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."
Diamond in the Rough
Social Distortion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've been down
Been kicked around here
This god-forsaken town.
So many faults, so little time.
I've gotta find my piece of mind.
Peace of mind.
Anything at all.
Something to believe in.
Spray painted on the walls.
I've made mistakes yeah, I paid for them too.
What's a poor boy supposed to do.
There you sit like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged.
All you need's a little love.
But inside you sparkle, like the stars above.
You'll be there in the morning, when the going gets tough.
There was a time when, I could not say
I got a reason to live another day.
Discarded treasure y'all passed on by
And I can understand the reasons why
There you sit like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged.
All you need's a little love.
But inside you sparkle, like the stars above.
We'll be there in the morning, when the going gets tough.
There you sit like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged.
All you need's a little love.
But inside you sparkle, like the stars above.
We'll be there in the morning, when the going gets tough.
Diamond in the rough
like the stars above.
All you need's a little love.
We'll be there in the morning, when the going gets tough
Diamond in the rough
like the stars above.
All you need's a little love.
The song "Diamond in the Rough" by Social Distortion is about the struggles and hardships the singer has faced while trying to find his place in the world. The lyrics suggest that life is full of ups and downs and that it's important to keep pushing through, even when things get tough. The opening lines "Well I've been up yeah, And I've been down, Been kicked around here, This god-forsaken town" set the tone for the song, conveying feelings of frustration and disillusionment.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about his search for meaning and purpose, expressing his desire to find something to believe in. He also acknowledges his mistakes and the consequences he's faced as a result. Despite the challenges he's faced, the singer remains hopeful, recognizing that there are good things in the world worth fighting for. This is reflected in the chorus, where the singer compares a person to a diamond in the rough, using the metaphor to suggest that even though someone may be dirty and damaged on the surface, they have the potential to shine.
Overall, "Diamond in the Rough" is a song about perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity. It speaks to the idea that no matter how difficult life may seem, there is always the possibility of finding something valuable if you keep searching.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've been up yeah
I've had good times
And I've been down
I've had bad times
Been kicked around here
I've been mistreated in this town
This god-forsaken town.
I don't like this place
So many faults, so little time.
There are so many things wrong, not enough time to fix them
I've gotta find my piece of mind.
I need to find inner peace
Peace of mind.
Inner peace
I was looking for somethin'
I was searching for something
Anything at all.
Anything would do
Something to believe in.
Something to have faith in
Spray painted on the walls.
Grafitti'd on walls
I've made mistakes yeah, I paid for them too.
I've made mistakes and suffered consequences
What's a poor boy supposed to do.
I don't know what to do as a poor person
There you sit like a diamond in the rough
You're valuable even though you seem unrefined
You're dirty and you're damaged.
You're imperfect and flawed
All you need's a little love.
You just need some care and attention
But inside you sparkle, like the stars above.
You have a hidden beauty inside you
You'll be there in the morning, when the going gets tough.
You'll be there to offer support during hard times
There was a time when, I could not say
There was a time when I couldn't express
I got a reason to live another day.
I had a reason to keep going
Discarded treasure y'all passed on by
You neglected valuable things
And I can understand the reasons why
I can see why you did that
Diamond in the rough
Valuable even though unrefined
like the stars above.
Sparkling and beautiful
All you need's a little love.
Just needs some care and attention
We'll be there in the morning, when the going gets tough.
We'll be there to offer support during hard times
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: MICHAEL NESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Arunaki1
Been kicked around, yeah
This God-forsaken town
So many faults, so little time
I've gotta find my piece of mind
Peace of mind
I was looking for something
Anything at all
Something to believe in
Spray-painted on the walls
I've made mistakes, yeah
I've paid for them too
What's a poor boy supposed to do?
Then she said, yeah, yeah
"You're like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged
All you need's a little love
But inside there's a sparkle
That'll light the stars above
And you'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough"
There was a time when, I could not say
I got a reason to live another day
A discarded treasure, they all passed on by
And I can understand the reasons why
Then she said, yeah, yeah
"You're like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged
All you need's a little love
But inside there's a sparkle
That'll light the stars above
And you'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough"
Then she said, yeah, yeah
"You're like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged
All you need's a little love
But inside there's a sparkle
That'll light the stars above
And you'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough"
Yeah, yeah, diamond in the rough
Yeah, yeah, gonna light the stars above
Yeah, yeah, all you need's a little love
You'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough
Diamond in the rough now, yeah, yeah
Who'll light the stars above, yeah, yeah
All you need's a little love now, yeah, yeah
@coldoncampbell5453
Best band ever
@silencedogood8800
Says You.... Solid song though.
@narbekalantarians6269
Social Distortion is timeless.
@tommykokotinis9248
People just don't give them the respect they deserve!! Mike is incredible..just look at what he did with Jade jackson.....their songs never get old
@Arunaki1
Been kicked around, yeah
This God-forsaken town
So many faults, so little time
I've gotta find my piece of mind
Peace of mind
I was looking for something
Anything at all
Something to believe in
Spray-painted on the walls
I've made mistakes, yeah
I've paid for them too
What's a poor boy supposed to do?
Then she said, yeah, yeah
"You're like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged
All you need's a little love
But inside there's a sparkle
That'll light the stars above
And you'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough"
There was a time when, I could not say
I got a reason to live another day
A discarded treasure, they all passed on by
And I can understand the reasons why
Then she said, yeah, yeah
"You're like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged
All you need's a little love
But inside there's a sparkle
That'll light the stars above
And you'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough"
Then she said, yeah, yeah
"You're like a diamond in the rough
You're dirty and you're damaged
All you need's a little love
But inside there's a sparkle
That'll light the stars above
And you'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough"
Yeah, yeah, diamond in the rough
Yeah, yeah, gonna light the stars above
Yeah, yeah, all you need's a little love
You'll be there in the morning
When the going gets tough
Diamond in the rough now, yeah, yeah
Who'll light the stars above, yeah, yeah
All you need's a little love now, yeah, yeah
@desireahansen6652
One of my favs
@christiangolden1149
too good 🤙🏻
@dabpunk7106
Who else grew up with this band!????!
@PRFTVPunkRockFamilyTV
So damn good
@thedarkmelddepot4368
this song is fucking awesome