SFA (Stands For Anything) are a New York hardcore band, formed in the winte… Read Full Bio ↴SFA (Stands For Anything) are a New York hardcore band, formed in the winter of 1984 by local zine writer Mike Bullshit. They played their first gig on Easter Sunday 1985 with Major Conflict, Sheer Terror and Token Entry. Coincidentally, their first drummer, Tim McArdle, left SFA in 1986 to sing for Token Entry. Their first release was a 7" named New York with vocal duties shared by Mike Bullshit and Brendan. Mike later left the band and formed another legendary NYHC band, GO!. Other members of importance were Bill Arbizu, Jan Lorenzen and Kid Lynch on bass, guitar and drums respectively. After the aforementioned 7" they released New Morality LP, So What? LP, Unclean 7" and Solace LP. They also appeared on various compilations such as "Look at all the children now", "Squat or Rot".

On and On
SFA Lyrics

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On and on and on and on
I never get a chance to catch my breath
On and on and on and on
I'm working myself to an early death

I work every day from 9 to 5
I make barely enough just to stay alive
I'm feeling frustrated and I don't know why

I just sit and watch the system bleed me dry
No time for college, I got bills to pay
I work my fingers to the bone for minimum wage
Straight out of school to the employment line
They say I ain't got no skills, I'm wasting their time

I just got paid, my money's already spent
My building's going co-op, so they raised my rent
I can't afford to buy the things I need
My pockets are empty and I got kids to feed
Tomorrow's gonna be like yesterday
Just deeper in debt with more bills to pay

Everything I own I'm forced to sell
I'm not living in America, I'm living in hell

Overall Meaning

The song "On And On" by Stephen and the Colberts is about the struggles of daily life and the feeling of being trapped in a system that drains one's energy and spirit. The repetition of "on and on and on and on" emphasizes the endless cycle of work and struggle, leaving no room for rest or recuperation. The singer is working himself to an early death, caught in a cycle of poverty and frustration. The lyrics suggest that the American dream is difficult to attain, with the system stacked against those who are struggling to make ends meet.

The second verse highlights the struggles of young people who are forced to work low-wage jobs to pay for necessities. The singer expresses frustration with the fact that he has no time or resources to pursue higher education. The system is portrayed as unjust, with employers and landlords exploiting workers for their labor and money, leaving them with nothing to show for their hard work. The final verse paints a picture of hopelessness and despair, with the singer feeling trapped in a situation that seems impossible to escape from.

Overall, "On And On" is a poignant commentary on the challenges faced by many Americans. The song highlights the difficulties of working-class life and the feeling of being caught in a cycle of poverty and frustration. Through its evocative lyrics and powerful message, the song encourages listeners to think critically about the systems that perpetuate inequality and to strive for change.

Line by Line Meaning

On and on and on and on
Life keeps going, without any relief or break.

I never get a chance to catch my breath
I don't get time to relax and recover.

I'm working myself to an early death
I'm laboring so much that it's harming my health.

I work every day from 9 to 5
I have a full-time job that takes up most of my day.

I make barely enough just to stay alive
I earn very little money, just enough to pay for basic necessities.

I'm feeling frustrated and I don't know why
I'm feeling angry and upset but I'm not sure why exactly.

I just sit and watch the system bleed me dry
The system is extracting everything from me without compensating me sufficiently.

No time for college, I got bills to pay
I can't afford to go to college because I have too many bills to pay.

I work my fingers to the bone for minimum wage
I work extremely hard for a wage that is barely enough to survive.

Straight out of school to the employment line
As soon as I finished school, I had to start working.

They say I ain't got no skills, I'm wasting their time
Employers are telling me that I'm not skilled enough for their jobs and that they're wasting their time with me.

I just got paid, my money's already spent
As soon as I receive my paycheck, I have to use it to pay for things I need.

My building's going co-op, so they raised my rent
The owners of my building have decided to switch to a co-op, and as a result, my rent has gone up.

I can't afford to buy the things I need
I don't have enough money to buy essential things.

My pockets are empty and I got kids to feed
I have no money and I need to feed my children.

Tomorrow's gonna be like yesterday
Tomorrow will be just as bad as today or even worse.

Just deeper in debt with more bills to pay
I'm getting deeper into debt because I have more bills to pay.

Everything I own I'm forced to sell
I'm forced to sell my possessions because I need money to survive.

I'm not living in America, I'm living in hell
My life is so difficult and oppressive that it feels like I'm living in hell.

Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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