BAND HISTORY
South Florida, a region once known for its humidity and magnetic pull for retirees from across the nation. Now this region is known for its high occurrence rate of hurricanes and home to socio-politico rage-core unit, Remembering Never. This five man unit composed of Mean Pete (vocals), Grease (guitar), Norm (guitar), Aldo (bass) and Danny (drums) is uncompromising hardcore with a message. From a cynical eye towards those who govern in all realms to messages of a vegetarian lifestyle, Remembering Never isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. Incorporating metallic speed and ire into their guitars, shards of melody and chaotic arrangements that threaten to collapse their sound is a combination of technical skill and primal aggression.
Forming right out of High School around the turn of the millennium, Remembering Never originally had Mean Pete on guitars and Justin Daily on vocals. According to Pete, the band originally sounded like every other band in South Florida and was more based on personal songwriting. The members who were in other bands, including Pete who was a vocalist in Until The End didn’t take Remembering Never too seriously. The group admits at first no one cared for the band and they ended up playing a lot of bad shows. After a year of playing locally, the band recorded an eight song demo that Carl Severson of Ferret Music caught wind of. Severson was impressed enough to want to put the album out, but at the time Ferret was stretched thin on releases. Severson turned the demo over to Chris Tzompanakis of Ferret band, SkyCameFalling who had started his own label, One Day Saviour and was looking for artists. One Day Saviour released the demo in 2001 which went on to sell close to 20,000 copies (it has just been re-released with new artwork).
Shortly thereafter, Daily quit the band to focus on other pursuits. Pete reluctantly picked up the microphone and put down the guitar, a decision he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. At the time of the member switch, Remembering Never had composed a great deal of their first full-length album She Looks so Good In Red and Pete had almost no time to compose lyrics. Musically the album which was released on Ferret Music in 2002 was angrier and more severe than the demo sessions. Lyrically Mean Pete claims it was a joke that only the band members got, as over the top narratives talked about violence against loved one’s and severing of relationships, much like Glassjaw’s first album. Like the aforementioned band, who has since taken a much different approach in their lyrics, Pete regrets anyone thinking that he was serious about any of those lyrics or believing that he advocated abusive acts towards women.
Tour-wise Remembering Never was finally getting out on the road including a stint with Suicide Note as well as tours with On Broken Wings, Evergreen Terrace, Between The Buried and Me, Alexisonfire, and Every Time I Die. When working on material for their next album Women And Children Die First, Pete decided to focus on issues that not only affected him but that would be hardcore anthems. As he wrote in the album’s liner notes “Being in a hardcore band, it is my privilege and my responsibility to share ideas.” As Carl Severson of Ferret claims “That album is really their defining moment. The demo and the first album might as well have been a different band. This album was more extreme, more pissed and more potent.” The second full-length was released in 2004, the significance of the title Women And Children Die First was supposedly the working title of a Slayer album that they were forced to drop by their label. Remembering Never’s album became their signature statement and went on to sell over 70,000 albums worldwide within two years. The album was included in the “Best Of 2004” list for Decibel Magazine as well as coverage in places such as Sirius Satellite Radio, Revolver, Alt Press and other media sources. This album also marked the first time that Remembering Never became a full time band and toured fully behind the album. Tours included co-headlining a PETA sponsored tour with Most Precious Blood as well as tour with Throwdown, The Acacia Strain, ZAO, Terror, Scarlet, Eighteen Visions and It Dies Today.
Several hurricanes and tattoos later, Remembering Never has emerged as one of the most respected voices of the metal-core scene. As of Fall 05, the band entered Planet Z Studios in Massachusetts with wonder producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Throwdown, Shadows Fall) to record their forthcoming full-length for a spring 06 release titled God Saves Us. It promises to be the most savage and heaviest sounding record to date. It also does a good job of balancing personal lyrics with the worldly messages of the band. The Goddamn Busy Signal is a song that deals with Gay rights. As Mean Pete says “This is not just someone’s opinion on someone else’s lifestyle, it’s about religion and government sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.” The ironically titled White Devil is about Pete and other members of the band who grew up broke, stealing to get by. “It’s really about an circle of life that it is difficult to break out of, being born into poverty and how it places a limit of what you can accomplish.” Selma named for the character in the film Dancer In The Dark is about the power that women have that is underestimated every day. Pete comments “We are the most negatively positive band out there. We’re really positive but we present it in a negative way.” With the release of God Saves Us 2006 promises to be the year that mainstream takes notice of the band who live by their underground roots.
Suicide Hotline On Speed Dial
Remembering Never Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't stop burning down the houses that you're sleeping in.
I won't lose sleep with the blood of the world on my hands.
What we're looking for is progress. What we need is something more than we've ever known.
(This is my letter to a dying world.)
What we're looking for is progress. What we need is something more.
Be not afraid.
Be not afraid. Be not as the past has birthed us: slaves to their world.
Won't you accept this penance from the one life you've been handed?
I can't accept this.
I won't stop screaming until everyone is listening.
I won't stop burning down the houses that you're sleeping in.
What we're looking for is progress. What we found does not exist any longer.
Our own actions will be the death of us all.
Be not afraid.
I have never seen a peaceful setting, just a prelude to a war and we live the outcome.
Be not afraid to die.
The lyrics of Remembering Never's song "Suicide Hotline On Speed Dial" express a sense of urgency to make a change in the world. The lead singer is determined to be heard, to create chaos and destruction if necessary, until everyone takes notice of the crisis facing humanity. The line "I won't lose sleep with the blood of the world on my hands" highlights a feeling of responsibility that the singer has towards the world, recognizing that the world's problems are not someone else's, but everyone's.
The lyrics speak to the idea that progress is necessary, but it requires something more than what has been done in the past. The phrase "be not as the past has birthed us: slaves to their world" suggests that we must break free from the chains of what has been done before in order to make a real change. The song also touches on the idea that violence and conflict seem to be the only way for change to happen, yet ultimately, violence will only bring about destruction and death.
In conclusion, the lyrics of "Suicide Hotline On Speed Dial" offer a plea for change in the world and remind us that progress is necessary, but it can only come when we break free from the constraints of the past and work together.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't stop screaming until everyone is listening.
I will continue to speak out until I have everyone's attention.
I won't stop burning down the houses that you're sleeping in.
I won't stop fighting against the systems that oppress us, even if it means drastic action.
I won't lose sleep with the blood of the world on my hands.
I won't let the weight of the world's problems stop me from fighting for change.
What we're looking for is progress. What we need is something more than we've ever known.
We need to strive for more than just small improvements, we need a radical change for real progress.
(This is my letter to a dying world.)
These are my thoughts and feelings towards our world and its struggles.
What we're looking for is progress. What we need is something more.
We must aim for something greater than simple progress to enact real change.
Be not afraid.
Do not let fear hold you back.
I have never seen a peaceful setting sun, just a prelude to a war and we live the outcome.
I have never experienced true peace, only the lead up to more conflict.
Be not afraid. Be not as the past has birthed us: slaves to their world.
Don't be complacent and allow ourselves to be controlled by the oppressive systems of the past.
Won't you accept this penance from the one life you've been handed?
Will you take responsibility for your life and make amends for the harm you've caused?
I can't accept this.
I cannot accept the status quo and the harm that it causes.
What we're looking for is progress. What we found does not exist any longer.
We must keep searching for progress, even if what we thought was the answer no longer works.
Our own actions will be the death of us all.
We are headed towards our own destruction because of the actions we take.
Be not afraid.
We cannot let fear guide our choices.
I have never seen a peaceful setting, just a prelude to a war and we live the outcome.
I have never experienced true peace, only the lead up to more conflict.
Be not afraid to die.
Don't let fear of death stop you from fighting and making the most out of life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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