Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991… Read Full Bio ↴Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, former members of the band Operation Ivy, Rancid is often credited as being among the wave of bands that revived mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Over their 32-year career, Rancid retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground musical roots.

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)

Someone's Gonna Die
Rancid Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This is where the good times went
With his brains lying on the pavement
With a broken bottle in his hand
And another in his back

Do you feel all right? Oi! Oi! Oi!
Someone's gonna die tonight
Oi! Oi! Oi!

Do you feel all right? Oi! Oi! Oi!
The boys are out tonight!

Was it something that he said?
with his footballscarf now stained red
With a broken bottle in his hand
You will never understand

Do you feel all right? Oi! Oi! Oi!
Someone's gonna die tonight
Oi! Oi! Oi!

Do you feel all right? Oi! Oi! Oi!
The boys are out tonight!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rancid's song "Something's Going To Die Tonight" depict a violent and chaotic scene where a young man has been brutally attacked and left for dead on the pavement. The first verse describes the aftermath of the attack, with the victim's brains scattered on the ground and broken bottles in both his hand and back. The second verse poses a rhetorical question, asking if the violent behavior of the attackers makes the listener feel "all right" ("Oi! Oi! Oi!"), as if encouraging them to join in the violent and aggressive behavior.

The lyrics are meant to depict the senseless nature of violent behavior, especially in subcultures where tribalism and territorialism are common themes. The use of the word "oi" throughout the song is a nod to the punk subculture and its UK roots, where the term originated as a movement that celebrated working-class roots, rebellion, and a DIY ethos. The chorus "the boys are out tonight" is also a nod to the strong boyish camaraderie often found in these subcultures.

Overall, the lyrics can be interpreted as a cautionary tale against the senseless violence that can often arise in these subcultures. The song seems to suggest that this type of violence is not only damaging to the individual victim but also to the collective psyche of the group as a whole.

Line by Line Meaning

This is where the good times went
The current situation is far from enjoyable and resembles that of a violent, dangerous environment.

With his brains lying on the pavement
The victim has suffered severe head injuries and is likely to be dead or dying on the ground.

With a broken bottle in his hand
The weapon used to inflict the fatal wounds is visible and confirms the violent nature of the attack.

And another in his back
The victim was stabbed multiple times, indicating a brutal and senseless assault.

Do you feel all right? Oi! Oi! Oi!
The perpetrators of this crime are relishing in their violent behavior and showing no remorse for their actions.

Someone's gonna die tonight
The lyrics suggest a complete disregard for human life and are promoting a culture of violence and aggression.

The boys are out tonight!
The phrase implies a group mentality where individuals act as a collective and encourage each other to engage in violent behavior.

Was it something that he said?
The reason for the attack is unclear and may have been provoked by something trivial or insignificant.

with his football scarf now stained red
The victim's choice of clothing (in this case a football scarf) has now become a symbol of their violent death.

You will never understand
The perpetrators of the crime (and potentially the artist) are advocating for a violent culture that is impossible for outsiders to comprehend.

Contributed by Claire T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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