The original lineup consisted of vocalist Jason Cruz, guitarists Jake Kiley and Rob Ramos, bassist Jim Cherry and drummer Adam Austin. After releasing a self-titled 7" record, they became one of the first bands to be signed to Fat Wreck Chords, the record label owned and operated by Fat Mike of the band NOFX. Austin left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Brad Morrison who also left the band and was replaced on drums by Jordan Burns, formerly of fellow Simi Valley natives Ten Foot Pole. Their first album, Another Day in Paradise, was released in May of 1994. Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues followed in 1996. In 1998 they released The Skinny Years...Before We Got Fat, a compilation album of their pre-Fat Wreck Chords material.
The band showed notable musical growth on their 1998 album Twisted by Design, which was both speedy and technical but also punk-based and with darker overtones. The album established a mixture of the fast, poppy sound the band had established with Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues but mixed it with more atonality and more abstract song structures. Bassist Jim Cherry left the band in 1999 and went on to play in Pulley and Zero Down, but died of heart failure in 2002. He was replaced by Chris Aiken, whose musical background had a strong impact on the 2000 album The Element of Sonic Defiance, which continued in the fast, melodic punk tradition of the band while introducing more hard rock and metal elements.
In 2002 the band released their fourth full-length album An American Paradox, their first release to appear in the Billboard Top 200. The initial production run contained a bonus song entitled "Don't Look Back". A video was filmed for the song "Cemetery" and was included on several punk rock video compilations. In 2003 they recorded and released a live album as part of the Fat Wreck Chords Live in a Dive series. Exile in Oblivion, was released in 2004, with a video filmed for the song "Analog." Strung Out released their sixth full-length album, Blackhawks Over Los Angeles on June 12, 2007.
In March 2009, Strung Out released a compilation of B-sides, demos, and covers called "Prototypes and Painkillers" with material from all eras of the band's history. Many of these tracks have been on various punk compilations and/or were included in their "Live in a Dive" recording.
On September 29, 2009, Strung Out Released a their 7th studio album titled Agents of the Underground.
Crossroads
Strung Out Lyrics
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Under clouds of indecision
Reflections looking right through me
I can't believe the lies we tell ourselves
The music used to be everything
The music used to heal
But business soon becomes reality
And nothing left inside is real
Allow my best to see this through
Got nothing left to give you
Now I gotta find a better way
Turned against each other
With the games we all like to play
Looking straight ahead
It's hard to see things eye to eye
Not at all what it used to be
Something that I can't deny
And now I leave it up to you
Allow my best to see this through
Got nothing left to give you
Now I gotta find a better way
Before I lose another part of me
The lyrics to Strung Out's song Crossroads express a sense of confusion and disillusionment with the music industry. The singer finds themselves at a crossroads of sorts, unsure of what to do next. They reflect on how music used to be everything to them, a source of healing and escape, but now it's become just another business. The lies and dysfunction within the industry are evident, and the singer has nothing left to give. They turn their attention to finding a better way, before they lose another part of themselves.
One interpretation of these lyrics is that they are addressing the commodification of music, and how the industry often values profit over artistry. The singer is disillusioned with the commercialization of something that used to be so pure and meaningful to them. They see the industry for what it really is, full of lies and conflict, and they don't want to be a part of it anymore. The song urges listeners to search for a better way, to stay true to themselves and their passion for music, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I find myself here once again
I am facing a familiar situation once again
Under clouds of indecision
I am uncertain about what to do
Reflections looking right through me
I am feeling vulnerable and exposed
I can't believe the lies we tell ourselves
I am disappointed in the way we deceive ourselves
The music used to be everything
The music was once a source of great joy and meaning
The music used to heal
Music used to have the power to heal and bring people together
But business soon becomes reality
The music industry is now driven by financial concerns rather than artistic integrity
And nothing left inside is real
The music industry has become hollow and artificial
Dysfunction's all that we see true
We are surrounded by dysfunction and chaos
Allow my best to see this through
I am determined to do my best to address the situation
Got nothing left to give you
I have given everything I can and have nothing more to offer
Now I gotta find a better way
I need to find a new approach to the situation
Turned against each other
We have become divided and are working against each other
With the games we all like to play
We are engaging in petty and destructive behavior
Looking straight ahead
I am focused on moving forward
It's hard to see things eye to eye
We are having difficulty finding common ground
Not at all what it used to be
The situation is drastically different from what it once was
Something that I can't deny
It is impossible to ignore the changes that have occurred
And now I leave it up to you
I am relinquishing control to someone else
Before I lose another part of me
In order to avoid further harm to myself, I must take action
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Jacob Ira Kiley, James Paul Cherry III, Jason Alexander Cruz, Jordan Lieberman, Robert J Ramos
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind