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)
That's Just The Way It Is Now
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blinded, hypnotized
Lord knows I'm living
And I'm never coming back
Now one generation dies
Next one wins the prize
And that's the big surprise
There's demise in all of their lies
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now
I walk through the cemetery
It's all empty
Now I put a rose
On the grave of a fallen hero
And I look out into the wild
All I see is emptiness
So much loneliness
I just want forgiveness
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now
When dreams fade away
It won't be long
End up singing the same old song
What went right, what went wrong
Bad times here, good times gone
First rule they always sell
Second rule never tell
Third rule straight to hell
White collar criminals
Living in jail
it's all that they gave
Sold your soul to get paid
Buy you end up in an early grave
Your own neck you can't save
It's a letter that you can't send
It's a wound that will never mend
Pain level peaks at ten
Some stand out some stand in
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now
The lyrics of Rancid's song That's Just The Way It Is Now address the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of change. The singer reflects on the passing of time and the fact that no matter what struggles an individual may face, life goes on without them. The first verse speaks to the idea that the world keeps turning, and that even our own mortality won't slow it down. The second verse reinforces this by describing the emptiness of the cemetery and the loneliness that can come from realizing one's own insignificance in the grand scheme of things.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that "that's just the way things are now." This phrase reinforces the idea of an unchanging world that marches on irregardless of individual experiences or hardships. The final verse delves into the idea of selling one's soul for profit and the ultimate cost that can come from such actions. The singer suggests that the corruption of those in power is a rule, not an exception, and that in the end those who seek only to enrich themselves will end up suffering for it.
Overall, the song encourages the listener to accept the world as it is, but also not to give up on striving for something better. While life may be cyclical and the world may be indifferent to our struggles, ultimately we have the power to make our own choices and try to make a difference where we can.
Line by Line Meaning
Car lights flash my eyes
The bright lights of cars passing by temporarily blinded me
Blinded, hypnotized
The overwhelming glare of the headlights had me hypnotized
Lord knows I'm living
I'm alive and here on earth, but my existence feels empty and unfulfilling
And I'm never coming back
I won't be able to go back to the way things were before this realization hit me
Now one generation dies
Each generation dies, making way for the next
Next one wins the prize
The next generation takes over and becomes the new dominant force
And that's the big surprise
It's no surprise that this is how the cycle of life goes
There's demise in all of their lies
The lies perpetrated by previous generations lead to their downfall
It's never too late to realize
It's never too late to recognize the shortcomings of the past and work towards a better future
That's just the way things are
This is just the way life is, with its inherent flaws and cycles
That's just the way it is now
This is the current state of affairs
I walk through the cemetery
I'm walking through a place of the dead
It's all empty
There's nothing left here, only emptiness
Now I put a rose
I lay a rose down
On the grave of a fallen hero
This rose is to honor someone who was once a hero but has passed away
And I look out into the wild
I gaze out into the unknown wilderness
All I see is emptiness
It's all just an empty void
So much loneliness
This emptiness is accompanied by deep feelings of solitude
I just want forgiveness
I want to be released from the burden of guilt and regret
When dreams fade away
When our aspirations and goals become unattainable
It won't be long
It won't take much time for this to happen
End up singing the same old song
We'll become trapped in the same monotonous cycle
What went right, what went wrong
We'll reflect on our accomplishments and failures
Bad times here, good times gone
We're currently experiencing difficult times and the pleasant ones have passed us by
First rule they always sell
The first rule is always to make a profit regardless of ethics or morals
Second rule never tell
The next rule is to conceal any wrongdoing
Third rule straight to hell
The final rule is that these actions will ultimately lead to one's downfall
White collar criminals
Those who commit crimes of fraud, embezzlement, and other financial crimes
Living in jail
These criminals will eventually be caught and brought to justice
It's all that they gave
These individuals left nothing behind but their crimes
Sold your soul to get paid
These individuals made unethical choices in order to make money
But you end up in an early grave
These actions lead to a premature death either physically, mentally, or morally
Your own neck you can't save
Once the damage is done, there's no way to save oneself
It's a letter that you can't send
This is a message that can't be undone or unsaid
It's a wound that will never mend
The harm caused by one's past actions can never be fully reversed
Pain level peaks at ten
The pain and suffering caused by one's actions can be overwhelming
Some stand out some stand in
Some individuals leave a lasting legacy, while others fade into obscurity
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TIMOTHY (USA) ARMSTRONG, LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER MATTHEW FREEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
YAHWAY JAH
Still my band no matter what best 😆
Thiago Hullah
Car Lights flash my eyes
Blinded, Hypnotized
Lord knows I'm living
and I'm never coming back
Now one generation dies
Next one wins the prize
and that's the big surprise
There's demise in all of their lies
It's never to late to realize
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now [x2]
I walk through the cemetery
It's all empty
Now I put a rose
on the grave of a fallen hero
And I look out into the wild
All I see is emptiness
So much loneliness
I just want forgiveness
That's just the way things are
That's just the way it is now [x2]
When dreams fade away
It won't be long
End up singing the same old song
What went right, What Went Wrong
Bad times here, Good times gone
First rule they always sell
Second rule never tell
Third rule straight to hell
White collar criminals
Living in jail
It's all that they gave
Sold your soul to get paid
Hurtiger Hempel
both awesome
Tech Noir
Man the acoustic version is WAY better than this.
Adam Foster
Dooooshhhhh