Sonic Boom Six first appeared on the Manchester punk scene in April 2002. Some of their members were previously in the band Grimace. Their self-titled demo, recorded with Jerry Melchers, was self-released in October 2002. To promote the CD, they toured the UK with third wave ska veterans The Toasters and London ska punk/hip hop band King Prawn. They also toured with Coolie Ranx and performed as his backing band. In September 2003, they released The Turbo EP, their first release for Moon Ska Europe. This was produced by Ace (of Skunk Anansie) and Christophe. After a series of good reviews, Sonic Boom Six were invited to perform a session on BBC Radio One's The Lock Up.
After further touring with Catch 22, as well as on the Moon Ska Launchpad Tour 2004 (alongside Zen Baseballbat, Graveltrap, Babar Luck and Dumpster Pop), the band re-united with Ace and Christophe to record their second EP. Sounds to Consume was released on Moon Ska Europe in August 2004, and include the Turbo EP as bonus tracks. After tour dates with Leftöver Crack and The Suicide Machines, the band appeared on BBC2's Asian arts programme Desi DNA performing in a scrapyard, as well as being interviewed by Adil Ray for his show on the BBC Asian Network.
Sonic Boom Six performing "All In" with Itch of The King Blues. Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, 27 August 2006
In early February 2005, Sonic Boom Six replaced guitarist Dave "Hellfire" Kelly with guitarist Ben, who used to play sax, thus making SB6 a four-piece. Ben's old sax parts are now played through a sampler when performing live, or by musicians from other bands, such as Grown at Home and The Flaming Tsunamis. In 2005, the band opened the Love Music Hate Racism event on the Leftfield Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, played Belgium's Sortie 23 festival and performed at the premier of the Rock Against Racism film Who Shot the Sheriff? with HARD-Fi and Roll Deep. 2005 also saw the release of the Champion Edition of Sounds to Consume, which featured four of their original demo tracks (remixed by Tim G), three remixes, an acoustic track and a video. They also embarked on several dates on the inaugural Good To Go Tour alongside The Aquabats and Never Heard of It.
In 2006, the band recorded their second session for BBC Radio 1's The Lock Up, which was broadcast on 27 June. They were joined by Pete and Tucker from Jesse James and Itch from The King Blues. Their debut full-length album, The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism, was released on 10 July 2006 on Deck Cheese Records, and in August 2006 the band played the Reading and Leeds Festivals as a last minute replacement for Paramore. They were joined again by Itch of The King Blues for a performance of "All In" (singing the parts of the song written by Coolie Ranx) and Nick 'The Blade' Horne of Howards Alias, partner of vocalist Laila, who played trombone on the songs "Bigger Than Punk Rock" and "Until the Sunlight Comes".
In May 2007, they played at the Slam Dunk Festival at Leeds University Union with Paramore and Reel Big Fish. During Reel Big Fish's set, Laila joined the band on stage to sing parts of "She Has a Girlfriend Now" alongside Aaron Barrett. She joined them again during Reel Big Fish's Monkeys for Nothin' winter tour in 2008. They played the Reading and Leeds Festivals again in 2007, on the Lock Up stage, playing not only their own material but covering the song "Sound System" by Operation Ivy. During this song, Itch from the King Blues once again joined them on stage to sing it. November 2007 saw the release of the band's second full-length CD, Arcade Perfect, on their own Rebel Alliance Recordings.
In May 2008, the band embarked on the Rude Awakening 2008 tour, alongside Big D and the Kids Table and Random Hand. 2008 also saw a second Ruff and Ready tour. This was followed by the release of a remixes, b-sides and rarities album entitled Play On: Rare, Rejected and Arcade Perfected, which the band toured in support of in late 2008. Nick Horne also joined the band as a full time member, now playing guitar and bass live as well as trombone. They played at the Hevy Music Festival on 1 August 2009.
In May 2009 Sonic Boom Six released their third album City of Thieves, once again on Rebel Alliance Recordings. August 2009 saw Sonic Boom Six open the Main Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival.
On 8 October 2009, it was announced on the band's official website that Ben Childs would be leaving the band after the forthcoming "Boom or Bust" tour and that he would be temporarily replaced by Matthew Reynolds – current vocalist and guitarist with rock band Drawings and also formerly of Howards Alias. In February 2010 new permanent member James "Jimmy T Boom" Routh, formerly of Myth of Unity, joined the band on guitar.
Sound Of A Revolution
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never wanted to break any rules,
Never had many friends 'cos he wasn't exactly cool
Treated like a fool to be fair
Never scored at footy so the other kids did not care
Just a nerd, till heard them on the Wod
Screaming "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
Went and brought the tape the next day
Within a week got all the words in his memory
Jealous kids say "he's a cliche"
But man a-changing from the music that the band play
Walk the corridor with boots and his head shaved
Bully get him pissed, swing a fist and the boy say
"Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
This is the sound of a revolution
They've come to take away all your uncertainty
And insecurities and spell an end to this confusion
Hey! Hey!
Blown out of your mind
Hey! Hey!
Leaving the old life behind in a song
This is where I belong for tonight
And so the kid's alright now
Ring in his nose and rudeboy is a sight now
Scallys well want to bottle him other half cut their hair and want to follow him
Digging on the style of the bands that he borrowing
Running round the park and the playground hollering
"Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
Isn't it strange the change of
One tune?
How the place in the space can trace to
One tune
How the grey of the day can fade when one tune put the colour in his life like Manga cartoons
1-2 mic check Saturday afternoon having it large in the garage
As they run through
"Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
This is the sound of a revolution
They've come to take away all your uncertainty
And insecurities and spell an end to this confusion
Hey! Hey!
Blown out of your mind
Hey! Hey!
Leaving the old life behind in a song
This is where I belong for tonight
Oh oh oh oh oh
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
So hear the sound of a revolution
As it accompany this new reality
And sing along with this conclusion
Oh oh oh oh oh
Hey! Hey!
Blown out of your mind
Hey! Hey!
Leaving the old life behind in a song
This is where I belong for tonight
The song "Sound of a Revolution" by Sonic Boom Six tells a story of a boy who was always an outsider in school. He never had many friends and was treated badly by others because he wasn't cool and couldn't play football. One day, he heard Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" on the radio and was inspired by the lyrics "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" He bought the tape and memorized all the words within a week. From that point on, he began to change. He started to wear boots and shaved his head. When a bully tried to punch him, he fought back by shouting "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" This marked a turning point in his life, and he began to discover his true self through music.
The lyrics of "Sound of a Revolution" celebrate the transformative power of music. Through the story of the boy, the song shows how music can help people find their voice and stand up to oppression. The song's infectious melody and catchy chorus drive the message home. The chorus uplifts anyone who has ever felt trapped and marginalized: "This is the sound of a revolution/They've come to take away all your uncertainty/And insecurities and spell an end to this confusion/Hey! Hey!/Blown out of your mind/Hey! Hey!/Leaving the old life behind in a song/This is where I belong for tonight."
Overall, "Sound of a Revolution" is a powerful anthem for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. It is a reminder that music can break down barriers and bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a boy that I knew at school
The songwriter is talking about an experience in school about a particular boy.
Never wanted to break any rules,
This boy in school was not a rule-breaker.
Never had many friends 'cos he wasn't exactly cool
This boy never had many friends in school because he was not considered cool.
Treated like a fool to be fair
The boy was treated unfairly by his peers for not being cool.
Never scored at footy so the other kids did not care
The boy was not good at football, so other kids did not care about him.
Just a nerd, till heard them on the Wod
The boy was just a nerd until he heard something on the radio.
Screaming "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
The song the boy heard had a lyric that said 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!' The boy resonated with this lyric.
Went and brought the tape the next day
The boy went and bought the tape the next day after hearing the song.
Within a week got all the words in his memory
The boy memorized all the lyrics of the song within a week.
Jealous kids say "he's a cliche"
Other kids were jealous of the boy for liking the song and called him a cliché.
But man a-changing from the music that the band play
The boy's taste in music made him change and become more confident.
Walk the corridor with boots and his head shaved
The boy changed his appearance and began to look different, wearing boots and having a shaved head.
Bully get him pissed, swing a fist and the boy say
A bully tried to provoke the boy and got him angry, but the boy stood up for himself and said, 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!'
This is the sound of a revolution
The song is about a revolution in the boy's life and how music changed him.
They've come to take away all your uncertainty
The revolution mentioned in the song is about taking away uncertainty from people's lives.
And insecurities and spell an end to this confusion
The revolution that the song talks about ends the confusion that people might be feeling in their lives.
Blown out of your mind
The revolution that this song is about is so powerful that it can leave people entirely awestruck.
Leaving the old life behind in a song
The song promises to facilitate leaving behind one's old life.
This is where I belong for tonight
The song belongs to the place where people can temporarily find themselves while listening to it.
And so the kid's alright now
The boy has now become fine after he found his passion for music.
Ring in his nose and rudeboy is a sight now
The boy has now changed his appearance and looks like a Rude Boy with a ring in his nose.
Scallys well want to bottle him other half cut their hair and want to follow him
People who previously looked down on him are now jealous of him and might copy his new style.
Digging on the style of the bands that he borrowing
The boy was inspired by the music that he was listening to, so he borrowed the styles of the bands he was listening to.
Running round the park and the playground hollering
The boy and a few other kids were running around the park and the playground shouting out the words - 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!' at the top of their voices.
Isn't it strange the change of
The singer is acknowledging at the strangeness of a single song having such a strong effect on somebody
One tune?
the singer repeats himself, reiterating the impact that the song had on the boy.
How the place in the space can trace to
The environment around a person can be impacted in a positive way because of one song.
One tune
The singer repeats himself as he is convinced that powerful changes in attitude and behavior can come about due to the influence of one song.
How the grey of the day can fade when one tune put the colour in his life like Manga cartoons
The greyness of the boy's life due to his low self-esteem faded, and it became colourful, like a Manga Cartoon, because of a single song.
1-2 mic check Saturday afternoon having it large in the garage
The boy and his friends began to experiment with making music in the garage using a simple setup.
As they run through
As they play their music, they are using the same reckless, defiant energy of the song that first changed the boy's life.
This is where I belong for tonight
The song emphasises that the sense of belonging that music provides is only temporary and is limited to that moment.
So hear the sound of a revolution
The song is calling the audience to listen to the sound of this particular revolution sparked by a song.
As it accompany this new reality
The revolution accompanying the new reality may be hard to grasp, but the song invites the listeners to experience it.
And sing along with this conclusion
The song encourages people to sing along with this revolution's conclusion.
Oh oh oh oh oh
The 'Oh' here is more like an exclamation that is typical of the punk genre the song represents.
Hey! Hey!
This is another phrase typical of the punk-pop genre.
Contributed by Michael D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miftahul Muttaqien
There was a boy that I knew at school,
Never one to break any rules,
Never many friends cos he wasn't exactly cool
Treated like a fool to be fair
Never scored at footy so the other kids did not care.
Just a nerd, till he heard them on the woods screaming
"Fuck you I won't do what you tell me".
Went and brought the tape the next day,
Within a week got all the words in his memory.
Jealous kids say "he's a cliché",
But man a-changing from the music that the band play.
Walk the corridor with boots and his head shaved,
Bully gets him pissed, swing a fist and the boy say
"Fuck you I won't do what you tell me".
This is the sound of a revolution.
They've come to take away all your uncertainty and insecurities and spell an end to this confusion.
Blown out of your mind;
Leaving the old life behind in a song.
This is where I belong for tonight.
And so the kid's alright now,
Ring in his nose and rude boy is a sight now.
Scallys they well want to bottle him
Other half cut their hair and want to follow him.
Digging on the style of the bands that he borrowing,
Running round the park and the playground hollering
"Fuck you I won't do what you tell me".
Isn't it strange the change of one tune?
How the place in the space can trace to one tune
How the grey of the day can fade when one tune
Put the colour in his life like Manga cartoons.
Mic check one two Saturday afternoon
Having it large in the garage as they run through
"Fuck you I won't do what you tell me".
This is the sound of a revolution.
They've come to take away all your uncertainty and insecurities and spell an end to this confusion.
Blown out of your mind;
Leaving the old life behind in a song.
This is where I belong for tonight.
So hear the sound of a revolution
As it accompany this new reality
And sing along with this conclusion.
Blown out of your mind;
Leaving the old life behind in a song.
This is where I belong for tonight.
Norhisham Hut
It's 2020 now and this is still refreshing...
Rudeboy John
2022 chiming in
Austin
The guitarist was my guitar teacher in high school. Man was a beast, he got me into jazz
Jhon Fron
Hace 11 años que escuche esta banda y todavía me encanta saludos de gdl México 🤘😎
dannyzee4
Remember loving this when I was like 14. Positive lyrics and sound and I like the bit of genre-mixing and having different vocalists. One of the most well-aged songs from that time for me, as someone whose musical taste got more eclectic and coincidentally ended up a manga fan.
ashercohen4
Really interesting mix between rap punk and ska. Think it worked out amazing. And about her voice: Guess it's a case of 'love it or hate it'.
kt5446
Rediscovered this song, what a TUNE
traceurZero
I love the people who cant handle the fact her voice is different. Yeah its a bit weird, but its unique and enjoyable and fits their sound. Would love to see them live.
moentij
Saw them live yesterday, it was great! Dancing, pogo, jumpin, screamin!! AWESOME
carla johnson
its something about her voice .. thats just amazing! <3