Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991… Read Full Bio ↴Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, former members of the band Operation Ivy, Rancid is often credited as being among the wave of bands that revived mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Over their 32-year career, Rancid retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground musical roots.

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)

Track Fast
Rancid Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)
It's all too fast

Split up (engineering)
Fed up (Car fearing)
Set up (board carrying)

Tires, wiring, robotics

Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)
It's all too fast

Enjoy (human being)
Ultimate (work machine)
World now (wicked ink)
Every day is built for speed

Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)
It's all too fast

Track fast (track fast)
Track fast (track fast)

Track fast (track fast)
It's all too fast

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rancid's song "Track Fast" can be interpreted as a commentary on the fast-paced nature of modern life and the pressure to constantly keep up with the speed and demands of society. The repetition of the phrase "track fast" throughout the song emphasizes the urgency and relentless pace of life, highlighting the feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to keep up.

The first verse mentions various elements related to engineering and machines such as splitting up, being fed up, and being set up. These can be seen as metaphors for the different aspects of life that contribute to the fast pace, whether it's the pressures of work, the fear of falling behind, or the expectations imposed on us. The mention of tires, wiring, and robotics further emphasizes the mechanical and automated nature of society, as if humans are becoming mere cogs in a constantly moving machine.

The second verse contrasts the enjoyment and fulfillment of being a human being with the relentless nature of the "work machine." This juxtaposition suggests that despite the desire to find pleasure and purpose in life, the constant push for productivity and efficiency can overshadow our humanity. The mention of "wicked ink" may allude to the idea that even personal expression and creativity are co-opted by the demands for speed and productivity.

Line by Line Meaning

Track fast (track fast)
Moving quickly, accelerating

It's all too fast
Everything is happening too quickly, without the chance to fully comprehend or appreciate it

Split up (engineering)
Breaking apart, disassembling (in the context of engineering)

Fed up (Car fearing)
Tired and frustrated (potentially due to fear of cars or the negative impacts of car culture)

Set up (board carrying)
Arranged or prepared (in the context of carrying a surfboard or skateboard)

Tires, wiring, robotics
Elements related to mechanical and technological systems

Enjoy (human being)
Find pleasure or happiness (as a human being)

Ultimate (work machine)
The most important or highest level of efficiency (in the context of a machine used for work)

World now (wicked ink)
The current state of the world, depicted through powerful and rebellious tattoos or art

Every day is built for speed
Each day is designed or structured to prioritize fast-paced movement or progress

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman, Tim Armstrong

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind