Scream was formed in Northern Virginia in 1981 by singer Peter Stahl, his brother Franz Stahl on guitar, bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax. They are considered one of the benchmark bands in the history of the Washington, D.C. hardcore music movement. Along with bands such as Minor Threat and Government Issue, Scream ultimately merged the attributes of the movement, which were blinding speed, heavy political and social connotations in the lyrics, unpretentiousness of attitude, and shunning of commercialism. Their music is faithful to the roots of rock, but spun itself into other genres by employing sounds that predate the raunchiness of grunge, while saluting reggae and speed metal. Scream hated the classification of bands into certain types and considered what they played as simply 'music.' Recording their music in the basement of the now legendary Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia, Scream became the first band on the Dischord label to release a whole album, Still Screaming, as opposed to singles or 12 inch EPs. Like the hardcore band Bad Brains, they could play clearly at breakneck speed, but also played mid-tempo songs like "American Justice" and "Hygiene," which were metal-tinged reggae.
For their second album Scream added another guitarist to their line-up, Robert Lee "Harley" Davidson, to thicken up the sound in the studio and in their live performances. In turn this eventually led to a powerful dual-lead guitar style, with complex guitar tracking, a more powerful live sound and an over-all crunchier sound for their third album. For a few compilation efforts and some live shows they added a keyboard player, Bobby Madden, who was a colleague of Davidson's from the same metal scene.
After the third album Banging the Drum, Kent Stax left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by local drummer Dave Grohl, who then played on Scream's 4th album No More Censorship. The band then toured Europe; with their May 4, 1990 show in Alzey, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10. Scream then recorded their fifth and final studio album Fumble, (which was much later released in 1993 on Dischord Records) and then called it quits in late 1990. Pete and Franz moved to North Hollywood and started rock band Wool, while Grohl joined Grunge band Nirvana. In 1997, Franz Stahl joined Dave Grohl's newly formed group, the commercially successful Foo Fighters, for a two year stint. During this time Pete Stahl worked as a road manager for both the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, while continuing to record albums with several bands, including the Earthlings? and Goatsnake. Skeeter Thompson remained in the D.C. area and continued to work in bands, as did Kent Stax with the Skinhead/Oi! -tinged bands: the Suspects, United 121, Spitfires United, and Alleged Bricks. Stax has also committed himself to a family life. Davidson continued in the band Angelstorm, (in Huntsville, Alabama), from 1993–1995 and created the new bands Orangahead, Festival of Fools, (with Madden in 1998) and two different bands both named God Is Dead, (one in D.C. and one in Huntsville, Alabama) from 2002-2005.
The original line-up of the band played a reunion show on December 20, 2009 at the Black Cat nightclub in Washington, D.C.
On February 7, 2011, the band supported Foo Fighters on a special show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, when the Foo Fighters showcased their new album Wasting Light for the first time from beginning to end.
Current members
Peter Stahl – lead vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Franz Stahl – guitar, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Skeeter Thompson – bass, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Kent Stax – drums, percussion (1981–1986, 2009–present)
Former members
Dave Grohl – drums, percussion (1986–1990)
Robert Lee Davidson – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1989)
C.W.W. Part II
Scream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let it guide me
Experience and innocence bleed inside me
Hallucinogens can open me or untie me
I drift in inner space free of time
I find a higher state of grace in my mind
I'm beautiful
I live just for today
I don't care about tomorrow
What I got in my head
You can't buy, steal or borrow
I believe in life and let live
I believe you get what you give
I've glimpsed I have tasted
Fantastical places
My soul's an oasis
Higher than the sun
I'm higher than the sun
I'm higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
Higher than the sun
The first verse of Scream's C.W.W. Part II starts with the singer describing his brightest star as his inner light, which he lets guide him. He talks about having both experience and innocence inside him - a duality that makes him whole. He goes on to say that hallucinogens can either open him up or untie him, which suggests that he is open to exploring different ways of experiencing life. He says he drifts in inner space free of time, and finds a higher state of grace in his mind. This could be a reference to meditation or other forms of introspection, which allows him to access his higher self.
The second verse talks about the singer's belief in living in the present moment. He doesn't care about tomorrow and believes that what he has in his head cannot be bought, stolen or borrowed. He believes in living and letting live, and that you get what you give. This is a call for living a life of authenticity and staying true to oneself. The chorus talks about the singer having glimpses of and tasting fantastical places, which suggests that he has had some revelatory experiences that have given him a different perspective on life. He describes his soul as an oasis, and himself as higher than the sun. This suggests a sense of being on a higher plane of existence or having achieved some form of enlightenment.
Line by Line Meaning
My brightest star's my inner light
I rely on my own inner guidance and intuition to guide me.
Let it guide me
I trust my inner light to lead me in the right direction.
Experience and innocence bleed inside me
I have the wisdom of experience and the purity of innocence within me.
Hallucinogens can open me or untie me
Psychedelic drugs can either free my mind or unravel it.
I drift in inner space free of time
When I'm in a meditative or contemplative state, time seems to stand still.
I find a higher state of grace in my mind
I tap into a higher consciousness within myself which brings peace and serenity.
I'm beautiful
I possess qualities that make me unique and attractive.
I wasn't born to follow
I'm a non-conformist who does things my own way.
I live just for today
I focus on the present moment and don't worry too much about the future.
I don't care about tomorrow
I'm not concerned with what may happen in the future.
What I got in my head
I possess qualities such as creativity and intelligence that come from within.
You can't buy, steal or borrow
These inner qualities cannot be obtained through external means.
I believe in life and let live
I respect the freedom and choices of others and live my own life accordingly.
I believe you get what you give
I believe that the energy you put out into the world is what you receive in return.
I've glimpsed I have tasted
I've had experiences that have opened my eyes to new possibilities.
Fantastical places
Locations or states of mind that are beyond the ordinary or mundane.
My soul's an oasis
My inner being is a source of peace and rejuvenation.
Higher than the sun
I'm in a state of enlightenment or elevated consciousness that exceeds earthly limitations.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Higher than the sun
Repeating the previous line to emphasize its meaning.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW COLIN INNES, BOBBY GILLESPIE, ROBERT CLEARIE YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mikeevans4687
Pinky deserved an oscar for this performance 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@zzzslaughter3387
True 😂😂
@ericfeick4270
This guy is an underrated actor! He's hilarious....he was great in menace to society also.
@SpaceAce1993
Mike Evans smh no
@gibbsm
honestly, i took a rip on some GAS and watched this scene again, and just realize the same thing, the dude is brilliant.
@MichaelLesesne
Hey 😉
@stonebone316
"I got a motherfucking girlfriend. I got a wife on the side" that line sent me 😂😂😂
@TheRealAnikan
😂❤😮
@Ekushey
😂😂😂😂
@Its_Carlos_Bruv
Facts 😂😂😂