SSD (Society-System Decontrol) were a Straight Edge Hardcore band from Bost… Read Full Bio ↴SSD (Society-System Decontrol) were a Straight Edge Hardcore band from Boston. They released two records as SS Decontrol and then formally changed their name to SSD. As SSD they released two more records, these with a very hard rock influenced sound. However the group is often simply referred to, including all its periods, as SSD.

Formed by songwriter/guitarist Al Barile (then a machinist at the General Electric plant in Lynn, Massachusetts and a student at Northeastern University), SSD started performing at smaller venues throughout the greater Boston metropolitan area in the summer of 1981. The band quickly gained notoriety within the local music scene for intense performances charged and for the provocative antics of its core group of followers, the Boston Crew.

The original lineup was Al Barile on guitar, Springa (David Spring) on vocals, Jaime Sciarappa on bass and Chris Foley on drums. They released their debut EP The Kids Will Have Their Say on their own X-Claim label in 1982. Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat was a friend and supporter and his Dischord label's logo appeared on the back cover.

In 1983 they added second guitarist Francois Levesque and released Get it Away. This EP is widely regarded to be their best record. The X-Claim pressings of it and The Kids Will Have Their Say are both highly collectable.

Like many hardcore bands - particularly those in the Boston area - SSD, as they were now officially called, were heading in a heavy metal direction. In 1984 they signed to the Boston label Modern Method and released the How We Rock EP which was rooted in the hardcore sound but exhibited overt heavy metal characteristics, such as a relatively high number of lengthy guitar solos. After signing to Homestead they released the Break it Up LP in 1985. Their first (and only) full length LP, it had both feet planted in the metal genre, leaving behind all trappings of punk and hardcore.

SSD broke up in 1985.

Jaime Sciarappa went on to play bass with the Boston hardcore band Slapshot for a short time.

After the breakup Springa went on to front the short lived band Razorcaine and the comedy rock projects Die Blitzkinder (with The Slaves) and Springa as Tom Jones. His flamboyant persona and lounge lizard lifestyle during this time stood in marked contrast to the straight edge rhetoric of SS Decontrol. In the early 1990s he would move to Chicago to pursue comedy further with The Second City.

In 1991 Al Barile compiled Power for Taang! records. It spans SSD's entire career and is the only official release in print today. In the early 1990s he took up the bass guitar and he and Levesque formed the hardcore band Gage.

Infinity
SSD Lyrics

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Down to earth
Keep'em falling when I know it hurts
Going faster than a million miles an hour
Trying to catch my breath someway, somehow
Down to earth
It's like I'm frozen, but the world still turns
Stuck in motion in the wheels keep spinning 'round
Moving in reverse with no way out

And now I'm
One step closer to being two steps far from you
When everybody wants you
Everybody wants you
How many nights does it take to count the stars?
That's the time it would take to fix my heart
Oh baby, I was there for you
All I ever wanted was the truth
Yeah, yeah
How many nights have you wished someone would stay
Lied awake only hoping they're okay
I never counted all of mine
If I tried, I know it would feel like infinity
Infinity
Infinity
Yeah, infinity
Eyes can't shine unless there's something burning bright behind
Since she went away, there is nothing left in mine
I feel myself running out of time
And now I'm
One step closer to being two steps far from you
When everybody wants you
Everybody wants you
How many nights does it take to count the stars?
That's the time it would take to fix my heart
Oh baby, I was there for you
All I ever wanted was the truth
Yeah, yeah
How many nights have you wished someone would stay
Lied awake only hoping they're okay
I never counted all of mine
If I tried, I know it would feel like infinity
Infinity
Infinity
Yeah, infinity
Infinity
Infinity
How many nights does it take to count the stars?
That's the time it would take to fix my heart
Oh baby, I was there for you
All I ever wanted was the truth
Yeah, yeah
How many nights have you wished someone would stay
Lied awake only hoping they're okay
I never counted all of mine
If I tried, I know it would feel like infinity
Infinity

Infinity
Yeah, infinity

Overall Meaning

The song Infinity by SSD has deep and emotional lyrics that talks about the feelings of heartbreak and despair after a breakup. The lyrics depict the pain and emotional toll that it takes on a person. The opening lines of the song, "Down to earth, Keep'em falling when I know it hurts," suggests that the singer is trying to remain strong on the outside, but on the inside, they are hurting. They feel like they are moving at a million miles an hour and can't catch their breath. They feel stuck in motion, moving backward with no way out as the world keeps turning.

The chorus of the song, "How many nights does it take to count the stars? That's the time it would take to fix my heart," reveals the desperation the singer feels to get over their heartbreak. They were there for their partner, but all they ever wanted was the truth. The pain of seeing their partner with someone else is unbearable. They wonder how many nights it would take to count the stars, which represents an infinite amount of time to mend their broken heart. The singer feels like their heart was shattered into an infinite number of pieces that they can never put together.

The closing lines of the song, "Eyes can't shine unless there's something burning bright behind, Since she went away, there is nothing left in mine, I feel myself running out of time," reveal that the singer feels hollow and empty inside. They feel like they are running out of time to fill that void that their partner left behind. The lyrics of the song give a glimpse into the emotional state of someone who has just gone through a heartbreak.

Line by Line Meaning

Down to earth
Feeling grounded and realistic

Keep'em falling when I know it hurts
Continuing to pursue goals despite pain and obstacles

Going faster than a million miles an hour
Moving at an extremely quick pace

Trying to catch my breath someway, somehow
Attempting to regain composure and balance

It's like I'm frozen, but the world still turns
Feeling stagnant despite the world's constant progression

Stuck in motion in the wheels keep spinning 'round
Feeling trapped in a cycle of unprogressive movement

Moving in reverse with no way out
Feeling like progress is impossible and wanting to escape

And now I'm One step closer to being two steps far from you When everybody wants you Everybody wants you
Separating from a loved one while feeling that others desire them too

How many nights does it take to count the stars? That's the time it would take to fix my heart Oh baby, I was there for you All I ever wanted was the truth Yeah, yeah
Wondering how long it will take to recover from heartbreak, wanting honesty in a relationship

How many nights have you wished someone would stay Lied awake only hoping they're okay I never counted all of mine If I tried, I know it would feel like infinity Infinity Infinity Yeah, infinity
Trying to cope with the pain of loneliness and heartbreak, feeling like the sadness is never-ending

Eyes can't shine unless there's something burning bright behind Since she went away, there is nothing left in mine I feel myself running out of time
Feeling like there's no more passion or drive since a loved one left, feeling like time is running out

How many nights does it take to count the stars? That's the time it would take to fix my heart Oh baby, I was there for you All I ever wanted was the truth Yeah, yeah
Reiterating the need for honesty and time to heal a broken heart

Infinity Infinity Yeah, infinity
Expressing the endless feeling of heartbreak and loneliness

Contributed by Zachary Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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