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.
Firecracker
Strung Out Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a letter in the mail that
Said register with us or you're
Gonna go to jail
You'll be put inside a cage, then
Forced to enlist
Well I laughed out loud, said I
Won't comply
Who qualify to be shipped off to
Fight some fucking war
'Cause war's not about policy-religion
It's about economy and I'm not dying
to set your country free
I'll never bow to your expectations
I never have I never will
I'm not a puppet, pawn, or
Figure head I'm a man of my
Own free will
Our freedoms are slowly surrendered
As they take more than their fill
How much power is ever enough for
The men, the men on Capitol Hill
They're cuttin's back on welfare
IL legalizing harmlessness, am I the
Only one to see there's something
Wrong with this
I don't have the answers won't
Pretend to say I will but to put
My trust in government, I think I'd
rather kill
Off mighty word democracy
Spells freedom for you and me
The books have all been written
And the prophets denied
Little by little watch this state
Begin to fall as we awaken from
This dream and find ourselves
Nailed to the wall
Oh firecracker patriotic lire, you were
Burnin' bright the day the country
Died, in all your glory in all your
Pride
Light the way torch of Liberty
Light the sky for the whole world
To see, in all your glory in all
Your pride
The lyrics to Strung Out's "Firecracker" deal with themes of government control, war, and individual freedom. The first verse starts with the singer receiving a letter telling them to register for the military draft, or else they'll go to jail. The singer scoffs at this idea, refusing to be labeled as one who qualifies to be shipped off to fight. They believe that war is not about policy or religion, but about economy, and they're not willing to die for someone else's gain.
The second verse speaks to the surrender of freedoms as the government takes more than their fill. The singer questions the government's actions, pointing out the cutting back on welfare and the legalization of harmlessness, wondering if others see the same issues. The singer expresses a lack of trust in the government, unwilling to put their faith in it.
The chorus speaks to the idea of patriotic lies and the supposed freedom that democracy represents. The singer notes the irony of the torch of liberty as the state slowly begins to fall.
Overall, "Firecracker" is a commentary on the government's control and the consequences of war. It highlights the struggle between individual freedom and government control, as the singer refuses to be a pawn in someone else's game.
Line by Line Meaning
The other day I swear to God
Recently, I received a letter in the mail
I got a letter in the mail that
The letter stated that I had to register with some authority
Said register with us or you're
The letter threatened me with imprisonment if I don't comply
Gonna go to jail
I'll be put inside a cage and forced to enlist
You'll be put inside a cage, then
However, I am not willing to go along with this direction
Forced to enlist
I am refusing to be labeled as one of those that are sent off to fight wars
Well I laughed out loud, said I
I think it's ridiculous because war is never about policy or religion
Won't comply
It's simply about economics, and I have no intention of dying to set your country free
To be labeled as one of those
I will never bow down to other people's expectations of me
Who qualify to be shipped off to
I see myself as a man of my own free will, not a puppet or a figurehead
Fight some fucking war
Unfortunately, our freedoms are slowly disappearing as they continue to take more and more from us
'Cause war's not about policy-religion
I'm not sure how much power these people need to feel satisfied
It's about economy and I'm not dying
They're cutting back on welfare programs and legalizing harmless things, but I see something wrong with this
to set your country free
I don't have all the answers, but I know I would rather not trust the government
I'll never bow to your expectations
I'm not willing to die for the sake of somebody else's patriotism and propaganda
I never have I never will
The torch of liberty once burned brightly for America, but now it's fading fast
I'm not a puppet, pawn, or
Our leaders have betrayed us, and in their desperate attempts to maintain power, they've forgotten about the people
Figurehead I'm a man of my
All those glorious words about democracy and freedom are starting to seem like empty promises
Own free will
We've been sold lies, and little by little, our country is beginning to fall apart
Our freedoms are slowly surrendered
But now we're starting to wake up and see what's happening
As they take more than their fill
We're finding ourselves trapped with no way out
How much power is ever enough for
These lyrics speak to the deeply held belief that the American Dream is a lie
The men, the men on Capitol Hill
We need to wake up and realize that we're trapped in a nightmare, not a dream
They're cuttin's back on welfare
It's time to stand up and fight for what's right
IL legalizing harmlessness, am I the
We need to light the way for a better future, because nobody else will do it for us
Only one to see there's something
This song is a call to action and a reminder that we need to be the change we want to see in the world
Wrong with this
We need to rise up, speak out, and never give up the fight for freedom
I don't have the answers won't
We need to live as free people, not as slaves to our own government
Pretend to say I will but to put
We can't give up hope, we can't give up the fight
My trust in government, I think I'd
For if we do, we may be doomed to a lifetime of oppression and tyranny
rather kill
The torch of liberty must burn brightly once again, or we may all be nailed to the wall of our own society
Off mighty word democracy
Let's light the way towards a brighter future and a better tomorrow
Spells freedom for you and me
Only then can we truly be free, and only then can we truly be happy
The books have all been written
Together, we can accomplish anything
And the prophets denied
But we can't do it alone
Little by little watch this state
We need each other, we need community, and we need to stand together
Begin to fall as we awaken from
And only then can we truly make a difference in the world
This dream and find ourselves
So let's light the way and keep the torch of liberty burning brightly
Nailed to the wall
For only then can we truly be proud of our nation, and only then can we truly be proud of ourselves
Oh firecracker patriotic fire
This is our country, and it's up to us to make it great again
You were burnin' bright the day the country
Let's light the way to a brighter future for ourselves and for future generations
Died, in all your glory in all your
This is our time, our moment, and our chance to make a difference in the world
Pride
So let's light the sky and let the whole world see the great potential that lies within us all
Light the way torch of Liberty
Let's work together to build a future that shines as brightly as the torch of liberty
Light the sky for the whole world
Let's create a world that is free, just, and fair for everyone
To see, in all your glory in all your pride
For only then can we truly be proud of our nation, and only then can we truly be proud of ourselves
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FRED SCHNEIDER, ROBERT ZABRECKY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind