The band packed it in 2005 not long after the release of In The Mean Time and In-Between Time. Marc "Muc" Belke went back to school, and the other band members went their own ways rather than try to replace him.
That is, until 2007 when Ken "Mr. Chi Pig" Chinn appeared on stage again fronting a band he was calling "asSNFU" for a small number of shows to celebrate the band's long history.
Allegedly an acronym for Society's No Fucking Use, SNFU initially comprised Chi Pig, the Belkes, bassist Warren Bidlock and drummer Evan "Tadpole" Jones. However, over the next decade the group's rhythm section changed from album to album and tour to tour. As you can see from the list to the left, there are currently 17 people on the SNFU roster that have played at one time or an other with the band.
SNFU's first two releases, 1985's ...And No One Else Wanted to Play and If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish, were straight- ahead skate punk albums with strongly political lyrics, released on BYO Records. For 1988's Better Than a Stick in the Eye the quintet moved to the larger indie label Cargo Records, for whom they also recorded 1992's mostly live The Last of the Big Time Suspenders, intended to be their final album.
Just as SNFU appeared to be finished, Epitaph Records -- the most commercially successful U.S. independent label of the 1990s -- offered them a record contract. Along with new bassist Rob Johnson and drummer Dave Rees, Chi Pig and the Belkes returned with 1993's Something Green and Leafy This Way Comes, which, not surprising, had a more typical West Coast/Epitaph sound. Following the release of 1995's The One Voted Most Likely To Succeed, the group returned with 1996's FYULABA (produced by Dave Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy), their first album not to have a seven word title (though it does have a seven letter title). In 1997 Brent Belke and David Rees left the group; SNFU decided to continue on as a four-piece with new drummer Sean Stubbs, recording the Canada-only live release Let's Get It Right the First Time.
In 2000 SNFU released a 5 song EP on Alternative Tentacles titled The Ping Pong EP. Currently (Sept. 2004), SNFU has recorded their 8th full-length album In the meantime and in between time. This future release is set to be released on their own record label, Rake Records. On July 16th, 2020 Ken Chinn pasted away at the age of 57.
Past SNFU Lineups:
SNFU mach 1:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc "muc" belke - guitar
brent "bunt" belke - guitar
warren bidlok - bass
evan c "tadpole" jones - drums
SNFU mach 2:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
brent "bunt belke - guitar
jimmy schmitz - bass
evan c "tadpole" jones - drums
SNFU mach 3:
mr.chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
brent belke - guitar
dave bacon - bass
jon card aka seth hornblend - drums
SNFU mach 4:
mr.chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
brent belke - guitar
dave bacon - bass
ted simm - drums
SNFU mach 5:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc bellke - guitar
brent belke - guitar
curtis creager - bass
ted simm - drums
SNFU mach 6:
mr.chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
brent belke - guitar
curtis creager - bass
jon card - drums
SNFU mach 7:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
brent belke - guitar
ken fleming - bass
david rees - drums
SNFU mach 8:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
brent belke - guitar
rob "starbuck" johnson - bass
david rees - drums
SNFU mach 9:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
rob johnson - bass
sean stubbs - drums
SNFU mach 10:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
rob johnson - bass
chris "cpl. ninny" thompson
SNFU mach 11:
mr. chi pig - vocals
marc belke - guitar
matt warhurst - bass
shane smith - drums
Tears
SNFU Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you've had their feelings running down your face?
And you've cried and cried till you felt good inside
You cried and cried till your heart wrung dry
Are you the emotional cripple you were taught to be?
If you cry, is it a sign of latency?
To keep your emotions locked up inside
Sometimes these tears...are out of sadness
Sometimes these tears...are out of madness
Sometimes they're the voice of happiness
And sometimes they're just tears
The lyrics of SNFU's "Tears" explore the theme of emotions, specifically tears, and how society views crying as a sign of weakness. The lyrics ask the listener when was the last time they cried, and if they have ever experienced the salty taste of tears on their face. The song goes on to question if the listener is an "emotional cripple," someone who has been conditioned to believe that showing emotions, especially through crying, is a sign of weakness. The lyrics suggest that suppressing emotions only leads to half-lived lives, and that crying can be a natural and healthy release.
The first two lines of the song focus on the physical sensation of crying, as tears run down one's face. The second stanza questions whether crying is seen as a negative trait, indicating weakness or immaturity. The third stanza suggests that tears can come from a range of emotions, including sadness, madness, happiness, or simply as a physical response to stimuli.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that crying can have different meanings, and that tears are not always a sign of sadness. The song suggests that crying can be a healthy release, a way to heal from negative emotions, and even a way to express joy.
Overall, SNFU's "Tears" is an insightful exploration of the role of tears in our emotional lives, and challenges societal norms that stigmatize crying as a sign of weakness.
Line by Line Meaning
When's the last time you've tasted their salty taste?
When was the last time you really felt and experienced your emotions?
And you've had their feelings running down your face?
And you cried so much that your tears represented the depth of your emotions.
And you've cried and cried till you felt good inside
And you cried until you found some inner peace and release from the pain you were feeling.
You cried and cried till your heart wrung dry
You cried until you exhausted yourself of all the emotions you were holding in.
Are you the emotional cripple you were taught to be?
Have you been conditioned to stifle your emotions and not feel them fully?
If you cry, is it a sign of latency?
Are tears seen as a weakness or a lack of control in your life and society?
To keep your emotions locked up inside
To hide and suppress your true feelings.
Means you're only living half your life
It means you're only living halfheartedly and not experiencing life to the fullest.
Sometimes these tears...are out of sadness
Tears can be a way of expressing deep sadness.
Sometimes these tears...are out of madness
Tears can be a result of irrational or intense feelings, like anger or frustration.
Sometimes they're the voice of happiness
Sometimes tears are a way of expressing pure joy and happiness.
And sometimes they're just tears
Sometimes tears don't have a specific reason or explanation; they just happen.
Contributed by Brooklyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ßOß - Sickboy
Lyrics & german translation underneath! Thx. SNFU & RIP Kenny!
Tears
SNFU (1988), from the album
"Better than a stick in the eye"
When's the last time you've tasted their taste?
And you've had those feelings running down your face?
You've cried and cried till you felt good inside.
Cried and cried till your heart wrung dry.
Are you the emotional cripple you were taught to be?
And if you cry, is it a sign of latency?
To keep your emotions locked up inside
means you're only living half your life.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of sadness.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of madness.
Sometimes the voice of a happiness.
And sometimes they're just tears.
Are you the emotional cripple you were taught to be?
And if you cry, is it a sign of latency?
To keep your emotions locked up inside
means you're only living half your life.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of sadness.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of madness.
Sometimes the voice of a happiness.
And sometimes they're just tears.
Tränen
Wann war es das letzte Mal, dass du ihren Geschmack schmecktest?
Und du diese Gefühle hattest, die an deinem Gesicht herunterliefen?
Du hast geweint und geweint, bis du dich innerlich gut fühltest.
Weintest und weintest, bis dein Herz trocken gewrungen war.
Bist du der emotionale Krüppel, der dir gelehrt wurde, zu sein?
Und wenn du weinst, ist das ein Zeichen von Verborgenheit?
Deine Emotionen innerlich eingesperrt zu halten
bedeutet, dass du dein Leben nur halb lebst.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Traurigkeit.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Wahnsinn.
Manchmal die Stimme eines Glücksgefühls.
Und manchmal sind sie nur Tränen.
Bist du der emotionale Krüppel, der dir gelehrt wurde, zu sein?
Und wenn du weinst, ist das ein Zeichen von Verborgenheit?
Deine Emotionen innerlich eingesperrt zu halten
bedeutet, dass du dein Leben nur halb lebst.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Traurigkeit.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Wahnsinn.
Manchmal die Stimme eines Glücksgefühls.
Und manchmal sind sie nur Tränen.
John Smith
this song is so epic. one of the greatest hardcore songs of all time
Ken Oath
yes!
I Never Ram
True
Dave Anchovies
Not many punk bands of the 80s stuck around or didn't have it in them to churn out 3 pretty perfect albums like the initial SNFU albums. Then come back and produce some crucial stuff later on like painful reminder or Eric's had a bad day. I remember being pretty surprised at that album when it came out and playing it on my radio show weekly.
ßOß - Sickboy
Lyrics & german translation underneath! Thx. SNFU & RIP Kenny!
Tears
SNFU (1988), from the album
"Better than a stick in the eye"
When's the last time you've tasted their taste?
And you've had those feelings running down your face?
You've cried and cried till you felt good inside.
Cried and cried till your heart wrung dry.
Are you the emotional cripple you were taught to be?
And if you cry, is it a sign of latency?
To keep your emotions locked up inside
means you're only living half your life.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of sadness.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of madness.
Sometimes the voice of a happiness.
And sometimes they're just tears.
Are you the emotional cripple you were taught to be?
And if you cry, is it a sign of latency?
To keep your emotions locked up inside
means you're only living half your life.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of sadness.
Sometimes these tears...they're out of madness.
Sometimes the voice of a happiness.
And sometimes they're just tears.
Tränen
Wann war es das letzte Mal, dass du ihren Geschmack schmecktest?
Und du diese Gefühle hattest, die an deinem Gesicht herunterliefen?
Du hast geweint und geweint, bis du dich innerlich gut fühltest.
Weintest und weintest, bis dein Herz trocken gewrungen war.
Bist du der emotionale Krüppel, der dir gelehrt wurde, zu sein?
Und wenn du weinst, ist das ein Zeichen von Verborgenheit?
Deine Emotionen innerlich eingesperrt zu halten
bedeutet, dass du dein Leben nur halb lebst.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Traurigkeit.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Wahnsinn.
Manchmal die Stimme eines Glücksgefühls.
Und manchmal sind sie nur Tränen.
Bist du der emotionale Krüppel, der dir gelehrt wurde, zu sein?
Und wenn du weinst, ist das ein Zeichen von Verborgenheit?
Deine Emotionen innerlich eingesperrt zu halten
bedeutet, dass du dein Leben nur halb lebst.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Traurigkeit.
Manchmal sind diese Tränen...aus Wahnsinn.
Manchmal die Stimme eines Glücksgefühls.
Und manchmal sind sie nur Tränen.
anna x
Thank you for your translation:)
ßOß - Sickboy
@anna x
You are welcome :))
Seth Novak
Badass song! RIP Chi Pig.
hellcatsurfer
Fantastic!!!!
MissySnowstyle
friend linked me to it.... freaking love it