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."
Pleasure Seeker
Social Distortion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who wants to fight temptation that's no fun
C'mon and play the games, don't you feel no shame
That's what Eve said to Adam before she came
[Chorus]
You can smile now cry later on
You know that it might be wrong
There's damnation and disgrace, and guilt rears its ugly face
Yet you beg for more, just a little more
Stand in line, don't you lose your mind
Try like me to seek your pleasure three at a time
There's souls for sale, your gonna burn in Hell
And if tomorrow never comes, its just as well
[Chorus]
Feel the pain! I feel it too
Have your hedonistic ways got the best of you
Play the games, don't feel no shame
That's what Eve said to Adam before she came
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Social Distortion's song Pleasure Seeker seem to allude to the idea of succumbing to temptation despite knowing the consequences that may follow. The lyrics suggest a willingness to engage in pleasure-seeking behaviors, even if they may lead to damnation and disgrace. The chorus plays with the idea of enjoying oneself in the moment, despite knowing the potential negative outcomes that may follow.
The line "That's what Eve said to Adam before she came" is a direct reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden where the serpent tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and she, in turn, convinces Adam to do so as well. Thus, the lyrics suggest a correlation between this concept and the idea of seeking pleasure despite knowing the risks.
The overall message of the song seems to be centered around the idea of living life to the fullest despite the consequences that may follow. The lyrics suggest that one should not be afraid to indulge in pleasure-seeking behaviors, as life is too short to constantly worry about the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I come, I'm on a run
I am indulging in my pleasure-seeking and there's no stopping me
Who wants to fight temptation that's no fun
No one wants to resist their temptations, it takes the fun out of pleasure seeking
C'mon and play the games, don't you feel no shame
Join me in indulging in pleasures and ignore any guilt that may come with it
That's what Eve said to Adam before she came
Eve convinced Adam to give in to temptation and indulge in pleasure, leading to their downfall
You can smile now cry later on
Enjoy the pleasure now, worry about the consequences later
You know that it might be wrong
You're aware of the potential negatives of indulging in pleasure-seeking behavior
But it feels so good, like you know it would
Despite the potential consequences, the pleasure that comes from indulging is too rewarding to resist
There's damnation and disgrace, and guilt rears its ugly face
Indulging in pleasure can lead to negative consequences such as guilt, disgrace, and eternal damnation
Yet you beg for more, just a little more
Even when consequences arise, the pleasure seeker will still crave more
Stand in line, don't you lose your mind
Join the crowd in seeking pleasure, but don't let it consume you
Try like me to seek your pleasure three at a time
Indulge in multiple forms of pleasure simultaneously for maximum enjoyment
There's souls for sale, your gonna burn in Hell
Indulging in pleasure-seeking can lead to sacrificing one's morality and eternal damnation
And if tomorrow never comes, its just as well
The pleasure seeker lives for the moment and doesn't worry about the future consequences of their actions
Feel the pain! I feel it too
The pain of living a life of pleasure seeking can be felt by all indulgers
Have your hedonistic ways got the best of you
Has the pursuit of pleasure consumed your life and led to negative consequences?
That's what Eve said to Adam before she came
Eve convinced Adam to give in to temptation and indulge in pleasure, leading to their downfall
You can smile now cry later on
Enjoy the pleasure now, worry about the consequences later
You know that it might be wrong
You're aware of the potential negatives of indulging in pleasure-seeking behavior
But it feels so good, like you know it would
Despite the potential consequences, the pleasure that comes from indulging is too rewarding to resist
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: MICHAEL NESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind