Starting as a hardcore punk band in the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Social Distortion would go on a temporary hiatus in the mid-1980s, due to Ness's drug addiction and troubles with the law which resulted in extended stints in various rehabilitation centers that lasted for two years. Following their reformation, the band has shifted its style to a country, blues and early rock and roll-influenced style of punk. Since its inception, the band's lineup has seen significant turnover, with Ness as the only constant member. After 44 years of performing, Social Distortion continues to tour and record music.
To date, Social Distortion has released seven full-length studio albums, two compilations, one live album, and two DVDs. They released two albums — Mommy's Little Monster (1983) and Prison Bound (1988) — before signing a three-album contract with Epic Records in 1989. Social Distortion rose to fame with their 1990 self-titled third album, which produced their well-known hit singles "Ball and Chain", "Story of My Life", and the cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", and was certified gold by RIAA. Many of their later albums, including their second gold record Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992), were also well received. Dubbed by Steven Blush as "the Rolling Stones of hardcore," Social Distortion is considered one of the best-selling and most influential punk rock bands, with more than three million albums sold worldwide. The band's most recent studio album is Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2011), and they have spent about more than a decade working on new material their forthcoming eighth studio album.
Social Distortion was formed in 1978 by Mike Ness, inspired by the Sex Pistols and many other British punk bands as well as rock acts such as the Rolling Stones. Aside from Ness on guitar and Casey Royer on drums, early members included Mark Garrett on bass and former Cal State Fullerton basketball player Tom Corvin on vocals. Garrett was succeeded by Rikk Agnew in late 1978. On the origins of the band's name, Royer recalled "Mike was like 15, trying to play guitar but he couldn't. Social Distortion was named for my distortion pedal, which I gave to Mike to play 'cause back then he was no good."
Their early music was composed by Ness with lyrics by Royer and sometimes Corvin, and many songs were retired after only a few performances. After Corvin left in the fall of 1979 to attend graduate school at Bob Jones University, Ness recruited his high school friend Dennis Danell to join the band on guitar even though Danell had never played an instrument before. When Danell was brought in, the other members left as they did not want to wait for him to learn. Before joining the Adolescents in 1980, Royer and Agnew played with Garrett in a separate band named Social Distortion consisting of Royer on vocals, Garrett on bass, Rikk Agnew on drums, and Frank Agnew and Tim Maag on guitars. The band's first real show was in early 1979 at the Cuckoo's Nest nightclub on Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa, California. Mike and Dennis remained the only constant members for the next two decades with bass and drum members changing every few years. The Adolescents song "Kids of the Black Hole" and Social Distortion song "The Playpen" chronicled this period of the band's history.
Its first single, Mainliner/Playpen featuring Ness on guitar and vocals, Dennis on bass, and Carrot on drums was released in 1981 on Posh Boy, the label responsible for releasing the first singles and albums of many of the local O.C. punk bands. Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ-FM was responsible for much of the radio play in Orange County, California, that punk received in the early 80s, and took a liking to Social Distortion, releasing the single "1945" on his 1981 compilation album, Rodney on the ROQ, Blood on the ROQ in 1983, and The Best Of Rodney on the ROQ in 1989.
In 1982, the band—now consisting of Ness, Danell (who now played rhythm guitar), Brent Liles on bass, and Derek O'Brien on drums—embarked on their first international tour (US and Canada) with fellow punk band Youth Brigade, a trip chronicled in the punk rockumentary 'Another State of Mind', which was not released until 1984.
The band has consistently used as their logo a skeleton holding a cigarette and a martini glass. It was designed by Mackie Osborne, wife of Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne. It is frequently featured in live performances as well as album covers. The logo came from an invitation to a New Year's Eve party that a friend of Ness' had designed. Said Ness in an April 2011 interview with Rolling Stone: "At the time, I saw that, and it just felt like, 'That's it right there. It's life and death, it's celebration.' It just felt powerful."
Bad Luck
Social Distortion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you, you always lose.
Some people like to rock 'n' roll,
You're always singin' the blues
You gotta nasty disposition,
No one really knows the reason why,
You gotta bad, bad reputation,
Gonna hang your head down and cry
You got bad, bad luck
Bad, bad luck
You got bad, bad luck
Bad, bad luck
Thirteen's my lucky number,
To you it means stay inside.
Black cat done crossed my path,
No reason to run and hide.
You're looking through a cracked mirror,
No one really knows the reason why.
Your enemies are gettin' nearer,
Gonna hang down your head and cry
You got bad, bad luck
Bad, bad luck
You got bad, bad luck
Bad, bad luck
Some people go to church on Sundays,
Others they pray at home.
You tell them that there ain't no God,
That they're better off standin' alone.
You're always scratchin' at the eight ball,
No one really knows the reason why.
You get to the top and then you fall,
Gonna hang down your head and cry.
The lyrics of Social Distortion's "Bad Luck" paint a picture of a person who seems to have a perpetual string of unfortunate incidents happening to them. The opening verse hints at a mischievous streak in this person, as they always seem to lose at gambling, and while others enjoy rock music, this person is always upset and sad. The second verse adds to this picture, as the person perceives even simple things that are usually considered lucky, like the number 13 or a black cat, to be unlucky omens that should be avoided. Additionally, the individual seems to see themselves in a distorted mirror, indicating that they may have a skewed perception of themselves and the world around them.
The final verse brings in a religious aspect, as the person seems to be rejecting spirituality and suggesting that there is no God. This potentially links to their negative mindset, where they feel that they are better off not having faith or any kind of support system. The closing line of the song, "You get to the top and then you fall, gonna hang down your head and cry," reinforces the idea that this person cannot catch a break no matter what they do.
Overall, the song's lyrics examine the idea of luck, or the lack thereof, and how it can impact a person's attitude and worldview. It paints a picture of someone who is jaded, isolated, and struggling to find a way out of their bad luck.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people like to gamble,
Some people take risks in life,
But you, you always lose.
But you have a tendency to fail in your endeavors.
Some people like to rock 'n' roll,
Some people enjoy music and entertainment,
You're always singin' the blues
But you are always sad or depressed.
You gotta nasty disposition,
You have an unfriendly or unpleasant personality,
No one really knows the reason why,
It is unclear why you act the way you do.
You gotta bad, bad reputation,
Your reputation is not good,
Gonna hang your head down and cry
You will feel ashamed or sorry for yourself.
Thirteen's my lucky number,
I consider 13 to be a good luck charm,
To you it means stay inside.
But to you, it means something negative or unlucky.
Black cat done crossed my path,
A black cat has crossed my path,
No reason to run and hide.
But I don't feel afraid or threatened by this.
You're looking through a cracked mirror,
You have a distorted or inaccurate view of yourself and the world,
Your enemies are gettin' nearer,
Your opponents or enemies are coming closer to you,
You got bad, bad luck
You are unlucky,
Bad, bad luck
Your luck is consistently poor.
You got bad, bad luck
You are unlucky,
Bad, bad luck
Your luck is consistently poor.
Some people go to church on Sundays,
Some people attend religious services on Sundays,
Others they pray at home.
Others pray at their own residence.
You tell them that there ain't no God,
But you deny the existence of a higher power,
That they're better off standin' alone.
And you tell them that they should rely on themselves rather than seek help from a deity.
You're always scratchin' at the eight ball,
You always seem to be in a difficult situation,
No one really knows the reason why.
It is unclear why you are always struggling.
You get to the top and then you fall,
You experience success but soon after experience a setback or failure,
Gonna hang down your head and cry.
And this causes you to feel ashamed, embarrassed or upset.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Chris Overland, Desmond Child, Stephen Mark Overland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomauerbach2321
Some people like to gamble,
But you,
You always lose.
Some people like to rock 'n' roll,
You're always singin' the blues
You gotta nasty disposition,
No one really knows the reason why,
You gotta bad,
Bad reputation,
Gonna hang your head down and cry...
[Chorus:]
You got bad,
Bad luck
Bad,
Bad luck
You got bad,
Bad luck
Bad,
Bad luck
Thirteen's my lucky number,
To you it means stay inside.
Black cat done crossed my path,
No reason to run and hide.
You're looking through a cracked mirror,
No one really knows the reason why.
Your enemies are gettin' nearer,
Gonna hang down your head and cry...
[Chorus:]
You got bad,
Bad luck
Bad,
Bad luck
You got bad,
Bad luck
Bad,
Bad luck
Some people go to church on Sundays,
Others they pray at home.
You tell them that there ain't no God,
That they're better off standin' alone.
You're always scratchin' at the eight ball,
No one really knows the reason why.
You get to the top and then you fall,
Gonna hang down your head and cry
@michaelbahnsen2888
I am 65 years old and these guys have been banging since 1979 when I was 25. Keep rockin fellas.
@kristyniederkorn1105
55 years old and right behind you. This music heats up the merry go round and melts into ultimate coolness.
@padraigsisk4057
I'm the young fellow at 50 . Enjoying one of America's finest
@Stinkbug74
Right behind you here, 59 and still loving these guys.
@mearaketcherside5855
I’m here in the car with my 49 year old dad and I’m 14, he’s been telling me the songs to play and I’m not disappointed
@813lynch4
Took me 10 years to figure out who this band was. 1 of my ex was a punk chick & this was 1 of the many songs she played by these guys. Few months ago when I was on a bender this song shuffled on & I was reintroduced
@Cyberhog9
Social D never gets old. This song is timeless.
@johnhareiel5118
Still sounds and feels fresh- buzz worthy- cool- alt- punk as when it came out. This plus Story of My Life- When She Begins To Roll are on my top 10 Friday Night playlist for life! This sh*t will never go out of style. Classic- Timeless Friday Night Anthems!
@dietfreeman42718
Social Distortion is one of those bands that comes around once in a life time. I'm glad they are in mine.
@schlomoschwanzblaser7607
TheBeardedRandy you are confusing them with mr.bond