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.
Wrong Side of the Tracks
Strung Out Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause I don't know exactly
What you want me to be
There's no place left for me
To go now so why don't you
come kick me around for a while
Down here you won't see me cryin'
Ain't got no time for that
Sacrifice myself now
Seems every time I try to gain a
Little ground-I wind up right back
Where I never thought I'd be
Down here it feels alright
Plenty of time
To find another way.
Self-destruction's the only way
I know how to
Maybe another time, maybe another
Day, I'll be strong enough to leave
This place behind me
Like a clown I'll raise my glass
To the sky and toast another night
Serenadin' my reflection
[Chorus]
Plenty of time to find another
Way to seize the day without this bottle
of redemption
So tonight I'll stumble my way
Home, maybe tomorrow I'll find
Myself a job
But tonight I got the moon
And the stars I got a song in
My head and a pocket full of nothin'
Well I got no plans got
No peace of mind
I gotta find a may outta here
Took a little more than I gave away
Now it's up to me to get up and
Try to get it right.
The lyrics to Strung Out's song "Wrong Side Of The Tracks" express a sense of hopelessness and resignation towards one's current situation. The singer is asking for clarity on what is expected of them, as they are unsure of how to behave or what to do in order to meet others' expectations. The repeated refrain of "plenty of time to find another way" implies a lack of urgency or motivation to make a change, as if the singer has become comfortable with their difficulties and does not feel the need to escape them. The mention of self-destruction as a coping mechanism suggests that the singer may feel trapped by their circumstances, with no clear path to a better future.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of defeatism that is contrasted by occasional moments of hope or determination. For example, the singer imagines being able to leave their current situation behind, but acknowledges that this may not happen anytime soon. Similarly, they express a desire to "get it right," but seem resigned to the fact that this will require effort and hard work. Overall, "Wrong Side Of The Tracks" captures the feeling of being stuck in a difficult situation, while acknowledging that there is always the possibility of finding a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me what you want from me
I'm not sure what it is you need from me
Cause I don't know exactly
I'm confused and unsure
What you want me to be
I don't know what kind of person you want me to be
There's no place left for me
I feel like I have nowhere to go
To go now so why don't you
I have no destination or purpose, so why don't you take advantage of me
come kick me around for a while
Use me or abuse me, I don't care
Down here you won't see me cryin'
I'm in a low place, but I won't let anyone see me upset
Ain't got no time for that
I don't have any time or energy to feel sorry for myself
I've planned a million ways to
I've thought about endless options to
Sacrifice myself now
End my own life
Seems every time I try to gain a
Whenever I attempt to make any progress in my life
Little ground-I wind up right back
I end up back where I started, making no progress at all
Where I never thought I'd be
Somewhere I never imagined myself being
Down here it feels alright
Even though I'm in a low point, it feels comfortable and safe
Plenty of time
I have enough time
To find another way.
To look for a different path
Self-destruction's the only way
The only way I know how to cope is through self-destructive behavior
I know how to
It's my only way of dealing with things
Maybe another time, maybe another
Perhaps in the future
Day, I'll be strong enough to leave
I'll finally gather the strength to move on
This place behind me
Leave this place and all its negativity behind me
Like a clown I'll raise my glass
In a humorous way, I'll lift my drink to the sky
To the sky and toast another night
Celebrate another lonely evening
Serenadin' my reflection
Singing to myself and my reflection in the mirror
Plenty of time to find another
I have enough time to find a new
Way to seize the day without this bottle
A different approach to living without relying on alcohol
of redemption
For deliverance
So tonight I'll stumble my way
Tonight I'll stumble my way
Home, maybe tomorrow I'll find
Home, and hopefully tomorrow I'll find
Myself a job
Employment for myself
But tonight I got the moon
For now, I've got the moon
And the stars I got a song in
And the stars, a tune in my head
My head and a pocket full of nothin'
My head and an empty pocket
Well I got no plans got
I have no plans, no direction
No peace of mind
I don't have any inner peace
I gotta find a may outta here
I need to find a way to escape my current situation
Took a little more than I gave away
I may have taken more than I've given
Now it's up to me to get up and
It's up to me to get up and
Try to get it right.
Attempt to make things right
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
@telenofunken
Tell me what you want from me
Cause I don't know exactly
What you want me to be
There's no place left for me
To go now so why don't you
come kick me around for a while
Down here you won't see me cryin'
Ain't got no time for that
I've planned a million ways to
Sacrifice myself now
Seems every time I try to gain a
Little ground-I wind up right back
Where I never thought I'd be
Down here it feels alright
Plenty of time
To find another way.
Self-destruction's the only way
I know how to
Maybe another time, maybe another
Day, I'll be strong enough to leave
This place behind me
Like a clown I'll raise my glass
To the sky and toast another night
Serenadin' my reflection
[Chorus]
Plenty of time to find another
Way to seize the day without this bottle
of redemption
So tonight I'll stumble my way
Home, maybe tomorrow I'll find
Myself a job
But tonight I got the moon
And the stars I got a song in
My head and a pocket full of nothin'
Well I got no plans got
No peace of mind
I gotta find a may outta here
Took a little more than I gave away
Now it's up to me to get up and
Try to get it right.
@Caperon81
100% agree, this is the best punk rock album ever recorded, perfect from the beguining till the end and in my opinion best album from strung out.
@Jennatilz1
Lyrics 10, guitar 10, drums massive 10. This is the perfect punk song
@chris323
this is one of their best songs i love this one
@bigduderoyal
Very well put! My best friends band (A Vision Within) just opened for them last this month in Pitts. Got a chance to meet them back stage, they are f***ing great!
@telenofunken
Tell me what you want from me
Cause I don't know exactly
What you want me to be
There's no place left for me
To go now so why don't you
come kick me around for a while
Down here you won't see me cryin'
Ain't got no time for that
I've planned a million ways to
Sacrifice myself now
Seems every time I try to gain a
Little ground-I wind up right back
Where I never thought I'd be
Down here it feels alright
Plenty of time
To find another way.
Self-destruction's the only way
I know how to
Maybe another time, maybe another
Day, I'll be strong enough to leave
This place behind me
Like a clown I'll raise my glass
To the sky and toast another night
Serenadin' my reflection
[Chorus]
Plenty of time to find another
Way to seize the day without this bottle
of redemption
So tonight I'll stumble my way
Home, maybe tomorrow I'll find
Myself a job
But tonight I got the moon
And the stars I got a song in
My head and a pocket full of nothin'
Well I got no plans got
No peace of mind
I gotta find a may outta here
Took a little more than I gave away
Now it's up to me to get up and
Try to get it right.
@thesaint9276
telenofunken I always despised the term skate punk until I grew up and realized that’s exactly what it was and the only way to describe it. 94-2002 was an era in the Southern California skate scene that cannot be described in words.
@cancerousKeebs
awesomeness. Strung Out at their best.
@Pontifitation
When Jim left the band (R.I.P.) they had an open try outs, I was lucky enough to sit with them and play, just me Jake and Jason. I will never forget that day, it was like being in the presence of gods pretending to be men. I told them I love this album and they said, "We always felt like it was rushed, we only had a limited time to work on it" so, guys, see... your fans recognize your greatness. Thanks for the music :D
@stevestuff8574
Best punk album of all time. It just is.
@davibertucci3977
QUE COISA LINDAAAAA