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)

Stranded
Rancid Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I walked into the hotel room,
I had an old case in my hand
It was a 1962, Fender acoustic guitar.
Yeah you've been my friend,
Through thick and thin,
Where do I begin
To tell you what we've seen.
Together all over the world,

Could not make it without you

Stranded (Stranded) Stranded (Stranded)
Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you.

Hangin' out in The East Bay
With my friends and family for a week.
Rhye helped me out but I feel
Like I should go back home now.
I was, dropped off at Oakland,
Train station gave my ticket, got on the train.
My only luggage was my old beat up guitar

Stranded (Stranded) Stranded (Stranded)
Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you.
Stranded (Stranded) Stranded (Stranded)
Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you.

Stranded (Stranded) Stranded (Stranded)
Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you.
Stranded (Stranded) Stranded (Stranded)
Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you.

Stranded all over again, with you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rancid's song Stranded depict the deep connection between a musician and his beloved instrument. The song starts with the singer entering a hotel room with his old friend, a 1962 Fender acoustic guitar. They have been through thick and thin together and have seen the world. The musician expresses his love and gratitude for his faithful companion who has been indispensable in his journey as an artist.

The second verse talks about the singer hanging out with his friends and family in the East Bay for a week, but now he feels it's time to go back home. He heads to the Oakland train station with nothing but his old beat-up guitar as his luggage. The guitar has become his constant companion and has stood by him in every situation, whether he is stranded or not.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you" four times. It exemplifies the inseparable bond between the musician and his guitar. The repetition of the phrase highlights that there have been many situations when they were stranded together, but still, they are inseparable.

In conclusion, Rancid's song Stranded is a tribute to an artist's most loyal friend, their instrument. The lyrics paint a picture of the deep reverence and affection that a musician has for their companion. It symbolizes the relationship between an artist and their craft.

Line by Line Meaning

When I walked into the hotel room,
As soon as I entered the hotel room,

I had an old case in my hand
I was carrying an old guitar case

It was a 1962, Fender acoustic guitar.
The guitar inside the case was a Fender acoustic made in 1962.

Yeah, you've been my friend,
I've considered the guitar my friend for a long time.

Through thick and thin,
It has been with me through good and bad times.

Where do I begin to tell you what we've seen.
I couldn't possibly list all of the places we've been together.

Together all over the world,
We've traveled to many different countries and locations.

Could not make it without you
I couldn't have survived all of those experiences without the guitar.

Hangin' out in The East Bay
I was spending time in the East Bay area of California

With my friends and family for a week.
I had been with my loved ones for a week-long visit.

Rhye helped me out but I feel
A person named Rhye assisted me, but despite that,

Like I should go back home now.
I felt like it was time for me to return home.

I was dropped off at Oakland,
I was left at the Oakland transportation center.

Train station gave my ticket, got on the train.
I got my ticket from the station and boarded the train.

My only luggage was my old beat-up guitar
The only thing I had with me was my worn-out guitar.

Stranded (Stranded) Stranded (Stranded)
The feeling of being lost or abandoned

Stranded all over again, stranded all over again, with you.
That feeling of being stranded was made worse by the fact that I was with my guitar, which was a constant reminder of our shared experiences.

Stranded all over again, with you.
The feeling of being stranded was intensified because the guitar was my only companion.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JAKE ROCHE, JOE SMITH, KERRY RYAN, MATT COSBY, NICK GOODALE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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