Southgang was one of the countless pretty-boy hard rock bands to emerge fro… Read Full Bio ↴Southgang was one of the countless pretty-boy hard rock bands to emerge from the late 80's hair metal craze. The band played respectable hook-laden hard rock with a slight southern influence, but grunge was already grabbing a foothold and all but ending the careers of bands such as Southgang.
Formed in Rome, Georgia and originally going by the name Byte The Bullet, it wasn't long before Jesse Harte (vocals), Butch Walker (guitar), Jayce Fincher (bass) and Mitch McLee headed to the bright lights of L.A.'s Sunset Strip. Within a year of their arrival the band was headlining, garnering major label interest and making the decision to change their moniker from Byte The Bullet to Southgang.
Hooking up with multi-platinum songwriter Desmond Child, the group's debut (1991's Tainted Angel) looked like a sure fire hit. The debut single "Tainted Angel" received minor airplay, but in being your typical ballad it failed to showcase the band's true talents. The debut never took off as suspected, and a year later Group Therapy would be ignored upon its release due to the changing of musical interests. Southgang knew their time was up and quietly put the band to rest.
Walker, Fincher and McLee continued working together as Floyd's Funk Revival before morphing into the successful Marvelous 3. With the break up of Marvelous 3 in 2001, Butch Walker started to pursue a solo career.

The Call
Southgang Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All of our lives, we spend watching with covered eyes in a world gone blind.
All of the evil, man against man, only out for himself.
How much more can we stand?

And we pray for forgiveness at the end of the night,
Cus' it makes us feel better when we turn out the light.
But if the world starts to crumble,
Then I'll know I was right all along.

All of those lies, keep breading from greed.
Is it too late to start to change our ways
and open our hearts to the truth, to the people in need?
We paint pretty pictures to cover the things we don't want to see.
But how can we ignore the call, oh Lord, of a brother crying out in misery?

There must be a way to answer the call.
If you're listening, then answer the call.

It's gonna take more than a miracle.
It's gonna take us all to start listening and answer the call

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Southgang's song The Call reflect on the state of society in which we live in. The song highlights the turmoil and chaos that has been caused by greed and selfishness. The lyrics reveal the bitter reality of man turning against man and an ever-increasing blindness towards the struggles faced by the less fortunate. The lines "All of our lives, we spend watching with covered eyes in a world gone blind. All of the evil, man against man, only out for himself" captures the essence of the message that the band is trying to convey. It is an attempt to shine a light on the current situation and highlight the desolate state of affairs.

The song also delves into the human condition whereby we try to seek forgiveness at night before going to sleep. The lyrics "And we pray for forgiveness at the end of the night, Cus' it makes us feel better when we turn out the light" are an honest reflection of how we try to wipe our conscience clean by asking for redemption. However, the singer, in an act of defiance, claims that his actions are justified and that he has been right all along.

The song's chorus urges people to listen to the cries of those in need and answer their call. The words "There must be a way to answer the call. If you're listening, then answer the call. It's gonna take more than a miracle. It's gonna take us all to start listening and answer the call" remind us that we need to take collective responsibility and change our ways to create a better world for ourselves and for others.

Line by Line Meaning

All of our lives, we spend watching with covered eyes in a world gone blind.
Throughout our lives, we've witnessed a world consumed by darkness and ignore the atrocities happening before us.

All of the evil, man against man, only out for himself.
Everywhere we look, we see people driven by selfish motives, blinded to the destruction they leave in their wake.

How much more can we stand?
It's becoming unbearable to sit by and watch the world fall apart without taking any action.

And we pray for forgiveness at the end of the night, Cus' it makes us feel better when we turn out the light.
We ask for forgiveness as a way to alleviate our guilt, but it does nothing to address the real issues at hand.

But if the world starts to crumble, Then I'll know I was right all along.
If the world finally crumbles due to our inaction, we'll realize that paralyzing our conscience was not worth it.

All of those lies, keep breading from greed.
The lies that perpetuate our broken system are constantly reinforced by greed and lust for power.

Is it too late to start to change our ways and open our hearts to the truth, to the people in need?
Despite the overwhelming obstacles, there is still a chance for redemption and improvement if we're willing to open our hearts to the truth and help those who are vulnerable.

We paint pretty pictures to cover the things we don't want to see.
We often use shallow veneers to hide the unpleasant realities of our society that we find uncomfortable.

But how can we ignore the call, oh Lord, of a brother crying out in misery?
Even if it's difficult, we can't turn a blind eye to the suffering of our fellow brothers and sisters crying out for help.

There must be a way to answer the call.
There has to be a solution to help those in need and right the wrongs of our society.

If you're listening, then answer the call.
If you're aware of the problems and injustices, it's time to take action and help in any way you can.

It's gonna take more than a miracle. It's gonna take us all to start listening and answer the call
The problems of our society require more than wishful thinking or divine intervention. It requires collective effort and a willingness to listen and act.

Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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