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)
Side Kick
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My name is Tim I'm a lesser known character
I had a dream I was a vigilante sidekick
Fighting crime in the streets together
Down in Oakland
Off of west grand,
St joseph relief
A good place were good people get food,
Help your fellow man is a good thing to do
Government agency said
Be afraid of me,
I shut your doors down it won't phase me
Wolverine came through left
The agent for dead, opened up the doors
Back up everyone was fed
I had I dream I was a vigilante sidekick
My name is Tim im a lesser known character
I had a dream I was a vigilante sidekick
Fighting crime in the streets together
Do not bill the abandoned buildings,
It's nice to sleep when you've got a ceiling
Neighborhood watch said we gotta put a stop,
Can't have people livin' for free call the cops
Here comes the SWAT team, and the M-16,
Shoot the walls in, destroy the building
Wolverine was sad and it made him mad,
Every single cop got a bullet in the head
I had I dream I was a vigilante sidekick
My name is Tim im a lesser known character
I had a dream I was a vigilante sidekick
Fighting crime in the streets together
In the song "Sidekick" by Rancid, the singer Tim dreams of being a "vigilante sidekick", fighting crime on the streets. The lyrics describe a scenario in which a government agency threatens to shut down a program that helps people in need, but the singer and his sidekick Wolverine take matters into their own hands to keep the program open. However, when the government sends in the SWAT team to destroy an abandoned building where people are living, Wolverine ends up killing all the cops in anger.
The lyrics highlight the struggle of poverty and the importance of community in helping each other out. The government agency represents the oppressive forces that try to break up communities and prevent them from supporting each other. The singer and Wolverine represent the people who are willing to fight for what is right and stand up against injustice.
Overall, the song is a call to action to stand up for what is right and fight for the underprivileged. It is a commentary on the state of society and the need for people to come together and support each other in times of need.
Line by Line Meaning
I had I dream I was a vigilante sidekick
I imagined myself as a superhero's helper.
My name is Tim I'm a lesser known character
I am not famous or important.
I had a dream I was a vigilante sidekick
I had the same dream again.
Fighting crime in the streets together
We battled wrongdoing outside.
Down in Oakland
In the city of Oakland.
Off of west grand,
At the corner of West Grand.
St joseph relief
A helping organization named St. Joseph Relief.
A program
A service they provide.
A good place were good people get food,
A nice location where kind individuals receive sustenance.
Help your fellow man is a good thing to do
Assisting your neighbor is beneficial.
Government agency said
An official group declared.
Be afraid of me,
You should fear us.
I shut your doors down it won't phase me
I will close your establishment without concern.
Wolverine came through left
A superhero named Wolverine appeared and quickly departed.
The agent for dead, opened up the doors
The official was killed and then the food distribution resumed.
Back up everyone was fed
With the backup plan, everyone received food.
Do not bill the abandoned buildings,
Do not charge the empty structures.
It's nice to sleep when you've got a ceiling
It is pleasant to sleep indoors.
Neighborhood watch said we gotta put a stop,
The local surveillance team declared that we must prevent it.
Can't have people livin' for free call the cops
One cannot allow individuals to stay without charge - involve the police.
Here comes the SWAT team, and the M-16,
The highly trained police squad arrived, equipped with rifles.
Shoot the walls in, destroy the building
They shot and damaged the walls, demolishing the structure.
Wolverine was sad and it made him mad,
The superhero was upset and angered.
Every single cop got a bullet in the head
He killed every officer there.
I had I dream I was a vigilante sidekick
Once again, I had a dream of being a superhero's companion.
My name is Tim im a lesser known character
I am still not well known.
I had a dream I was a vigilante sidekick
For the third time, I imagined fighting crime with a superhero.
Fighting crime in the streets together
We worked together to combat injustice.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beaterbikechannel2538
I got Punk O Rama vol 2.1 free with a pair of Vans Razor shoes in 1998. This album changed my life and sent a 16 year old kid down the path of punk. This song is on it. I wore those shoes til the pedals on my BMX tore them to pieces but I'll never forget them and what they started.
@redlobbster
Str8 up!!
@AueltheWiseSojourner
I got Punk O Rama 2.1 free when I found it shiny side up in a parking lot, Now, I have the entire series.
@bleuiselectric4546
Yes! Those were the days before Warped Tour became commercialized!
@stedecontrol
Still waiting for a Rancid/Wolverine comic book crossover.
@thebikehippie6562
You know how many times I've heard this song and had no idea what the hell he was singing? Thanks for upload
@nihilistteddybear7783
takes me back. i loved this album back in the day
@punkwarlord
I loved it then and love it still..
@thevaporshoppe
6 more years later brother
@MyFlipperLikesIce
I listened to this and other Rancid albums so much when I worked in Oakland & had to take the daily city train & the 51 or # 12 bus. Took me an hour & a half to get to work 😭 had all these on my ipod