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)
The Messenger
The Bouncing Souls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A message to you
I am a messenger
I'm passing a message to you
A messenger
I'm passing along words in a song
Yeah
I was lost I was like tv
A dead end road with no meaning
Love to be a kid with no worries
It seems so hard
Oh it seems so hard
So hard to be free
I am a messenger
I'm passing a message to you
A messenger
I'm passing along words in a song
Yeah
Yeah
I see people looking just like me
Wandering on a dead end street
Somewhere somehow we lost a key
To another place
Away from this rat race
Let the music play
Let the music play
It'll take your breath away
Whoahh
Whoahh
Let all the people hear it
Let all the people feel it
Let all the people hear it
Raise your voice (whoooahh)
It's your choice
Raise your voice (whoooahh)
It's your choice
I am a messenger
I'm passing a message to you
A messenger
Passing by this night
A messenger
I'm passing along words in a song
Yeah
Yeah
This is a message to you
Do what you love
Love what you do
This is a message to you
Do what you love
This is a message to you
What you love
What you love
What you love
The Bouncing Souls's song The Messenger is an anthem to the transformative power of music. The song is sung from the perspective of a messenger who is passing along a message of hope and liberation through his song. The message is simple: do what you love, love what you do. The song describes the messenger's own journey of self-discovery and redemption, from feeling lost and trapped in a meaningless existence to finding freedom and joy through music.
The first verse of the song sets the stage for what is to come. The messenger introduces himself and his mission, which is to pass along a message to his listeners. He acknowledges the transformative power of music and his role as a messenger who uses his art to convey a message of hope and freedom. He sings, "I am a messenger, I'm passing a message to you, a messenger, I'm passing along words in a song, yeah, yeah."
The second verse delves deeper into the messenger's personal experience of being lost and trapped in a dead-end existence. He compares himself to a TV, mindlessly consuming and regurgitating the same old stories without any meaning or purpose. But then he remembers what it felt like to be a carefree kid with no worries, and he realizes that true freedom is possible, even in the face of life's challenges. He sings, "I was lost, I was like TV, a dead end road with no meaning, love to be a kid with no worries, it seems so hard, oh it seems so hard, so hard to be free."
The chorus of the song is a call to action, urging listeners to let the music play and to raise their voices in unison. The messenger sees people who are just like him, wandering aimlessly on a dead-end street, and he realizes that they have lost the key to another, better place. But he knows that music can be the key that unlocks the door to freedom and liberation. He sings, "Let the music play, let the music play, it'll take your breath away, whoahh, whoahh, let all the people hear it, let all the people feel it, raise your voice (whoooahh), it's your choice."
Overall, The Messenger is a powerful and uplifting song that celebrates the transformative power of music and encourages listeners to embrace their true passions and live life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a message to you
The song is a message for the listener
A message to you
Repeats that this is a message for the listener
I am a messenger
The singer sees themselves as a messenger for the listener
I'm passing a message to you
The singer wants to communicate with the listener
A messenger
Repeats that the singer is a messenger for the listener
I'm passing along words in a song
The song is the medium for the message
Yeah
An interjection to show enthusiasm
Yeah
Another interjection to show enthusiasm
I was lost I was like tv
The singer felt aimless and without purpose
A dead end road with no meaning
Life seemed pointless to the singer
Love to be a kid with no worries
The singer desires the simplicity of childhood
It seems so hard
The singer acknowledges that life is difficult
Oh it seems so hard
Repeats the sentiment that life is difficult
So hard to be free
The singer feels trapped
I see people looking just like me
The singer sees the struggle in others
Wandering on a dead end street
Others are also lost and without direction
Somewhere somehow we lost a key
Together, people lost the key to happiness
To another place
Another place is a metaphor for happiness
Away from this rat race
The singer wants to escape from the stress and competitiveness of life
Let the music play
Music is a means to finding happiness
It'll take your breath away
Music can be a transformative experience
Whoahh
An interjection to show excitement
Whoahh
Another interjection to show excitement
Let all the people hear it
The singer wants to share the music with everyone
Let all the people feel it
The singer wants others to experience the transformative power of music
Raise your voice (whoooahh)
The singer wants the listener to sing along and be a part of the transformative experience
It's your choice
The listener has the freedom to choose whether or not to participate
Raise your voice (whoooahh)
Repeats that the singer wants the listener to sing along
It's your choice
Repeats that the listener has the freedom to choose
I'm passing by this night
The singer is using the night as a metaphor for life
This is a message to you
Repeats that this song is a message for the listener
Do what you love
The singer is advising the listener to pursue their passions
Love what you do
Reiterates the advice to pursue passions
What you love
Repeats the advice to pursue passions
What you love
Repeats the advice to pursue passions
What you love
Repeats the advice to pursue passions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind