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)
Up To No Good
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one is safe here
We're all in danger
Through the corridor
I see a stranger
Robbin' and ransacking
I see him walking
I hear him knocking
Up to no good
Up to no good
Like a spark on a wire
Or a splinter in wood
Best intentions get
Misunderstood
But that motherfucker is
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no
One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Quick like a snake
he's good at stealing
He'll even steal the plaster
off the ceiling
Cloaked in darkness
I see him standing
Making moves in the night
he's a ghost man
Up to no good
Up to no good
Like a spark on a wire
Or a splinter in wood
Best intentions get
Misunderstood
But that motherfucker is
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no
One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Criminals I understand them
Watch your back
Cause we'll come at random
Born to lose
And you end up in the system
He's our friend
Now we're gonna miss him
Up to no good
Up to no good
Like a spark on a wire
Or a splinter in wood
Best intentions get
Misunderstood
But that motherfucker is
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
Up to no good
One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight
In "Up To No Good," Rancid warns listeners of the danger that lurks in the streets. The song sets the scene with the singer observing a stranger "robbin' and ransacking," a criminal who is "good at stealing." The lyrics suggest that danger is always present, and people need to be vigilant at all times, "Lock your doors now I hear him knocking." The phrase "Up to no good" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing that the criminal is dangerous and unpredictable. Although the lyrics suggest that the criminal is going to be punished eventually, there is a sense of inevitability to the situation, and that crime will always exist in society.
The chorus compares the criminal to a "spark on a wire" or a "splinter in wood," so small that they might not seem like much, but they can be harmful. The lyrics even suggest that the intentions of the criminal might be misunderstood, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. The bridge of the song reminds the listener that the criminal is a part of society, and while they might end up in the system, they'll still be missed - a reminder that the problem of criminality is not something that can be resolved easily.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight
The song is starting and it is counting from one to eight.
No one is safe here
This place is not safe for anyone.
We're all in danger
Everyone is at risk here.
Through the corridor
The location in question has a corridor.
I see a stranger
There is an unfamiliar person nearby.
Robbin' and ransacking
The stranger is stealing and looting.
I see him walking
The stranger is on the move.
Lock your doors now
To protect yourself, lock your doors immediately.
I hear him knocking
The stranger is attempting to gain entry.
Up to no good
The stranger is engaging in criminal behavior with harmful intent.
Like a spark on a wire
The stranger's behavior is comparable to igniting a hazardous wire.
Or a splinter in wood
It's like being hurt by a small piece of wood that you can't even see.
Best intentions get
Even when someone has good intentions, things can still go wrong.
Misunderstood
The stranger's actions are not properly understood or justified.
But that motherfucker is
This stranger is a dangerous and contemptible person.
Quick like a snake
The stranger moves stealthily, like a serpent.
he's good at stealing
The stranger is skilled in theft.
He'll even steal the plaster
The stranger is so audacious that he will even take the plaster off the wall.
off the ceiling
This shows that the location has a ceiling and makes the stealing more difficult to detect.
Cloaked in darkness
The stranger is making use of the cover of darkness.
I see him standing
Although he is supposed to be stealthy, he is still visible while waiting.
Making moves in the night
The stranger is active during the nighttime, when there's less light and security.
he's a ghost man
He is like a ghost because he comes and goes without being noticed or causing physical harm.
Criminals I understand them
The singer understands what it's like to be a criminal and how they think.
Watch your back
Be careful and alert, danger can come unexpectedly.
Cause we'll come at random
The criminals will strike unexpectedly without warning.
Born to lose
Some people are destined to experience hardship and defeat.
And you end up in the system
You might fall into a life of crime, which could lead you into the prison system.
He's our friend
The stranger was a friend, but now he has broken the trust and became a thief.
Now we're gonna miss him
Now that the friend has turned to a life of crime, he won't be around anymore.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederiksen, Roger Matthew Freeman, Brett W. Gurewitz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adam Lindenburger
Every album is timeless in my opinion. Raise a glass in hopes they continue to make some of the most enjoyable music out there, and playing the best live shows!! Caught the most recent Calgary show, some of my most fun I've ever had with a bunch of sweaty punks, they are just getting better!!
Moltar Noir
Hardest working punk band of the last 20yrs! RANCID = respect
Gio P
love these guys!!! ill die listening to this - im 62 now and this is wot keeps me alive and sane.
Shev Wreck
As a kid who was coming of age during the mid-late ninety's, Rancid was one of the few bands that introduced me to punk, hardcore, reggae and ska. I got "And Out Comes The Wolves" not too long after it was released and almost immediately picked up "Let's Go". I'm more than positive I'm not alone when saying those albums are absolutely fantastic. But as I continue my journey further down the rabbit hole into the world underground & more obscure music, my attention to Rancid & a few other Epitaph/Fat Wreck Cords bands I liked started to veer off. Don't get me wrong I still very much liked the band and even back then as I do today think "A.O.C.T.W." is a classic. But it wasn't until the summer of 2009 while I was flipping thru records that I came across "Let The Domino's Fall". Picked it up, glossed over it and added to that week's pile of vinyl to be purchased. Get back home, remove the shrink wrap, drop the needle on side A. The song or two I was digging, but in that brief moment of silence before Tim counts off the song I had a really good feeling about what was to come. And damn if I wasn't let down in the slightest bit.
Steven Arangio
Everything these guys never release is nothing short of amazing
P S
Long -time Ranicd fan, and this is my favorite track on the new album. Please come back to the Fillmore in Denver next summer!
RobFeaster
Fuckin' great album and the bonus acoustic cd I can't stop listening to
RF
this is definitely their best song!!
Marshall DeMos
Strongest album from them in quite a while...
spankyrevolution
That's a pretty cool song :P I was there at 1:39, but I was more in the middle, in front of the stage and tehre were a lot of people in front of me during that show. It was really awesome, starting with The Riverboat Gamblers, followed by them and then there were Rise Against. Fucking best show ever.