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.
In Harms Way
Strung Out Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Corporate sponsorship, rapin' & ruling the land,
Do you think what you say will make it any better,
It's been this way two hundred years, will stay this way forever!
You made promises of health care still my teeth rot in my head.
You once seemed so concerned now you left us all for dead.
The unemployed, the uninsured, the homeless in the street,
We won't survive, this road to power led by all your kings.
It's time to wake up and take back what you have lost.
And when it all falls from this malady spread from within,
It's happened once before, my friend, well here it comes again.
This state we've built is a sick reflection of all that we've become
We've closed our eyes, been fed these lies do you know what your country's done.
In the land of mad consumers free to spend at their own will,
We're losing sight of what it means to be a free America.
There's something wrong with all of this
There's something wrong with you
There's something wrong with you
I cannot stand by,
And watch them as they fuck up my life.
There's something wrong with me
There's something wrong with all of this
There's something wrong with you
There's something wrong with you
Believe these lies,
They'll lead you to a path in harm's way!
The song "In Harms Way" by Strung Out is a commentary on the current state of American democracy and the failing promises of politicians. The lyrics express anger and frustration towards the government's inability to fulfill their responsibilities towards their citizens. The first verse highlights the corruption of corporate sponsorship and its influence over the government's decisions. The lyrics suggest that the country has been this way for the past two hundred years and will remain corrupt forever, indicating the lack of hope for change.
The chorus addresses the broken promises made by politicians, particularly towards healthcare for the citizens. The verse speaks of how the politicians seemed concerned once, but now have abandoned their people. The lyrics assert that the unemployed, uninsured, and homeless are the ones who put the politicians in power and that they have promises to keep. The second chorus warns that the path to power led by these kings will endanger all and that it is essential to take back what has been lost before it is too late.
The final verse speaks more about the aftermath of the government's shortcomings. The society built by the state is a sick reflection of what the citizens have become, and the many lies have been fed to them for decades. The lyrics assert that the citizens are losing sight of the true meaning of being a free America, and that there is something wrong with everyone in this situation. The song serves as a reminder to the citizens not to believe the lies continually fed to them, leading them into harm's way.
Line by Line Meaning
Your democracy has become a tattered vision of truth,
Your country's political system has become distorted and dishonest.
Corporate sponsorship, rapin' & ruling the land,
Powerful corporations control and manipulate the government.
Do you think what you say will make it any better,
Do you believe that your words will bring about change?
It's been this way two hundred years, will stay this way forever!
This system of corruption has been in place for centuries and shows no sign of changing.
You made promises of health care still my teeth rot in my head.
Politicians promised healthcare but the artist's dental problems have yet to be addressed.
You once seemed so concerned now you left us all for dead.
Politicians once appeared to care but have since abandoned the public.
The unemployed, the uninsured, the homeless in the street,
Those without work, healthcare, or homes are in dire straits.
We're the ones that put you there, buddy you've got promises to keep.
The public elected these politicians and they must keep their campaign promises.
We won't survive, this road to power led by all your kings.
The current path toward authoritarian rule will spell disaster for everyday people.
It's time to wake up and take back what you have lost.
The public needs to become active and recover their power from those in political positions.
And when it all falls from this malady spread from within,
When the system collapses from its internal flaws,
It's happened once before, my friend, well here it comes again.
This has occurred previously and is happening again.
This state we've built is a sick reflection of all that we've become
The society we've created is a negative reflection of humans as a whole.
We've closed our eyes, been fed these lies do you know what your country's done.
The public has been misled about the true nature of their country.
In the land of mad consumers free to spend at their own will,
The culture of consumerism prioritizes spending above all else.
We're losing sight of what it means to be a free America.
The pursuit of consumerism and corporate interests is obscuring the true meaning of freedom.
There's something wrong with all of this
There is a definite problem with the current political and social system.
There's something wrong with you
The audience is being challenged to consider how they may be contributing to this problem.
I cannot stand by,
The singer cannot remain passive and do nothing.
And watch them as they fuck up my life.
The politicians are making decisions that negatively impact the artist's life.
Believe these lies,
The audience is being warned not to trust false promises and propaganda.
They'll lead you to a path in harm's way!
Believing these lies will result in damaging consequences for the individual and society at large.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Purple Eyed Bat
This is some good shit. They still are awesome in my opinion even though they have evolved their style. But damn it's hard to get better than this song.
whatwouldgjdo
I wish I could find tabs for this song, It's sooooo good!
paul0s w
I loved this song so much too
Spent Heart
Tooooo good.
Skillz Flux
Listening to this right now is eerie
Drifter816
Anyone have a tab for this? I've been looking and can't find one
Brad Lahey
Why the Fuck is this song blocked on Spotify?
Dustin Zarracina
0:29 - 0:40 is punk... is it not?
Monkey Rat
I can't find this song on Spotify, the album is there not the song