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 Bravest Kids
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the telegenic dead
And it goes out across the nation
There ain't no war information
The bravest kids I know
Are the one's that got to go
Fighting over there
Are the one's that got to go
Fighting over there
All channels pre-emptied
Another socialite is gonna get arrested
Pop culture transition
Taking over my television
The bravest kids I know
Are the one's that got to go
Fighting over there
The bravest kids I know
Are the one's that got to go
Fighting over there
The lyrics to Rancid's "The Bravest Kids" delve into themes of media manipulation and the government's control over information. The first stanza critiques the use of teleprompters, which are used to read pre-written scripts during live broadcasts, by "telegenic dead" individuals. This likely refers to news anchors or politicians who are put in front of the camera to present a polished, pre-planned message. The absence of war information on these programs suggests that the government is controlling what is being shown to the public, keeping them in the dark about the true reality of war.
The chorus of the song highlights the bravery of those who have chosen to fight in the war, calling them "the bravest kids I know." By referring to them as "kids," the song emphasizes the youth and inexperience of many of these soldiers who are sacrificing their lives to fight for their country. The repetition of the line "fighting over there" emphasizes the distance between the war and the people who are watching through their televisions.
The second stanza continues to critique the media and pop culture, suggesting that these are taking over the television and leaving little room for more meaningful content. The line "all channels pre-emptied" implies that even when there is important news to report, it is often pushed aside in favor of more sensational or lighthearted topics. The song ends with another repetition of the chorus, driving home the message that those who are fighting in the war are the real heroes, even if they are not getting the recognition they deserve.
Line by Line Meaning
The teleprompter is read
News anchors read from a pre-written script on a machine called a teleprompter
By the telegenic dead
These news anchors are often attractive and well-spoken, but lack genuine emotion or connection to the stories they read
And it goes out across the nation
This fake news is broadcasted to the entire country through various media outlets
There ain't no war information
Despite this constant news coverage, there is little to no actual information being provided about the ongoing war
The bravest kids I know
The artist has a great amount of respect and admiration for these young soldiers
Are the one's that got to go
They are required to leave their homes and their families, and risk their lives for their country
Fighting over there
These soldiers are deployed to a foreign country to engage in warfare
All channels pre-emptied
All regular programming has been cancelled, and replaced with sensationalized news coverage or other distractions
Another socialite is gonna get arrested
Media attention is often focused on celebrity gossip and scandals, which are much less important than issues such as war
Pop culture transition
Our society has shifted towards valuing popular culture and entertainment over real world problems
Taking over my television
The singer is frustrated that important issues such as war are being overshadowed by meaningless entertainment on their TV
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG, LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Canadian East Coaster
This whole album is gold
Ben Goshi
Mmm... I disagree
Is their worst in my opinion, seems like their effort was not up to the other records...
No masterpiece here! Some songs are very good, some are good in some parts, but not enoguh, but few are awful (e.g. let the dominoes fall).
Especially considering that this album came out 6 years later the previous one, indestructible.
Furthermore, I cannot really appreciate the overall mixage and sound tunes that makes all tracks even worse
However... Rancid forever!! 😍
Canadian East Coaster
@Ben Goshi was a different album though , featured legendary Booker T Jones on the keys!
Dive 2 Drive
I hear the first song all the time, it's loading song on a map from a mod for Battlefield 2
WhiteIslandNetwork
NHL 10
Eric Barclay
God is in this band no matter what the DEVIL says bottom line God is here in Northeast MD. 4 the people 2 be saved 4 hell