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.
My Wall
Ten Foot Pole Lyrics
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Eyes behind binoculars she sits so still
Spots a boy going under the freeway
Whispers in her radio going for the kill
Open your eyes! You're fighting kids
Who only want to make their mark
Everything else you took away
You left them in the dark
Your war is not about beauty
It's about rights and choice
Speech isn't free
It is only for those who can afford
To raise their voice
Say it is pollution
They say it is a sin
Mobilize their force to
Stop the demon within
They say it is not a battle
It is a full scale war
Recruiting volunteers
Like never before
Say it is so ugly
They say it is an eyesore
But remember
They're the ones who build department stores
Put ads on the windows
Asphalt where the grass used to grow
The lyrics to Ten Foot Pole's song "My Wall" paint a picture of a middle-class mom sitting on a hill with her binoculars, spotting a boy going under the freeway. She then whispers in her radio, going for the kill. The lyrics then go on to say, "Open your eyes! You're fighting kids who only want to make their mark. Everything else you took away, you left them in the dark." The song is a social commentary on the hypocrisy of those in power who wage wars against those who are merely trying to survive in a world that they did not create but are forced to live in.
The lyrics address the theme of the underprivileged being oppressed by those in positions of power. The song is a call to arms, urging the listeners to "open their eyes" to the injustice happening around them. The lyrics also highlight the idea that those in power often control the narrative and the language used to describe what they are doing. They frame their actions as necessary for the greater good while ignoring the damage they are causing. However, the song urges the listener to see beyond the surface level and recognize that the actions of the powerful are not always what they seem.
Line by Line Meaning
A middle-class mom crouches on the hill
A mother from a middle-class background is in a low position on the hill
Eyes behind binoculars she sits so still
She is observing something through binoculars with great focus without movement
Spots a boy going under the freeway
She noticed a child travelling beneath the main road
Whispers in her radio going for the kill
She gently spoke through her communication device to someone with a motive to destroy something
Open your eyes! You're fighting kids
Wake up from being unaware! You're in a fight with young people
Who only want to make their mark
These youths only aim to make an impact in the world
Everything else you took away
You removed everything else from them
You left them in the dark
You left them with little knowledge or information
Open your eyes!
Pay attention!
Your war is not about beauty
Your struggle is not a thing of glamour
It's about rights and choice
It’s about fundamental entitlements and options
Speech isn't free
Expressing thoughts doesn't come without cost
It is only for those who can afford
It is only obtainable by those with enough means
To raise their voice
To speak up or protest
Say it is pollution
Claim that it is an environmental hazard
They say it is a sin
Others consider it morally offensive
Mobilize their force to
Assemble their troops for
Stop the demon within
Prevent the devilishness residing inside
They say it is not a battle
They contend that it’s not a conflict
It is a full scale war
It's an all-out battle
Recruiting volunteers
Enlisting individuals without remuneration
Like never before
Unlike anything that has transpired in the past
Say it is so ugly
State that it is extremely unattractive
They say it is an eyesore
Others claim that it is an unpleasant sight
But remember
However, recall
They're the ones who build department stores
They’re responsible for constructing commercial establishments
Put ads on the windows
Showcase advertisements on the storefronts
Asphalt where the grass used to grow
Covered the space where the vegetation used to flourish with cement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS STEVEN JAGARD, PETER DOUGLAS NEWBURY, STEVEN THOMAS CARNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind