The Bronx are a band from Los Angeles, California who began playing punk ro… Read Full Bio ↴The Bronx are a band from Los Angeles, California who began playing punk rock in 2002. Their original goal was to bring passionate, blood-and-sweat punk rock into the 21st Century. Their first self-titled album was released in 2003 on White Drugs. For their second self-title the band signed with Island Records and went on to play music with a hard rock influence that still retained their original punk stylings. The Bronx has since returned to punk rock, yet uniquely with a dual mariachi persona, as is planned for their upcoming double release. The current line up is: Matt Caughthran (vocals), Joby J. Ford (guitar), Ken Horne (guitar), Jorma Vik (drums) and Brad Magers (bass). They were signed to Island Records shortly after they were formed, with the popular belief being they only had twelve live shows under their belt. Ex-Guns n' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke helped The Bronx produce their first Demo.
The band retained the rights to their self-titled debut album which was released through licensing deals in several territories via their newly formed label, White Drugs. It was around this release that they quickly garnered a rabid following in many parts of the world - namely the United States, UK/Europe and Australia - as the result of heavy touring, intense live shows and their unusual blend of 1980's punk and modern day rock music.

The Bronx's style is influenced by bands from the 1980s Californian punk scene, such as Black Flag, Fear and Suicidal Tendencies - with subtle DC influences such as Bad Brains and Fugazi. This is blended with more traditional big rock guitar riffs and a hardcore style of drumming to further intensify the band's unique style.

To date, the band has released one full self-titled album (2003) as well as the limited edition "Bats!" (Tarantulas) and "La Muerte Viva!" (Wichita & Shock) EP's. A live DVD, titled "Live At The Annandale" was recorded at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney, Australia and released by, White Drugs.

Their second (again, self-titled) full-length album was released on July 18th, 2006 by Island Records - with a special vinyl edition of the album released on July 4th, 2006 by Swami Records - San Diego indie-label belonging to John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt).

In August 2006, former The Dragons guitarist Ken Horne became an official member of the band.

The bands most recent release (2008) was again self titled, and released on White Drugs. In 2009, the band, under the deceptive pseudonym Mariachi El Bronx, released an album entitled "El Bronx". It featured all band members playing mariachi music.

Safe Passage
The Bronx Lyrics

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Well everybody I know
Has one good chance to die
To be swallowed whole by the big blue empty sky
Feel the heavens stare
With a cold hard look in it's eyes
To hear the sound of something awful on the rise
So pray for safe passage through the night
You'll be humbled by sounds of daylight

And this is an endless search
To find how much is enough
This could be so much worse
But we sold our souls for gold
You know that nobody in this room
Wants to hear you cry
And if nobody goes for help
Baby you're gonna die
It came and went so fast
You'd almost thought you'd missed
A chance to shake your head and say
How did it come to this
Pray for safe passage through the night
You'll be humbled by the sounds of daylight
And this is an endless search
To find how much is enough
This could be so much worse
But we sold our souls for gold

We sold our souls
We sold our souls

Overall Meaning

The Bronx's song Safe Passage is a poignant representation of the fragility of human life and the fear of death. The song begins with an ominous tone as the singer reminds us that everyone has just one chance to die and be swallowed whole by the big blue sky. The impending sense of doom is reflected in the line "feel the heavens stare with a cold hard look in its eyes". The fear and anxiety of the afterlife is further emphasized by the sound of something awful rising.

Despite the darkness that seems to pervade the lyrics, there is a glimmer of hope in the line "pray for safe passage through the night". The idea that we can somehow navigate the fear and darkness of death is not lost on the singer. However, the search for safety is an endless one and we are never quite sure how much is enough. The repetition of the line "we sold our souls for gold" speaks to the idea that we are often so consumed with achieving material success that we forget what really matters.

Overall, Safe Passage is a haunting reminder that life is fleeting and we must make the most of the time we have. It challenges us to reflect on what we truly value and to strive for safe passage through the darkness of our fears and insecurities.

Line by Line Meaning

Well everybody I know
Everyone I know

Has one good chance to die
Has one opportunity to die

To be swallowed whole by the big blue empty sky
To be taken by the vast and empty sky

Feel the heavens stare
Experience the gaze of the heavens

With a cold hard look in it's eyes
With an emotionless, unfeeling stare

To hear the sound of something awful on the rise
To hear the approach of something terrible

So pray for safe passage through the night
Hope for a safe journey through the darkness

You'll be humbled by sounds of daylight
You will be made humble by the noises of daybreak

And this is an endless search
This is a never-ending quest

To find how much is enough
To determine when one has enough

This could be so much worse
Things could be much more terrible