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)
Listed M.I.A
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stuck in the sewer beneath all the maggots
I ain't foolin' I've been pursuing
A way to get out of these dirty old ruins
I'm checkin' out I'm never comin' back again
I'm checkin' out I'm listed M.I.A.
It threw me out the door and called me a faggot
I ain't done I've only yet begun
West Oakland is the place where I'm comin' from
I'm checkin' out I'm never comin' back again
I'm checkin' out I'm listed M.I.A.
Oh yeah, oh yeah
God damn it man I almost had it
Well I did it again yeah I do it outta habit
Well I'm numb it ain't no fun I'm less than zero
When you add up the sum
I'm checkin' out yeah
It ain't no doubt yeah
A courtship built from anger is what it amounts
I almost had it I almost had it I came so close
Man I almost had it
I'm checkin' out I'm never comin' back again
I'm checkin' out I'm listed M.I.A.
I'm checkin' out I'm never comin' back again
I'm checkin' out I'm listed M.I.A.
The lyrics of Rancid's song "As One" depict the struggles and frustrations of the singer who seems to be trapped in a difficult situation. The opening lines describe how close he was to escaping but got stuck in the sewer with maggots, which is a metaphor for being in a bad place or situation with undesirable people. Despite the obstacles, he is still pursuing a way out of the ruins.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses his frustration at being rejected from a certain place and called a "faggot". He refuses to give up and is determined to come back stronger, representing the resilience and tenacity of the human spirit. The final lines suggest that the singer has had enough and is checking out, never to come back again, implying a new beginning and leaving the past behind.
Overall, "As One" is a compelling song that conveys a sense of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity. It encourages listeners to keep fighting and to never give up on their dreams, no matter how difficult the journey may be.
Line by Line Meaning
God damn it man I almost had it
I was so close to achieving my goal, but something stopped me.
Stuck in the sewer beneath all the maggots
I am trapped in a dirty, unpleasant place with no way out.
I ain't foolin' I've been pursuing
I am serious about trying to escape this situation and have been working hard towards that goal.
A way to get out of these dirty old ruins
I am looking for a means of escaping this unpleasant and decaying environment.
I'm checkin' out I'm never comin' back again
I am leaving and have no intention of returning.
I'm checkin' out I'm listed M.I.A.
I am officially missing in action and cannot be found.
It threw me out the door and called me a faggot
Someone ejected me from a place and insulted me with a homophobic slur.
I ain't done I've only yet begun
I have more to do and intend to continue despite setbacks.
West Oakland is the place where I'm comin' from
I am from the West Oakland area.
Well I did it again yeah I do it outta habit
I repeated a mistake because it is something I often do without thinking.
Well I'm numb it ain't no fun I'm less than zero
I am emotionally deadened and miserable, feeling worse than nothing.
When you add up the sum
When you consider everything together.
A courtship built from anger is what it amounts
The relationship was based on hostility, despite appearances.
I almost had it I came so close
I was on the verge of success and narrowly missed it.
Man I almost had it
I am frustrated by coming so close yet still failing to achieve my goal.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andrewbuszan6287
One off the greatest punk albums in history
@imaramblins
NO question. And probably my favorite track off of the album....
@KB-ti7xc
Rancid has aged well, sounds better than I remember in the early 90s
@justinroconnell
The Ramones, The Clash, Rancid.
@HolyFreakinDragonSlayer
My fave album of all time. Go hard or Go home! 👊 😘
@rosemadder5547
Me too!
@seanrowan7016
Yes always
@Noblesavage77
🤘🔥
@shannamarietaylor1937
Love Lars ...this is my funeral song
@SullyDownHereOnEarth
This goes so hard I got it in a playlist twice in a row