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.
Magnolia
Strung Out Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lay my head up against the wheel and dream
Highway forty-five-O-nine
Stretches across this wicked dream of mine
Abated only by the engine drone
The silence takes hold then I'm home
Phantoms and shadows take control of the wheel
Somewhere I lost my way and you got brave
And now here I lay
Somewhere in this highways moan?
The Angels dare to guide my way
Strychnine and broken spine
The engine wanes
Seat belt tightens across my chest
Broken glass and plastic finally come to rest
And all my senses come alive and start to shake me
Broken bones and the smile that you left
Magnolia don't pray for me
All the warning signs I never cared to see
Magnolia all direction lost
I took the ride and I paid the cost
No illustrious collaboration somewhere outta time alone
You're the one that made it out
You're the shadow and the doubt
A lonely ambulance is heard across the highway
With sirens screaming out your name
Magnolia don't pray for me
All the warning signs I never cared to see
Magnolia all direction lost
You're the one that's moving on
Razor steel collapse and burn away
Crosses line and Angels prey
Cruise control to the very wreck of me
The warning signs I was too blind to see
Magnolia all direction lost
You're the one that's moving on
The lyrics to Strung Out's song Magnolia seem to be describing a car accident, with the opening line "In cruise control to the wreck of me" indicating the singer's lack of control over their situation. They are "lay[ing] their head up against the wheel and dream[ing]," perhaps indicating that they are either drifting off to sleep or the impact has caused them to lose consciousness. The highway they were driving on, Route 45-09, is described as a "wicked dream," and the silence that follows the engine drone is seen as a form of homecoming.
The second verse introduces the idea of phantoms and shadows taking control of the wheel, perhaps suggesting that the accident was caused by something other than the driver's own actions. The imagery of "gasoline sex and steel" paints a vivid portrait of both the physical surroundings and the feeling of danger and excitement that driving can evoke. The chorus repeats the refrain of "Magnolia don't pray for me," seemingly indicating that the singer does not want sympathy or pity for their predicament. They are resigned to their fate, having made choices that led them to this point, and they do not want others to feel sorry for them.
The final verse introduces the idea of someone else watching the accident from a distance, someone who "made it out" and is now "moving on." This could be interpreted in a variety of ways, perhaps as a reference to a person who was once close to the singer and has since left them behind, or simply as a symbol of the fact that life goes on even in the face of tragedy. The final lines, "razor steel collapse and burn away/Crosses line and Angels prey," seem to be a commentary on the destructive nature of our choices and the fact that we often pay a high price for the things we desire.
Line by Line Meaning
In cruise control to the wreck of me
I am on a dangerous path and am not doing anything to stop it
I lay my head up against the wheel and dream
I am not fully present in my life and am instead living in my own dreams and distractions
Highway forty-five-O-nine
The specific location of my current journey
Stretches across this wicked dream of mine
My life is a twisted and dangerous path
Abated only by the engine drone
I am so distracted by the sound of the engine that I am not fully paying attention to the dangers around me
The silence takes hold then I'm home
Once the engine quietens down, I feel at peace and comfortable
Phantoms and shadows take control of the wheel
I am no longer in control of my life, but am instead being led by my inner demons
The smell of gasoline sex and steel
I am addicted to the thrill and sense of danger that my current lifestyle provides
Somewhere I lost my way and you got brave
At some point in my life, I went off-track and you took control/charge
And now here I lay
I am now paying the price for my reckless actions
Somewhere in this highways moan?
There is a sense of unease and danger on this journey
The Angels dare to guide my way
Despite the danger, I am still hopeful that there is a guiding force helping me navigate life
Strychnine and broken spine
I am literally harming my body and soul through my actions
The engine wanes
My reckless lifestyle is taking a toll on me, both physically and mentally
Seat belt tightens across my chest
I am realizing the gravity of the situation and am trying to protect myself
Broken glass and plastic finally come to rest
The chaos and destruction in my life is finally coming to an end
And all my senses come alive and start to shake me
As I face the consequences of my actions, I am sobering up and fully realizing the dangers of my lifestyle
Broken bones and the smile that you left
I am both physically and emotionally broken due to my past actions
Magnolia don't pray for me
I am beyond redemption and don't deserve forgiveness or salvation
All the warning signs I never cared to see
I willingly ignored the signs that something was wrong in my life
Magnolia all direction lost
I have no idea where to go or what to do next
I took the ride and I paid the cost
I chose this lifestyle and am now facing the consequences
No illustrious collaboration somewhere outta time alone
I am entirely responsible for my actions; there is no one else to blame
You're the one that made it out
You were smarter than me and chose a different path
You're the shadow and the doubt
You represent the doubts and fears that I have about my own life choices
A lonely ambulance is heard across the highway
There is a sense of isolation and loneliness in my current state
With sirens screaming out your name
You are the better, wiser version of me that I will never be
You're the one that's moving on
You have left me behind and are moving forward with your life
Razor steel collapse and burn away
The destructive elements in my life are finally being dismantled and destroyed
Crosses line and Angels prey
The dangers in my life have led me across a dangerous line that only divine intervention can help me cross
The warning signs I was too blind to see
I am only now realizing the gravity of my past actions
Magnolia all direction lost
My life has no clear direction or purpose
You're the one that's moving on
You have successfully moved on from your past mistakes and have created a brighter future for yourself
Contributed by Lauren P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.