Scared Straigh… Read Full Bio ↴Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 as Scared Straight.
Scared Straight was a punk band from Simi Valley, California. The band was formed in 1983 by a group of friends and was originally called S.O.F. Original members were Scott Radinsky, Mike Thompson, Gary Gallanes and Dennis Jagard, who started the band to enter a "Battle of the Bands" competition at a local skate rink. After going through several members and name changes, they began playing with some "Nardcore" bands from nearby Oxnard, California, which helped them gain recognition. All of the Scared Straight records were released by Mystic Records.
In the early 1990s they changed their name to Ten Foot Pole. One of the reasons for the name change was to move away from the "straight-edge" reputation that followed the band with a name like Scared Straight. In the beginning, Ten Foot Pole had a reputation of being a more aggressive, hardcore punk band that likes to party and have fun. The band released two albums under their new name with the old lineup: Swill and Rev. After the release of Rev and a split EP with Sweden's Satanic Surfers, Radinsky was forced to leave the band due to his professional baseball commitments and Ten Foot Pole's desire to be a full-time touring band. From then on Dennis Jagard took over lead vocals for the band.
The next albums, Unleashed and Insider, developed a new fan base but lost some old time fans who preferred Scott's voice. This included decision makers at Epitaph Records, and the next album, Bad Mother Trucker, was released on Victory Records, followed by Subliminable Messages on Go-Kart Records. The band toured Europe to promote the album, along with Phinius Gage. Various musicians joined and left along the way as the band toured heavily in the US and Canada. Various members included Glen "Vegas" Murray Eric Cody, Kris Kwiatkowski, John Chapman, Dan Kelly, Chris Dalley, Keith Divel, Chris Del Rio, and Mike Levy who is a teacher in California, along with Kevin Ruggeri, who is an English teacher for Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Lead singer Dennis is a sound engineer, who has mixed for artists including Prince, Beck, AFI and Jimmy Eat World.
On 4 April 2009, the band ended a three-year hiatus with a show at the Riorock festival in Belgium, followed by some shows in California in late 2011 and a short tour in Australia in November 2012.
They were also featured 2000 in the Punk Goes Metal compilations performing a cover of "Love Song" by Tesla.
Denial
Ten Foot Pole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Usually, I try to hide from all of life's un-pleasantries
Like corruption, lies, and users
Try to ignore all the abusers
But sometimes truth just slaps me in the face
And I can't hide
Try to deny deception, but now I see the other side
Try to regain my innocence, but something's changed inside
Funny how perceptions change when you know secret history
Suddenly, you see right past the thin veil of diplomacy
Like the smiles that invite glare at you
Like they're filled with spite
The warm handshakes just seem so out of place
And I can't hide
Every person has a dark side; please, don't show me yours
I don't really think I want to know you can't be trusted
They say the truth will set you free
But they don't say how deep the cut will be
Trust dies and paranoia takes its place
And I can't hide
The lyrics to Ten Foot Pole's song "Denial" explore the theme of confronting the truth and the consequences of denial. The opening lines of the song highlight the tension between seeking out the truth and avoiding unpleasant realities. The singer admits that they often try to hide from corruption, lies, and users, but sometimes the truth is undeniable and forces them to confront the harsh realities of the world.
As the song progresses, the singer delves deeper into the issue, acknowledging that once they know the truth, their perceptions of people and situations can change irreversibly. The line "Funny how perceptions change when you know secret history" speaks to the transformative power of truth and how it can shatter illusions and reveal the darker side of humanity. The singer describes the feeling of being misled by people who seemed trustworthy, but were actually manipulative and deceitful.
The chorus of the song, "And I can't hide, Try to deny deception, but now I see the other side, I can't hide, Try to regain my innocence, but something's changed inside" emphasizes the sense of helplessness and disillusionment that comes with discovering the truth. The internal struggle between wanting to regain their innocence and the reality that something inside has changed sets an introspective tone for the rest of the song.
In the final section of the song, the singer acknowledges the inherent flaws in everyone, but expresses a desire not to see the darker side of people. They state that they "don't really think [they] want to know" if someone can't be trusted, highlighting the fear and paranoia that can come with the knowledge of the truth.
Overall, "Denial" is a powerful exploration of the complicated emotions that arise when confronted with the truth. The song speaks to the transformative power of truth, the fragility of human relationships, and the consequences of denial.
Line by Line Meaning
It's funny how a little truth can put things in perspective
Coming to terms with an unpleasant reality can help us understand the world better.
Usually, I try to hide from all of life's un-pleasantries
I normally shield myself from the harsh realities of life.
Like corruption, lies, and users
Examples of the unpleasant realities I try to avoid include corrupt people, lies, and users.
Try to ignore all the abusers
I try to pretend that abusive people don't exist.
But sometimes truth just slaps me in the face
Occasionally, I am confronted with the harsh truth.
And I can't hide
I am no longer able to ignore the truth.
Try to deny deception, but now I see the other side
I used to deny the fact that people can be deceitful, but now I understand it.
Try to regain my innocence, but something's changed inside
I try to forget the truth and return to my previous naivete, but I cannot.
Funny how perceptions change when you know secret history
Knowing a person's hidden past can change how we perceive them.
Suddenly, you see right past the thin veil of diplomacy
When we uncover someone's true motives, their pretense of being diplomatic becomes transparent.
Like the smiles that invite glare at you
When someone smiles at you with hidden intentions, it can feel like a fake gesture.
Like they're filled with spite
These smiles seem to be filled with hatred or ill will.
The warm handshakes just seem so out of place
Friendly gestures such as handshakes now seem fake and disingenuous.
Every person has a dark side; please, don't show me yours
I understand that everyone has flaws, but I don't want to see your negative traits.
I don't really think I want to know you can't be trusted
I don't want to find out that you're not trustworthy.
They say the truth will set you free
It is said that being honest and truthful can liberate you.
But they don't say how deep the cut will be
However, this honesty can cause significant emotional pain.
Trust dies and paranoia takes its place
When someone we trust deceives us, it can lead to feelings of paranoia and a lack of trust.
And I can't hide
I can no longer conceal my true feelings or the facts that have been revealed to me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS STEVEN JAGARD, PETER DOUGLAS NEWBURY, STEVEN THOMAS CARNAN, TONY PALERMO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind