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)
I Wanna Riot
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took his money and his wallet left him dead on the ground
I saw them gather celebrate the crime
Teaching us the laughter another lesson of mankind
I raise my hand, I've got another question:
"If I start a riot, will I get protection?
Cause I'm the kid whose got a lot of problems
And if I throw a brick maybe the brick will go and solve them."
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
I'm boiling up the city's on heat
Red alert tension you know it's on the street
Code blue city of the dead
Sirens in the night with the lights bloody red
See how we do this (hell yeah) see how we ride
Throw a brick light the fuse dodge a bullet duck inside
It's a statistic hammered on my brain
Branded with a number another pawn in the game
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!
In front of me the misery
Crying in line and dying burning debris
My face is burning...oh so quick...so quick
Like a candle at the end of its wick
Well, I turn the dial, I turn the channel
I turn into a monster fighting the eternal battle
I need some help and, there is no doubt
If I'm gonna go down I'm gonna take somebody out
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Oh...yeah...I want to riot
Riot!
The song "I Wanna Riot" by the punk rock band Rancid discusses some of the social issues faced by people in urban areas. The lyrics describe a situation where a man is beaten up and robbed, but the attackers are celebrated by the onlookers, who regard the act as a lesson to be learned by society. The singer of the song raises a rhetorical question about the possibility of getting protection if he starts a riot. He describes himself as someone with a lot of problems who thinks that a riot may help him get rid of his issues.
The song reflects the dissatisfaction and frustration felt by many people living in inner cities and facing socioeconomic challenges. The imagery used in the lyrics, such as sirens in the night, burning debris, and crying people waiting in line, highlights the violence and misery that characterize life in such areas. The song also alludes to the psychological effects of this environment on the individual, with the singer turning into a monster and engaging in a perpetual battle against an unknown enemy.
Overall, Rancid's "I Wanna Riot" provides a commentary on urban life, social inequality, and the human need for rebellion and change in the face of oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a man get the beat down
I witnessed a man being assaulted
Took his money and his wallet left him dead on the ground
The attackers robbed and murdered him
I saw them gather celebrate the crime
I saw the assailants rejoicing at their crime
Teaching us the laughter another lesson of mankind
This is another example of the evil that exists in humanity
I raise my hand, I've got another question:
I have another inquiry to make
"If I start a riot, will I get protection?
If I initiate a riot, will I be guarded from harm?
Cause I'm the kid whose got a lot of problems
I am someone who has numerous issues
And if I throw a brick maybe the brick will go and solve them."
Perhaps throwing a brick will help solve my problems
I'm boiling up the city's on heat
The situation in the city is tense
Red alert tension you know it's on the street
The atmosphere in the streets is heated and alert
Code blue city of the dead
The city is like a graveyard
Sirens in the night with the lights bloody red
The sounds and lights of police cars are present and alarming
See how we do this (hell yeah) see how we ride
Watch how we carry out our actions with pride
Throw a brick light the fuse dodge a bullet duck inside
Throw a brick, ignite the situation, and then take cover from danger
It's a statistic hammered on my brain
It's a fact that's imprinted on my mind
Branded with a number another pawn in the game
I'm just another insignificant person in this game of life
Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!
This is an exclamation of enthusiasm
In front of me the misery
The sadness is present in front of me
Crying in line and dying burning debris
People are crying and dying in the burning rubble
My face is burning...oh so quick...so quick
My face is experiencing an intense burning sensation
Like a candle at the end of its wick
I feel like a candle that is about to be extinguished
Well, I turn the dial, I turn the channel
I change the TV channel
I turn into a monster fighting the eternal battle
I become a monster fighting a never-ending fight
I need some help and, there is no doubt
I require assistance with no uncertainty
If I'm gonna go down I'm gonna take somebody out
If I'm going to be brought down, I'm going to bring somebody else down with me
Riot!
This is a call to riot
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: BRETT REED, LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@connorbehr8498
I saw a man get the beat down
Took his money and his wallet, left him dead on the ground
I saw them gather, celebrate the crime
Teaching us the laughter, another lesson of mankind
I raised my hand, I got another question
If I start to riot, will I get protection
'Cause I'm a kid who's got a lot of problems
If i throw a brick maybe the brick will go and solve them
Oh, yeah, I wanna riot
Oh, yeah, I wanna riot
I'm boiling up, the city's on heat
Red alert tention, you know it's on the street
Code blue, the city of the dead
Sirens in the night with the lights bloody red
See how we do this, see how we ride
Throw a brick, light the fuse, dodge a bullet, duck inside
A statistic hammered on my brain
Branded with another nother pawn in the game
Oh, yeah I wanna riot
Oh, yeah I wanna riot
In front of me, perpetuated
Crying in line, I got a burning to be
My face is burning, burning so quick
Burning like a candle at the end of its wick
Well, I turn the dial, I turn the channel
I turn it to a monster fighting the eternal battle
I need some help man, there is no doubt
If I'm gonna go down I'm gonna take somebody out
Oh, yeah, I wanna riot
Oh, yeah, I wanna riot
Riot
Riot
Riot
Riot
Riot
@ScottAlmighty
As a 16 year old kid who never knew there was music that didn't come on the radio, this blew my mind. Changed my life. Good times.
@uhhuusshh
stay punk forever, break everythings
@southwestthrash5333
ScottAlmighty awesome
@davegnarly4740
OMG😃. I love. Rancid
@brandonsergeon5915
A punk rock song won't ever change the world but I can tell you about a couple that changed me..
@joelvrobel6516
Keep it goin young blood. Rancid nofx bad religion. All classic
@livenloco4599
This song aged well. Like a fine wine
@mikeysoundtrack
it keeps coming up in my head in the past couple months
@darianmendoza1785
It's imbedded in my head this week. Fuck yeah. Black life's do matter but fuck that it should be "protect our black friends!!!"
@mafoomatty7494
@Darian Mendoza well said my man xx