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.
Regret
Ten Foot Pole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no one worth the pain, no reason left to stay
I try to turn it off; where did the old me go?
How did I get so far away? I just don't know
Every act of kindness boils down to lust or greed
No one acts from altruism; it all comes down to need
There's a monster inside my heart
There's a demon inside my head
Tells me I'd be better off dead
I try to turn it off, get back to positive
Don't want to drag you down to the street where I live
I try to turn it off, get back to happy days
Pull this barrel from my mouth and look for better ways
Every act...
Everything you never tried
Every time you might have lied
Every flaw you tried to hide
Every drop you ever cried
Every time you've been denied
Every tear that ever dried
Everything builds up inside in waves of regret miles wide
The lyrics of Ten Foot Pole’s song Regret present a personal struggle with inner demons, negative thoughts, and the weight of past mistakes. The first stanza illustrates a sense of hopelessness, where the singer seems to have lost their drive to make sense of things or find reasons to stay. They wonder how they became so distant from the person they used to be. The second stanza reflects on the belief that every act of kindness is ultimately self-centered and that there is a monster inside the singer’s heart. The demon inside their head tells them to end their life. Despite their attempts to turn their thinking around and be positive, the singer still feels overwhelmed by regret.
The chorus serves as a plea for a release from the burden of guilt, shame, and sadness. The singer speaks to someone they care about, urging them not to join them in their sorrowful state. They want to turn things around and be happy again, but they struggle to find the strength to do so.
The lyrics of Regret are a reflection of the difficulties and challenges of dealing with one’s inner demons, including the impact of past mistakes on one’s present and future. It highlights the importance of resilience, self-love, and the support of others in overcoming those challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
You heard: it's no use trying to make sense, it doesn't matter anyway
The singer acknowledges that trying to understand life's struggles is futile and that they are meaningless.
There's no one worth the pain, no reason left to stay
The singer has lost hope in people and sees no value in continuing to live with the pain they feel.
I try to turn it off; where did the old me go?
The singer struggles to find their old, happier self that seems to be lost within them.
How did I get so far away? I just don't know
The artist reflects on how they have become so distant from who they once were and expresses confusion at why this has happened.
Every act of kindness boils down to lust or greed
The artist cynically believes that all acts of kindness are fueled by personal gain, rather than genuine altruism.
No one acts from altruism; it all comes down to need
The singer further emphasizes their belief that no one acts out of pure selflessness, as there is always some underlying need or desire present.
There's a monster inside my heart
The singer acknowledges the dark and terrifying emotions they feel within themselves.
He tries to tear my world apart
The artist personifies their inner turmoil as a monster that wishes to destroy their entire world.
There's a demon inside my head
The artist reveals the tormenting and self-destructive thoughts they experience in their mind.
Tells me I'd be better off dead
The artist's inner demons bring them to suicidal thoughts and ideation.
I try to turn it off, get back to positive
The singer attempts to push away their negative thoughts and emotions and regain a positive outlook on life.
Don't want to drag you down to the street where I live
The artist is conscious of how their own struggle may negatively affect others and wishes to spare them of that burden.
Pull this barrel from my mouth and look for better ways
The singer seems to be directly referencing a gun and its trigger as they express a desire to find happiness and hope once again, rather than ending their life.
Everything you never tried
The singer reflects on all the things they never had the chance to experience in life.
Every time you might have lied
The singer acknowledges the times when they may have been dishonest in their life, perhaps leading to more regret.
Every flaw you tried to hide
The artist feels a sense of shame and regret for their own flaws that they have attempted to keep hidden from the world.
Every drop you ever cried
The artist reflects on all the tears they have shed as a result of their pain and suffering.
Every time you've been denied
The singer has been faced with disappointment and rejection throughout their life, contributing to their negative emotions and thoughts.
Every tear that ever dried
Despite their past sorrow and pain, the singer finds solace in the fact that their tears have eventually dried up and healed.
Everything builds up inside in waves of regret miles wide
All of the artist's negative experiences and feelings have piled up and caused regret that feels immense, spanning for miles within their consciousness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS STEVEN JAGARD, PETER DOUGLAS NEWBURY, STEVEN THOMAS CARNAN, TONY PALERMO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind