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)
The Ballad Of Jimmy And Johnny
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skinheads what they claimed
Outside similarities but they don't feel the same
Johnny thinks Jimmy is a mod
And Jimmy thinks Johnny's a punk
Jimmy listens to ska
And Johnny likes last resort
Jimmy and Johnny in the trenches
We down tonight
Drinking Guinness smoking 555's
Once you're in the middle you feel alright
Skinheads tats and a Fred Perry
There's a was in the cemetery
Start to fight stop drinking
What the fuck were they thinking
Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Jimmy had his two tone girl on the back of his scooter that night
Johnny had a jacks up Chevy that could blow you right off the line
Skinheads tats and a Fred Perry
There's a was in the cemetery
Start to fight stop drinking
What the fuck were they thinking
Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
The song "Ballad of Jimmy & Johnny" by Rancid tells the story of two friends, Jimmy and Johnny, who identify with different subcultures - skinhead and mod or punk, respectively. The lyrics highlight the differences between the two, with Johnny thinking Jimmy is a mod while Jimmy thinks Johnny is a punk. Despite their different ideologies, the two friends share a camaraderie and bond over drinking Guinness and smoking cigarettes in the trenches.
However, the song takes a darker turn when they end up in a fight at the cemetery, the reason for which remains unknown. The lyrics question what they were thinking when they started the fight and stopped drinking. The chorus, "Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing", seems to be a plea to the two to make sense of their actions and to try to understand each other better.
The song appears to be a commentary on the tribalism and violence that can emerge from subcultures and how it can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts, even between friends. The song ends with the same plea to Jimmy and Johnny to share their perspectives and to seek understanding rather than resorting to violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Jimmy and Johnny two friends of mine
The singer introduces Jimmy and Johnny as his friends.
Skinheads what they claimed
The two friends are skinheads and they consider themselves as such.
Outside similarities but they don't feel the same
Although Jimmy and Johnny look alike, they do not share the same beliefs and attitudes.
Johnny thinks Jimmy is a mod
Johnny believes Jimmy has traits of a mod.
And Jimmy thinks Johnny's a punk
Jimmy assumes Johnny is a punk based on Johnny's behavior and appearance.
Jimmy listens to ska
Jimmy prefers to listen to ska music.
And Johnny likes last resort
Johnny enjoys listening to music by the band Last Resort.
Jimmy and Johnny in the trenches
The two friends are out and about together.
We down tonight
They are in a party mood.
Drinking Guinness smoking 555's
They are drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.
Once you're in the middle you feel alright
Being in the midst of other people can make you feel comfortable and safe.
Skinheads tats and a Fred Perry
They wear Fred Perry clothing and have tattoos commonly associated with skinheads.
There's a was in the cemetery
There is a party happening in the cemetery.
Start to fight stop drinking
They eventually start fighting and the alcohol may have contributed to the conflict.
What the fuck were they thinking
The singer finds it difficult to understand what they were fighting about.
Jimmy and Johnny tell me what you're seeing
The artist asks his friends what they are experiencing or witnessing.
Jimmy had his two tone girl on the back of his scooter that night
Jimmy had his girlfriend or date with him on his scooter that night.
Johnny had a jacks up Chevy that could blow you right off the line
Johnny has a fast and impressive car, a jacked up Chevy.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jon Rock
Let's go is my favorite album by far.
Eddie Warren
Still great
Dmytro Sidorenko
Much more bigger than Great! Guys this is classics of punk, after Ramones obviously:)
Dmytro Sidorenko
The song is not for tailored for sensitive ears of “deeply concerned personalities with especial nature of feelings”:))))...who cares! Punks not dead, yeah!!!
Adrian Begay
Rancid sang about skinheads b4 it was popular. Now daze everyone wannabe a skinheads, also Lars was a skin b4 joined rancid oi!!!