The Bouncing Souls are a punk band, formed in 1987. They are originally fro… Read Full Bio ↴The Bouncing Souls are a punk band, formed in 1987. They are originally from New Brunswick, New Jersey. By the time they were recognized by the national punk scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local bands (e.g. Blanks 77 and the Bristles). In the early stages of their career, they played a hybrid of punk, funk, metal, and just about anything else they felt like including. They were known for their energetic live shows, albeit with an amateurish element on their recordings at that stage. Soon, they had whittled it down to their own brand of punk, and become one of the most popular bands in the punk scene.

They made a name for themselves by consistently touring over the United States. Rather than signing with a known label, they initially decided to found their own, Chunksaah Records (named after their long-time friend Timmy Chunks), but are now releasing their albums on Epitaph Records.

The Bouncing Souls are one of the best selling and longest lived of the punk bands from New Jersey, following the legacy of previously successful punk bands Adrenalin OD and the Misfits.

DISCOGRAPHY

Studio albums

The Good, The Bad & The Argyle (1994)
Maniacal Laughter (1996)
Bouncing Souls (1997)
Hopeless Romantic (1999)
How I Spent My Summer Vacation (2001)
Anchors Aweigh (2003)
The Gold Record (2006)
Ghosts on the Boardwalk (2010)
Comet (2012)

Live and Compilation albums

The Bad the Worse and the Out of Print (2002)
Live (2005)

Splits

BYO Split Series, Vol. 4 (With Anti-Flag) (2002)

EPs

The Greenball Crew (1993)
Tie One On (1998)
Fight to Live (1999)
Gone (2001)

DVDs

Do You Remember? 15 Years of the Bouncing Souls (2003)
Live at the Glasshouse (2005)

""7" Records"

Ugly Bill (1991) (pressed on black and also transparent green wax)
"The Argyle e.p. (1993) (pressed on black, yellow, green, and red wax, some had green and yellow covers)
"Tales Of Doomed Romance" (1994) (split ep with the band Buglite pressed on red and black wax)
"Neurotic" (1994) (pressed on black and yellow wax)
"Bouncing Souls/Weston split" (1994) (pressed on black and red wax)
"Split EP" (1995) (pressed on black with the bands basic skills, youth gone mad, and the reviled, some have red stamped cover some black)
"Johnny X" (1995) (pressed on black wax)
"Fight to Live" (1999) (pressed on orange wax, distributed by epitaph europe)
"Tales Of Doomed Romance" (2001) (reissued split ep with the band ZeroZero pressed on yellow and black wax)
"Bouncing Souls/Lucky Stiffs Split" (2005) (pressed on splatter wax and 1500 picture disks)

Broken Record
The Bouncing Souls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Goin to the same old places,
skipping like a broken record,
I love you all but I gotta get out and change this scenery.
I've got to find what I'm living for,
I've got to change this life that I'm living
. Nowhere to run from myself,
no where to hide from the truth.
I tried to find someone,

someone who knew,
somebody to give myself to.
I learned the hard way,
when you give yourself away
you give away your life too.
Nowhere to run from myself,
nowhere to hide from the truth.
I tried to find someplace that seemed right for me,,
I walked the streets until i lost my mind

and that was the best place to be
when i lost my mind the truth set me free.

Overall Meaning

The Bouncing Souls's song "Broken Record" explores the theme of feeling stagnant and trapped in one's life. The singer of the song is tired of going to the same places and living the same routine, like a "broken record," and wants to break free from the monotony. The lines "I love you all but I gotta get out and change this scenery / I've got to find what I'm living for" express a desire for something more, to find purpose and meaning in life. However, the singer also acknowledges that there is no escape from oneself or the truth, as seen in the lines "Nowhere to run from myself, nowhere to hide from the truth." The search for a new place or someone to give oneself to is also futile, as it only leads to giving away one's own life. The singer finally finds freedom and truth in losing their mind, which implies a rejection of societal expectations and a new perspective on life.

Overall, "Broken Record" is a powerful anthem for anyone who feels stuck in their lives and wants to break free from the monotony. It encourages the listener to embrace change and to find their own path in life, even if it means losing their mind in the process.

Line by Line Meaning

Going to the same old places,
Repeating the same unfulfilling experiences.

Skipping like a broken record,
Stuck in a repetitive cycle.

I love you all but I gotta get out and change this scenery.
I care about my loved ones, but I need to prioritize my own happiness by making a change.

I've got to find
I need to search.

What I'm living for,
The purpose of my existence needs to be discovered.

I've got to change this life that I'm living.
My current lifestyle needs a drastic change to fulfill my purpose.

Nowhere to run from myself,
I can't escape from my true self.

No where to hide from the truth
The truth is inescapable.

I tried to find someone,
I searched for meaningful relationships.

Someone who knew,
Someone who understands me.

Somebody to give myself to.
Someone to devote myself to.