I am like a scavenging hyena, fighting hard to get the biggest share of resources available.
Sometimes the lions share ain't there
But sometimes, even if I fight my hardest, there is not enough to go around and I will still miss out.
Absent from political authority an animal I've become (Hey !!)
I am excluded from participating in any political power or decision-making, reducing me to being an animal scavenging for survival.
Total disorder and confusion is the life style that I run (Hey !!)
My life is characterized by disorder, chaos and confusion as I try to evade the traps and catch my opportunities of survival.
Permit me to do what I want and I will I'm a nomad to travel (Hey !!)
I am a wanderer, constantly moving in search of a better life. If given the freedom to do so, I will continue to travel to where opportunities exist.
Concrete class stone and gravel
I am used to living in rough and low-quality accommodations that many will consider beneath their standards.
Every time I turn around it's the same sad story
No matter what I do or where I go, I always seem to face the same difficulties and lack of resources. My story is a sad one.
Getting ganked I wish it could end in life's commissary
I am always being ambushed and robbed, with no end in sight. I just wish it could stop and I could have enough resources to live and survive.
I'm a bad missionary with a wicked message I sent
I know my way of scavenging and sometimes begging is not good, but I don't seem to have any other option. I have sent bad messages that I am not proud of.
Who can I trust in a world of greed
With so many people only thinking of themselves and never thinking about how to help others or offer genuine help, who can I trust in this greed-filled world?
When I'm taught to take and not to give
I have grown up in a world where one needs to take as much as they can, by any means necessary. Giving is not something I am familiar with.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ROGER MATTHEW FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh Mitchell
I was 12 listening to this on cassette...28 years later, still my favorite punk band. Happy birthday, RANCID S/T!
Neil Kleczek
Wow, I'm just getting into rancid. Their bass player is phenominal
Alan Kelly
Check out Maxwell Murder from Out Come The Wolves
D Gates
Check out "Here We Go Again" by Operation Ivy. Grooviest bassline I have ever heard in a punk song.
damageinc 1985
Check out the entire Rancid 2000 album its got some great bass as well
Roland Deschain
He sings a few songs on this record, too.
Justin Kline
I’ve been learning this song on bass for years now.
Super Unknown
Man that bass riff is tasty,miss these old melodic bass lines in punk during the 90s.
Eres Más
Maravilloso tema, lo vuelvo a escuchar 25 añis después y me sige maravillando.
Bernard Shakey
This music video got me into punk. Forever grateful for that. During my teenage years I met some of my best friends and met the coolest sexiest fuckin girls on the face of the earth who just happened to be into the same exact shit I was into. Can't complain there! I'll always remember those years man, awesome times. Love Rancid.