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."
Reach for the Sky
Social Distortion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I found myself not thinking twice
I never thought about no future
It's just the roll of the dice
But the day may come when you've got something to lose
And just when you think you're done paying dues
And you say to yourself, "Dear God, what have I done?"
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow's a mystery
But being here right now
It's just about you and me
You can run, you can hide, just like Bonnie and Clyde
Reach for the sky ain't never gonna die
And I thank the Lord for the love that I have found
And hold you tight 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
So if you please, take this moment
Try if you can to make it last
Don't think about the future
And just forget about the past
And make it last
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Social Distortion's song Reach for the Sky is a powerfully poignant and reflective piece that conveys the importance of living in the present moment and taking hold of the opportunities that life presents us. The opening lines "When I was young I was invincible, I found myself not thinking twice, I never thought about no future, It's just the roll of the dice" introduce the listener to the idea of youthful recklessness and the concept of being invincible, a feeling that is felt by many in their younger years. However, as the song progresses, the idea of mortality is introduced, with lines such as "But the day may come when you've got something to lose, And just when you think you're done paying dues, And you say to yourself, "Dear God, what have I done?", And hope it's not too late because tomorrow may never come." This idea of impending mortality is further emphasized by the chorus "Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come, Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come."
The song then moves into a reflection on the past and the future, with the lines "Yesterday is history, And tomorrow's a mystery, But being here right now, It's just about you and me". This highlights the crucial importance of living in the present moment, rather than dwelling on mistakes of the past or worrying about the unknown future. The song then takes a turn towards hope, with the lines "And I thank the Lord for the love that I have found, And hold you tight 'cause tomorrow may never come". This emphasizes the importance of holding on to the good things in life, and cherishing them while we can. The song ends with the repeating chorus, reinforcing the idea that we should always reach for the sky because tomorrow may never come.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was young I was invincible
When I was young, I felt like I was unstoppable and nothing could bring me down.
I found myself not thinking twice
I didn't put much thought into my actions, and just went through life without much worry or caution.
I never thought about no future
The future was not on my mind, I didn't consider what would happen down the line.
It's just the roll of the dice
Life felt like it was all due to chance and luck, and I didn't think I had much control over it.
But the day may come when you've got something to lose
There may come a time when you have something important to you that you don't want to lose.
And just when you think you're done paying dues
After experiencing hardship and struggles, just when you think it's over and you're done paying the price for things, more difficult times may come.
And you say to yourself, "Dear God, what have I done?"
In moments of difficulty and regret, you may ask yourself how you got to where you are and make sense of your past actions.
And hope it's not too late because tomorrow may never come
When faced with the possibility of regret, one may hold onto the hope that it's still possible to fix things, but it's important to do it now before it's too late.
Reach for the sky 'cause tomorrow may never come
Take a chance and aim high, pursue your goals and dreams because there may not be a tomorrow to do it.
Yesterday is history
The past cannot be changed, it's set in stone and over and done with.
And tomorrow's a mystery
The future is uncertain and unclear, anything can happen and it's impossible to know for sure.
But being here right now
The present moment is what matters the most, it's where you can make a difference and live your life to the fullest.
It's just about you and me
In this moment, it's just the connection and relationship between two people that matter.
You can run, you can hide, just like Bonnie and Clyde
You can try to escape your problems and challenges, but just like the famous duo, it's hard to outrun or hide from them.
Reach for the sky ain't never gonna die
The desire to aim high and achieve goals will never go away or die, it's a constant pursuit in life.
And I thank the Lord for the love that I have found
Gratitude for the love and relationships that bring joy and meaning to life.
And hold you tight 'cause tomorrow may never come
Treasure and cherish the people and moments in your life, for they may not happen again tomorrow.
So if you please, take this moment
Take advantage of this moment and make the most of it.
Try if you can to make it last
Make this moment last for as long as possible, don't let it slip away too quickly.
Don't think about the future
Don't worry or stress about what's to come, just focus on the present.
And just forget about the past
Let go of regrets and mistakes of the past and move forward without being held back.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Michael James Ness
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephen Short
Quick MSG..
from an As we say in Aussie
OL FART'
I Just turned 50.
This SONG & WHOLE ALBUM,
Means SOOOO MUCH TOO ME,
Being A PTSD SURVIOUR,Mike & THE REST OF YOU,
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART,
& My miss's sayS THANK YOU for ANGELS WINGS....
Christian Publicidade
I'd like to dedicate this song to my homie, who loved Social Distortion and just past away. R.I.P Ruanã Drummond. We will miss you...
Mike Warren
Sorry bro. 😢
flibbidyx2
I remember driving home from my best friend's funeral, blasting Social D as I traveled along the highway, trying to hold back the tears.... that was damn near 12 years ago, but I remember it vividly. It's just powerful music that sometimes carries you through the worst of times. Rest in peace to your friend, I'm sorry for your loss.
Shan
Aww man so sorry to hear that but may he R.I.P 🙏🏼🤍🕊😇
Dark King gaming
Sorry for your loss
Malik Johnston
and here is one of many reasons why they are one of my favorite bands.
from start to finish, this song (the whole album really), never fails to entertain.
so many great songs...
Brigand231
Arguably one of their best songs ever. It's catchy, but it doesn't tear out my heart like "Give me the Sweet and Lowdown" does. Still, an excellent song on an amazing album.
Brigand231
Indeed, pain and sadness are things almost everyone can relate to.
lotion power
Sad songs are the best
flibbidyx2
It really is one of their best, which is incredible given how great they were for 20+ years before this.