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.
Dirty Little Secret
Strung Out Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wouldn't care to see if I tried to show
Wouldn't know what to do if I made you feel
Like I feel today so don't bring me down
So don't bring me down
Cause the world keeps turning
Everybody's got their own world to live through
We've all got our song to write
It starts a dirty little secret that won't stay quiet
Silhouette against the angry sky
These skycrapers a mile high
Well hide me long enough to get by
These troubles of mine are never that far behind
And what's coming to the helicopter sound
All this shit's going down
In the world right in front of me
I'm a suicide cause
With a sidewalk soul
I got a song in my head
And I'm going for a walk around
A little stranger than fiction in life
Everybody's got their own world to live through
We've all got our song to write
It starts a dirty little secret that won't stay quiet tonight
I got nothing but time
To take a walk and find
What I never could explain
I'll make you understand
There's nothing in here you'd be interested to hear
So ignore me if this doesn't rhyme
I swear there won't be
I swear there won't be a next time
So walk on by if you see me in your way
Cause you wouldn't understand if I told you anyway
You wouldn't even care if I tried to explain
A little stranger than fiction in life
Everybody's got their own world to live through
We've all got our song to write
It starts a dirty little secret that won't stay quiet
A little stranger than fiction in life
Everybody's got their own world to live through
We've all got our song to write
It starts a dirty little secret that won't stay quiet tonight
Won't stay quiet tonight
The lyrics of the song Dirty Little Secret by Strung Out convey the feeling of being unable to express oneself or to be heard even if one does. The opening lines, "Wouldn't understand if I told you so, wouldn't care to see if I tried to show" illustrate the sense of futility that sometimes arises when one tries to convey what is inside. The next line, "Wouldn't know what to do if I made you feel like I feel today so don't bring me down" suggests that the singer is coming from a place of vulnerability and does not want to be brought down by someone else's reactions or lack thereof.
The chorus, "Cause the world keeps turning, a little stranger than fiction in life" highlights the concept that life is often unpredictable and chaotic, and it can be difficult to navigate through the madness. The "dirty little secret that won't stay quiet" echoes the sentiment of feeling unheard or unseen. The second verse discusses the idea of hiding from the troubles of life and trying to find solace in the noise of the world. The singer feels like a "suicide cause with a sidewalk soul" indicating a sense of emptiness or purposelessness.
Overall, the song Dirty Little Secret by Strung Out tells a story of struggling with self-expression and finding solace in the chaos of life. The lyrics suggest that everyone has their own struggles to contend with, and that these struggles are often private and noisy.
Line by Line Meaning
Wouldn't understand if I told you so
You would not be able to comprehend it even if I tried to explain.
Wouldn't care to see if I tried to show
You would not bother looking even if I tried to demonstrate.
Wouldn't know what to do if I made you feel
You would be at a loss of how to react if I made you feel like I do.
Like I feel today so don't bring me down
I am feeling too low today, so please do not make it worse.
Cause the world keeps turning
Despite my troubles, life goes on as usual for everyone else.
A little stranger than fiction in life
Real life circumstances can be stranger than anything imagined in stories.
Everybody's got their own world to live through
Everyone has their own unique experiences and perspective on life.
We've all got our song to write
We each have our own story to tell and experiences to share.
It starts a dirty little secret that won't stay quiet
We each have a hidden part of ourselves that we don't want others to know about.
Silhouette against the angry sky
The artist is a small, insignificant figure contrasted against the towering buildings and dramatic sky.
These skycrapers a mile high
The tall buildings serve as a reminder of how small and insignificant the singer feels.
Well hide me long enough to get by
The artist wants to hide from their troubles for just long enough to cope.
These troubles of mine are never that far behind
The singer's problems and worries are always close at hand and never truly go away.
And what's coming to the helicopter sound
The singer hears a sense of danger approaching in the form of a helicopter.
All this shit's going down
Something serious and possibly dangerous is happening nearby.
In the world right in front of me
The artist is experiencing trouble and turmoil in their immediate surroundings.
I'm a suicide cause
The artist feels suicidal or like they are the cause of their own problems.
With a sidewalk soul
The singer is weighed down by their troubles and can only move forward at a slow and heavy pace.
I got a song in my head
The singer has a persistent and haunting thought in their mind that they cannot shake.
And I'm going for a walk around
The artist is physically walking around to try and clear their mind.
I got nothing but time
The artist has nothing else to do but walk and think.
To take a walk and find
The artist hopes to find something or come to a realization by walking.
What I never could explain
The singer's thoughts and feelings are difficult to articulate or explain to others.
I'll make you understand
The artist hopes to help someone understand their perspective and experiences.
There's nothing in here you'd be interested to hear
The singer believes their problems and thoughts are uninteresting to others.
So ignore me if this doesn't rhyme
The singer acknowledges that their attempt to communicate may not be effective or well-received.
I swear there won't be
The singer promises that something won't happen again in the future.
A next time
The artist vows to not repeat their past mistakes or behavior.
So walk on by if you see me in your way
The artist advises others to ignore or avoid them if they are in their path.
Cause you wouldn't understand if I told you anyway
The singer believes that others wouldn't comprehend their situation or feelings even if they tried to explain.
You wouldn't even care if I tried to explain
The singer believes that others wouldn't care or be interested in hearing about their problems or emotions.
Won't stay quiet tonight
The dirty little secret will not stay hidden or silent tonight, no matter how much the artist wishes it would.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER TRAVIS JR AIKEN, JACOB IRA KILEY, JASON ALEXANDER CRUZ, JORDAN LIEBERMAN, ROBERT J RAMOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind