The band's vocalist is Andrew Champion, who went on to a variety of bands like HOPELIFTER, END OF THE WORLD, SHADOWBOXER and HIGHWIRE DAYS! Guitarist Doug Sangalang went on to the bands LIMP, ONE TIME ANGELS and JACKSON UNITED. Bass player Jimi Cheetah went on to the bands TILT and NOTHING COOL, as well as running CHEETAH'S RECORDS. Guitarist Grant McIntire and drummer Mark Mortenson went on to a brief stint in ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES. Mark Mortenson also played in the bands GRINCH and SAMIAM. Grant McIntire also played in the bands Dance Hall Crashers and the straight-edge band Unit Pride.
Screw 32's music has been likened to Bouncing Souls, AFI, and Loose Change.
Sticks And Stones
Screw 32 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've been giving us what to follow
And I'm caught unaware
Drop and pledge allegiance
To all they've took away
So much is hard to swallow can someone stop to say
[Chorus]
Is there this chance no proud way to die
They've been pushing indecision
That they call it dignified
They've got to have and get what they want
When their coffers are bursting
Impossible to count
[Chorus]
Bring out your dead
Because tomorrow is yesterday
And did we do the right thing?
No regrets is what we'll say
Slowly finding out that you've been strung along
Don't know about your surroundings
Don't know where you belong
The things I can't believe
They leave no room to breath
The first one to know the last one to know [x2]
Last one to know...
You can't find a person to feed belief
We don't want a peron like you to lead [x2]
The opening lines of Screw 32's Sticks and Stones expresses the feeling of disillusionment and the sense of being left alone in the world. The singer suggests that nobody cares about him or his ideals, and the society has propagated a set of beliefs to follow which he thinks are not worthy enough. The singer is caught unaware because he hasn't found anyone who shares the same thoughts or has similar morals. The next few lines suggest that they have been brainwashed into thinking and following things that are not right. The singer is hesitant to pledge allegiance to such beliefs because what they have been taught is mostly taken away or is hard to swallow. He questions his surrounding, and hopes to find someone to stop him or rectify his ways.
The chorus continues with the same vein of questioning and skepticism. The singer suggests that the people have been pushed into indecision and are being told that it is dignified. The people in power have become incorrigible and want everything to go their way. The chorus ends with the line "Impossible to count," suggesting that it is impossible to keep count of their innumerable atrocities.
The next verse "Bring out your dead/ Because tomorrow is yesterday/ And did we do the right thing?/ No regrets is what we'll say/ is a suggestive nod to the natural progression of life. The singer implies that every day is a living testimony to yesterday and the future is an extension of today. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what has happened in the past to make the right decisions in the present. He emphasizes that it is important to stick to one's morals and ethics, even if it is difficult because one will always look back at their actions with no regrets. In the subsequent lines, the singer suggests that one will gradually realize that they have been strung along, and they will find it hard to come to terms with their surroundings. The last lines of the song assert that people can't continue to follow those that don't believe in anything, and they certainly do not want leaders who will not instill belief in them.
Line by Line Meaning
This is all I've got seems nobody cares
I feel alone and unimportant
They've been giving us what to follow
We've been fed information and told what to think
And I'm caught unaware
I feel like I'm not fully informed
Drop and pledge allegiance
Submit to authority
To all they've took away
They've taken away our freedoms and rights
So much is hard to swallow can someone stop to say
It's difficult to accept everything, can someone pause and help us understand?
Is there this chance no proud way to die
Is there no honorable way to stand up to oppression and corruption?
They've been pushing indecision
They're promoting confusion and lack of clarity
That they call it dignified
They claim it's done out of a sense of respectability
They've got to have and get what they want
Those in power are obsessed with attaining their desires
When their coffers are bursting
When they have more than enough money
Impossible to count
There's so much wealth that it's impossible to measure
Bring out your dead
Expose the harm and destruction caused by current oppressive systems
Because tomorrow is yesterday
The negative effects of current systems will continue into the future
And did we do the right thing?
Are we making the best choices?
No regrets is what we'll say
We will act confidently and without second-guessing
Slowly finding out that you've been strung along
Slowly realizing that you've been manipulated and misled
Don't know about your surroundings
Unsure of the true state of the world around you
Don't know where you belong
Feeling lost and aimless
The things I can't believe
The atrocities committed are unbelievable
They leave no room to breathe
The oppressive systems in place suffocate and restrict people
The first one to know the last one to know [x2]
Those in power know everything first and keep everyone else in the dark
You can't find a person to feed belief
You can't find someone to believe in or trust
We don't want a person like you to lead [x2]
We reject those who promote and perpetuate oppressive systems
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MILNE WALSH, SACHA SKARBEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind