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)
Tenderloin
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You criticize your existence
It's your demise when no sun arise
When you're paralyzed by your lack of resistance
She know she is
She knows she's going
Down below where the fire's glowing
Tenderloin
The tricks she gets them she's not a victim
She makes a list of them and reads them all alone
For money she's walking down on larkin'
In T.I. they're rocking all night long
The lyrics to Rancid's song Tenderloin tell a story about a woman who is fully aware of her situation but has accepted it nonetheless. The first verse speaks to the woman's self-reflection and realization that she has been dehumanized. She is critical of her own existence, and it is her resistance or lack thereof that has led to her demise. In the context of the song, the lack of resistance could refer to a lack of self-love or self-worth that has led her down a path of self-destruction.
The chorus brings in the setting of the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, an area known for its high crime rates and homeless population. The woman knows that she is headed to the Tenderloin, where the fire is always glowing, suggesting that there is always trouble and danger there. The metaphorical fire could also represent the burning passion that the woman has for her work as a sex worker.
The second verse goes on to depict the woman as a survivor who is not a victim of her circumstances. She comes up with a list of tricks to get by in her profession and reads it over alone. It is clear that the woman is not ashamed of her work and is doing what she needs to do to make it in the world. The reference to Larkin Street in T.I. (Tenderloin) suggests that she is walking the streets there, despite the danger. The final line "they're rocking all night long" implies that the area is alive and vibrant, even in the darkness of the night.
Line by Line Meaning
Realize you're dehumanized
Acknowledge the fact that you are being treated as less than human.
You criticize your existence
You find fault with your own existence.
It's your demise when no sun arise
Your downfall occurs when there is no hope for a better tomorrow.
When you're paralyzed by your lack of resistance
Your inability to resist the negative forces around you leaves you helpless and stuck.
She know she is
She's aware of her situation and the dangers it poses.
She knows she's going
She knows that she's headed towards a negative outcome.
Down below where the fire's glowing
She's headed to a dangerous place where the risks are high.
Tenderloin
She's referring to the Tenderloin district in San Francisco which is known for its high crime rate and poverty.
The tricks she gets them she's not a victim
She's not a helpless victim, but rather someone who takes advantage of others.
She makes a list of them and reads them all alone
She keeps a record of her clients and reviews it alone, possibly for her own safety.
For money she's walking down on larkin'
She's selling herself for money on Larkin Street, another rough area in San Francisco.
In T.I. they're rocking all night long
Referring to Tenderloin, where illegal activities go on throughout the night.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LANIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brandenjohnson3798
best dam rock'n'roll album ever period!!!!
@SamJ-mt6tn
This is the cleanest matts voice has been
@mattlumpkins1412
Everytime I hear about the TL I think of this
@stevet6401
This fuckin song has been playing full blast in my brain today. For money she's
walking down Larkin in TL they rockin all night long!
@samorenpalmer
Amazing stuff
@decorummortis5175
I <3 these guys Punk isn't dead =D
@simon-pierredrolet955
🤘🔥
@bruddanecessity34
Realize you're dehumanized
You criticize your existence
It's your demise when no sun arise
When you're paralyzed by your lack of resistance
She know she is
She knows she's going
Down below where the fire's glowing
Tenderloin
The tricks she gets them she's not a victim
She makes a list of them and reads them all alone
For money she's walking down on larkin'
In T.I. they're rocking all night long