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)
Gone
The Bouncing Souls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
or so it looked to me,
I felt so lost,
I couldn't say why.
I needed strength to change my mind
but those ghosts stick to me like glue,
hatin life,
believing I was no good
a song played on the radio,
but it went straight to my heart
I carried it with me until the darkness was gone.
It was a cloudy night,
or so it looked to me,
I felt so lost,
I couldn't say why
I built this cloud to live in,
It was a bunch of lies in my mind.
the world wants me to believe it
so I had to change my mind
I built this cloud, I can break it
The world can't change how I feel,
because I know its a lie, my heart is real
In the Bouncing Souls’ song “Gone”, the singer describes their struggle with feeling lost and trapped in a cloud of darkness. They feel haunted by their past and unable to move forward, stuck in a cycle of self-hatred and disbelief in their own worth. The song begins by setting the scene of a cloudy night, a metaphor for the singer’s confusion and uncertainty. The ghosts from their past are still clinging to them, weighing them down and preventing them from finding the strength to make a change.
The singer hears a song on the radio that speaks to them and carries it with them like a lifeline. The message of the song gives them the courage they need to start breaking free from the cloud of darkness they have created for themselves. They realize that they have been living in a bunch of lies constructed in their own mind, and that they need to change their thoughts in order to change their life. By recognizing that the world wants them to believe the lies they tell themselves, the singer takes control of their own feelings and refuses to be held hostage by their own negative thoughts any longer.
“Gone” is a powerful anthem about the struggle we all face in believing in ourselves and our worth. The song speaks to the universal human experience of feeling lost and alone at times, and the hopefulness that can come from connecting with the right song or message that speaks to our soul. The Bouncing Souls’ raw, emotional lyrics and upbeat punk sound make this song an instant classic that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a cloudy night,
The singer sets the scene for their emotional state by describing the weather as cloudy.
or so it looked to me,
The singer acknowledges their perception may not be reality.
I felt so lost,
The singer is overwhelmed with their emotions.
I couldn't say why.
The artist is unable to pinpoint the exact source of their emotional turmoil.
I needed strength to change my mind
The artist desires the ability to control and shift their mindset.
but those ghosts stick to me like glue,
Negative thoughts and emotions linger in the singer's mind.
hatin life,
The singer harbors negative feelings towards their current situation.
believing I was no good
The artist's self-esteem is low.
It was a darkness all my own
The artist's negative thoughts and emotions are unique to them.
a song played on the radio,
The artist recalls a specific moment when they heard a song.
but it went straight to my heart
The song deeply resonated with the singer.
I carried it with me until the darkness was gone.
The artist used the song to find hope and eventually overcome their negative emotions.
I built this cloud to live in,
The singer created a mental space to dwell on their negative thoughts and emotions.
It was a bunch of lies in my mind.
The singer realizes their negative thoughts and emotions stem from false beliefs and invalid perceptions.
the world wants me to believe it
The singer feels external pressure to conform to societal expectations and beliefs.
so I had to change my mind
The artist takes control of their thoughts and actively works to shift their mindset.
I built this cloud, I can break it
The artist reminds themselves that they have the power to overcome their negative thoughts.
The world can't change how I feel,
The singer refuses to allow external factors to dictate their emotions and mindset.
because I know it's a lie, my heart is real
The singer trusts their own feelings and intuition over external perceptions and expectations.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
KOMBAT MUV
It was a cloudy night,
or so it looked to me,
I felt so lost,
I couldn't say why.
I needed strength to change my mind
but those ghosts stick to me like glue, hating life,
believing I was no good
It was a darkness all my own
a song played on the radio,
but it went straight to my heart
I carried it with me
until the darkness was gone...
It was a cloudy night,
or so it looked to me,
I felt so lost,
I couldn't say why
I built this cloud to live in,
It was a bunch of lies in my mind.
the world wants me to believe it
so I had to change my mind.
It was a darkness all my own
a song played on the radio,
but it went straight to my heart
I carried it with me
until the darkness was gone...
I built this cloud I can break it
The world can’t change how I feel
Because I know it’s a lie
My heart is real
Gone.
opizza a
I used to have home
With a room and be
A porch and a driveway
With a big garage
But I traded it in
I kept some faith
And laid my head down every night
And it seems so far awy
Remember me now 'cause things
Always change
5 Long years has gone
I've done some time
Sleeping where I fall
I know I'll never be the same
I learned somethings
About the places I saw
I learned something about myself
I guess it came the hard way
Now I know what counts
I've got one prayer
It's in your confidence
I know all the places
I don't want to be everyone's
Gone there'e no one just me
Remember me now 'cause things
Always change
5 Long years has gone
I've done some time
Sleeping where I fall
I know I'll never be the same
Remember me next time I go away
For the first time I wanna stay
I can count one hand here today
The only thing that matters to me
Anyway and it seems so far away
Remember me now 'cause things
Always change
Five long years has gone
I've done some time
Sleeping where I fall
I know I'll never be the same
West coast renegade
Just got into these guys, they are fuckin sick! Coming from a 16 year old finding his way in punk.
Jonathan Coal
hell yeah. good luck kid. safe to say we're all out here rooting for you! be well and always remind your tribe how much they mean. shit goes by too fast I promise. hope all of ya are holding up well, all considered.
Sgrinwaipwr
The Bouncing Souls are definitely a good entry band. I hope you've gotten even more joy out of punk music since then too.
Robert Tomon
My dude, keep going, you give me faith
simplysean11
Bouncing Souls and The Distillers got me through high school! Youre on the right track keep it up
KENNY Burchett
Hell yeah little brother. I was much younger than you when I started listening to them. They got me through a difficult childhood. I'm 33 years old now. They still get me through shit. Bless you on your journey little brother.
david kilpatrick
This song is amazing and i heard it just in time. Brings me to tears every time i listen to it but they are peaceful tears. It just proves that although music can take you to a dark place it can also bring you back and take you to a bright place where the darkness is gone.
UNKNOWN WHYWANNAKNOW?
Amen bro
My next shot won't miss
It's funny how music does that. This song particularly brings me back to when my best friend died in a car crash over 10 years ago (RIP Steve). I listened to them pretty much non-stop at the time and took long drives in the country just to clear my head. I also had the Anchors Away album on repeat at the time. It is a strange sad/happy though.
Joe Leone
So true!