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.
Pride & Shame
Ten Foot Pole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been so busy trying every day to make ends meet
Been such a long time
Since I stopped to smell the coffee
Now I wonder: can I tell the forest from the trees?
I know that I feel pride and I know that I fear shame
I know I want you to smile when you hear my name
But I know I play it harder than anything
I feel alone
There's people everywhere
Some of these people even care
Once in a while you find someone who really cares
But I'm too busy to give them what they need
It's not greed, it's the fear of failure
It keeps me going
But when tomorrow comes, there's always something more
And I can't stop working long enough
To wonder what life's for
What is it for?
Am I just a whore?
Who am I working for?
In Ten Foot Pole's song Pride And Shame, the singer laments their sense of detachment from their own life. They have been too caught up in the daily grind of trying to make a living that they have lost sight of the bigger picture. They question whether there is something more to life that they are missing out on because they are so preoccupied with making ends meet. The singer contemplates their ability to perceive reality accurately and wonders if they can even tell "the forest from the trees."
The chorus reveals the singer's feelings of pride and shame. They take pride in their accomplishments and want to be acknowledged for them, but at the same time, they fear shame if they fail. This creates a sense of pressure that the singer seems to be struggling with. They acknowledge that it sounds like a "silly game," but it's one that they play "harder than anything."
The next verse further emphasizes the singer's feelings of isolation. While there are people around them, they feel alone because they are too preoccupied with their own goals to give others the time and attention they deserve. They admit that it's not greed but the fear of failure that keeps them going, and they feel that they can't stop working because there is always something more to do. The singer expresses their existential angst by asking what life is for and whether they are just working for the sake of working.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of disillusionment and questioning of the meaning of life. It highlights the pressures that society places on individuals to be successful, the fear of failure that drives them, and the toll it takes on their relationships and ability to live in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Is there something more I just can't see?
Do I have a limited perspective and is there something I'm missing?
I've been so busy trying every day to make ends meet
I'm preoccupied with daily struggles to survive
Been such a long time
It's been a while since I've done something meaningful
Since I stopped to smell the coffee
Since I've taken a moment to appreciate life's simple pleasures
Now I wonder: can I tell the forest from the trees?
Do I have the ability to distinguish between the small details and the big picture?
I know that I feel pride and I know that I fear shame
I am aware of my emotions of self-worth and fear of disappointment
I know I want you to smile when you hear my name
I desire validation and recognition from others
Seems like a silly game
It may seem pointless or trivial
But I know I play it harder than anything
I am invested in this game and my performance in it
I feel alone
I experience isolation despite being surrounded by people
There's people everywhere
There are people all around me
Some of these people even care
Some of these people have concern for me
Once in a while you find someone who really cares
Occasionally you come across someone who genuinely cares
But I'm too busy to give them what they need
I am too occupied with my own concerns to attend to the needs of others
It's not greed, it's the fear of failure
I'm not selfish, I'm just scared of falling short
It keeps me going
It motivates me to keep moving forward
But when tomorrow comes, there's always something more
There's always another challenge to overcome or another goal to reach
And I can't stop working long enough
I am unable to pause and take a break from work
To wonder what life's for
To contemplate the meaning of existence
What is it for?
What is the purpose of life?
Am I just a whore?
Am I just someone who trades my time for money?
Who am I working for?
Who do I benefit from my efforts?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS STEVEN JAGARD, PETER DOUGLAS NEWBURY, STEVEN THOMAS CARNAN, TONY PALERMO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind