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)
Leicester Square
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two punks up on the subway
It's a long way to go
To get to Leicester Square
A hard line
It's the one you gotta cross
The one you gotta cross
Michael's on his way to pay back syndication
A fist ??? and his backstreet education
The 8-ball stops him low
Demonstrations show
It's crystal clear it ain't so great for those who become broken in here yeah
I got none
I got no mind for...nothing
I got no insight, I got no feelings
I got nothing that you want, so stay away from here
The clockers(?) that could swamp us now, the prime objective: Fear
To rob us for some different ??? places no one near
The tension begins to grow
??? so
He ??? yeah
I got none
I got no mind for...nothing
I got no insight, I got no feelings
I got nothing that you want, so stay away from here
Yeah!!!
Ah no no!!!
Ah no!!!
Ah no no no no!!!
I got some hard times
Two punks up on the subway
It's a long way to go
To get to Leicester Square
A hard line
It's the one you gotta cross
The one you gotta cross
To get you anywhere
Mike gets whipped, his boy-face slapped around a cheap cigar
His gang could sing cause they're always seeing the trouble from afar
He act so (?apropos?) ??? stall
He makes his point then jumps in
joint to the backseat with a bottle of beer (?mulatto girl?)
I got none
I got no mind for...nothing
I got no insight, I got no feelings
I got nothing that you want, so stay away from here
Yeah!!!
Ah no no!!!
Ah no!!!
Ah no no no no
I got some hard times
Two punks up on the subway
It's a long way to go
To get to Leicester Square
A hard line
It's the one you gotta cross
The one you gotta cross
To get you anywhere
Yeah!!!
You see I got none
I got no mind for...nothing
I got no insight, I got no feelings
I got nothing that you want, so stay away from here
“Leicester Square” by Rancid is a song that speaks of life in the streets as they are. The opening lines indicate that the singer is going through some hard times, and they are on a long journey to get to Leicester Square. The journey to Leicester Square seems like an escape for the singer, but the road to get there is a tough one. Two punks on the subway cause a confrontation, and the streets are filled with tension. The hard lines that people cross symbolize the tough times that they are forced to go through. The singer then goes on to paint a picture of the life in the streets where you either come out broken or risen.
The second verse of the song is about Michael, who is on his way to pay back syndication. Michael's story is a standout message on the harshness of street life. Michael has a backstreet education, and his past deeds have caught up with him. He is low on resources, and even his wins are short-lived. The song also speaks of the clockers that could swamp them and create fear. The lyrics describe a world where people have nothing to look forward to, and no matter how hard they try, they find themselves going nowhere.
Line by Line Meaning
I got some hard times
Life has been difficult for me lately
Two punks up on the subway
Two aggressive individuals confronted me on the subway
It's a long way to go
The journey to Leicester Square is quite far
To get to Leicester Square
The destination is Leicester Square
A hard line
There is a difficult obstacle to overcome
It's the one you gotta cross
This obstacle must be overcome to achieve success
The one you gotta cross
This obstacle is not optional
To get you anywhere
Success in anything requires overcoming obstacles
Michael's on his way to pay back syndication
Michael is travelling to repay a debt
A fist ??? and his backstreet education
Michael is familiar with fighting and has learned life lessons from growing up on the streets
The 8-ball stops him low
Michael is brought down by a negative situation
Demonstrations show
Evidence suggests that life isn't great for those struggling to make it here
It's crystal clear it ain't so great for those who become broken in here yeah
Those who are emotionally or financially broken do not fare well in this environment
I got none
I lack many things
I got no mind for...nothing
I have no focus or motivation
I got no insight, I got no feelings
I am numb and lack insight
I got nothing that you want, so stay away from here
I am undesirable to others
The clockers(?) that could swamp us now, the prime objective: Fear
Unscrupulous individuals are attempting to intimidate us
To rob us for some different ??? places no one near
They plan to steal from us at a location that is isolated and hard to reach
The tension begins to grow
Emotions are becoming more intense
??? so
The situation becomes unclear
He ??? yeah
He is overwhelmed with emotion
Mike gets whipped, his boy-face slapped around a cheap cigar
Mike receives a beating
His gang could sing cause they're always seeing the trouble from afar
Despite the trouble they see from a distance, his friends can do nothing to help
He act so (?apropos?) ??? stall
He acts appropriately in response to the situation
He makes his point then jumps in
He makes a statement and then takes action
joint to the backseat with a bottle of beer (?mulatto girl?)
He retreats to the backseat with alcohol and a woman
Ah no no!!!
An exclamation of disbelief or irritation
Ah no!!!
An exclamation of disbelief or irritation
Ah no no no no!!!
An exclamation of disbelief or irritation
You see I got none
It should be clear that I have nothing to offer
Yeah!!!
An expression of excitement or agreement
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TIMOTHY (USA) ARMSTRONG, LARS FREDERIKSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Finean Williams
I wish they took more risks these days like they did with this wildly experimental and amazing album.
Greaserken
Experimental??? Hardly, Rancid was always ahead of their time!
Where Oceans Meet
I wasn't a huge fan of this album but the songs I liked on it I fucking loved!
J Grove
People say Out Come the Wolves is the best Rancid album but in my honest opinion Life Won't Wait is their finest. Although 1993 self titled shines for a different reason!
Tadd Axon
Johnny Grove I wholeheartedly agree with this statement
jim gray
it is hard to say what is the best release. their continuity is what has made them endearing for so many years.
LukeGB
For me is "Rancid" of 2000
jae ski
I like out come the wolves simply because jim Carroll reads his poetry in the albums namesake song! Rancid. The self titled one is a great album. I stole it at the exact same time green day dookie was being put on the shelves......lol got that one too same day 1993 or 4! But rancid life wont wait is a great record to play to chill with 3vryone and listen to...like ...forgive me... but a chill sublime disc.... everyone can groove to it its not too heavy or soft.. its like audible, for aging punkers...lol..lmao naw! But I saw green day with pansy division , in 94 buffalo ny! That show made me see.. i can be me .... the only who one even looked at my pink hair is the football teamy ..and they wrre 'scared of gettting hepatitis from my spiked jacket...hahahaha new punk tip!! Just remember jock is 2 letters away from cock.and they love keeping them close.... so keep ya brasss knuckles closer
AWESOME CHANNEL HD
Amen to that brother.
stemix
One of their best song ever