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)
St. Mary
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's got to get away as far as she can
Her problems will arise as sure as the sun shine
She's got to get used to living on the lam
Now Mary's out the door with a loaded forty four in her hand
Shooting down the law that shot down her dear departed man
When I last saw her she was looking trouble
She said this is the 90's I'm gonna be alright
She took the greyhound into Salinas
I got a letter that she dropped out of sight
Now Mary's out the door with a loaded forty four in her hand
Shooting down the law that shot down her dear departed man
Shrouded in anger encompassed by pain
He was your best friend and you will never ever ever see him again
Now Mary's out the door with a loaded forty four in her hand
Shooting down the law that shot down her dear departed man
The lyrics to Rancid's song St. Mary tell a story of a woman named Mary who is leaving town, possibly to escape her problems. She has a sense of urgency to get as far away as possible, as her problems will undoubtedly catch up with her. In the second verse, it is revealed that Mary's loved one has been killed by the law, and in response, she is seeking revenge with a loaded gun. The final verse reveals the depth of Mary's pain and anger, and the fact that she will never see her loved one again.
The lyrics of St. Mary are a reflection of the punk rock ethos of the 1990s. The song captures the rebellious spirit of the genre, with Mary portrayed as a fierce, independent woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. The song's driving rhythm and aggressive guitar riffs add to the intensity of the lyrics, creating a sense of urgency and power.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got a ticket and she's waiting at the station
Mary has a train ticket and is waiting at the station
She's got to get away as far as she can
Mary needs to escape, and go as far away as possible
Her problems will arise as sure as the sun shine
Mary knows that her troubles will come to light, as surely as the sun will rise
She's got to get used to living on the lam
Mary needs to acclimate to living on the run
Now Mary's out the door with a loaded forty four in her hand
Mary is leaving with a loaded pistol in her hand
Shooting down the law that shot down her dear departed man
Mary is on a mission to take revenge on the police who killed her partner
When I last saw her she was looking trouble
When the singer last saw Mary, she seemed to be seeking out problems
She said this is the 90's I'm gonna be alright
Mary expressed optimism about entering the 90s and feeling okay
She took the greyhound into Salinas
Mary boarded a Greyhound bus to Salinas
I got a letter that she dropped out of sight
The singer received a letter from Mary saying that she had disappeared
Shrouded in anger encompassed by pain
Mary is enveloped in feelings of anger and sadness
He was your best friend and you will never ever ever see him again
Mary's departed partner was the singer's best friend, and they will never see him again
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Travis
I remember skating to this song at Jeff Phillips' skate park when I was a kid. This shit just took me back, from the pissed off adult that I've become to the wicked little asshole I used to be. Life was a lot more fun back then, I need to figure out what I've been doing wrong.
Michael Moore
Travis This is goo shit
Their song take me back to
Aaron Cargain
Be present. You can't go back.
jimmiemclovin
if you're still digging this you're not doing anything wrong. enjoy and embrace!
JP
one of my favs by them for sure.
Jeff Sims
Might be my favorite song off "Let's Go"!
Christopher Lowe
Hell yeah...saw them with AFI and The Distillers in San Francisco....they played this. Best show ever man!!!