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)
Things To Come
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
War between races, war between lies,
War between something that lays out deep inside,
The deadliest one, come blazin' and identified,
(Yeah) How many must lay, before we realize?
(And I say,) How many must lay, before we realize?
a glimpse, I caught a glimpse of things to come.
I was jolted, I caught a glimpse of things to come.
One that stops, and launches and explosion.
I caught a glimpse of things to come.
It falls on you, and then it, it falls on me.
Outside the church the streets are wet,
It's a, half past three.
Well ya, ya get your moves all steady,
Cause no good is up again.
Mortally wounded, the one on the front seat,
It's the beginning of the end.
(And ah,)
God bless the dead, and the family and friends.
I caught... (I caught,)
a glimpse, I caught a glimpse of things to come.
I was jolted, I caught a glimpse of things to come.
One that stops, and launches and explosion.
I caught a glimpse of things to come.
In "Things to Come" by Rancid, the lyrics describe the underlying tensions and conflicts between different races and ideologies, foreshadowing an imminent war. The usage of "war between races, war between lies" highlights the growing divisive attitudes between different ethnic groups and the spread of misinformation. The lyrics also suggest that this explosive situation has already claimed many innocent lives and calls for a realization of the situation before it is too late. The chorus "I caught a glimpse of things to come" portrays the inevitability of these events and the urgency to address them before they escalate further.
The lyrics further describe the chaos and violence unfolding in the narrative, with the line "outside the church the streets are wet, it's a half-past three," painting the scene of a gruesome incident taking place in the middle of the night. The song mentions the mortality of the victims, with "mortally wounded, the one on the front seat" adding a poignant layer of emotion to the story. The closing line "God bless the dead, and the family and friends" brings a somber note and highlights the tragedy and loss caused by these preventable events.
Line by Line Meaning
War between races, war between lies,
There's a conflict between different races, fueled by lies that have been spread between them.
War between something that lays out deep inside,
There's also an inner conflict that exists within each individual, which contributes to the war between races.
The deadliest one, come blazin' and identified,
Out of all the conflicts, there's one that's particularly dangerous and has been clearly recognized.
(Yeah) How many must lay, before we realize?
The singer questions how many people need to die before everyone realizes the severity of the situation.
(And I say,) How many must lay, before we realize?
The singer reiterates his previous question, emphasizing the need for people to recognize the danger.
I caught... (I caught,)
The singer caught a glimpse of something.
a glimpse, I caught a glimpse of things to come.
The singer saw a vision of what's going to happen in the future.
I was jolted, I caught a glimpse of things to come.
This vision was so intense that the singer was jolted by it.
One that stops, and launches and explosion.
The vision involves something that starts and then suddenly explodes.
It falls on you, and then it, it falls on me.
The vision involves a situation in which the consequences affect everyone, regardless of who started it.
Outside the church the streets are wet,
The vision may take place in a rainy or damp environment, particularly around a church.
It's a, half past three.
The vision may occur at the precise time of 3:30 AM or PM.
Well ya, ya get your moves all steady,
The singer advises to prepare and remain calm in the face of what's to come.
Cause no good is up again.
The upcoming situation is not good or favorable.
Mortally wounded, the one on the front seat,
Someone in a leadership position is gravely injured.
It's the beginning of the end.
This injury marks the start of the end of something big.
(And ah,)
This is a transitional phrase in the song.
God bless the dead, and the family and friends.
The singer prays for the deceased and their loved ones.
Contributed by Nicholas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manthan Shah
Can we get Rancid to play this song live?
Joe Biden’s Hairy legs
Rancid does Rocksteady. Nice. 👍
Sam J
That’s one groovy bass line
COMRADES
great song
Raul M
it's the beginning of the end don't loose your soul man
Jati Pramudya
journey to the end of summer~
Eric Barclay
Be careful 2 ⌚ 4 the signs of the times
Eric Barclay
Journey 2 the lowest level of Hells pit farest place from the FATHERS ❤.