Early years
The Casualties were formed in 1990, with original members Jorge Herrera (vocals) Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums). The members aimed to return to what they viewed as the "golden era" of street punk, embodied by bands such as The Exploited and Charged GBH which they believed had disappeared by 1985.[3] During the early years, the lineup was fluid, with several changes. That first year, Colin stepped out for several months to finish his education while Rachel, TheRivits' singer, took his place.[3]
In 1991, Hank left the band, to be replaced by Fred (last name unknown) on guitar. Colin, Jorge, Yureesh, Hank and Mark put together a demo, titled Political Sin, for the Benefit for Beer compilation.[4] After making this recording, Fred left to go to school and Steve, from Distraught, fills in for a short time, until Fred returns to the band full-time. The 4 song EP, 40 Oz. Casualty was recorded at the end of 1991 and self-released.[3] 1992 saw the band touring and building up a fan base in NYC. In 1993, Mark and Fred left the band and were replaced by Mike (last name unknown) on bass and Jake Kolatis on the guitar, followed by the departure of Yureesh and Colin in 1994, to be replaced on drums by Shawn, while the band went down to a single vocalist.[3][4] 1994 sees the recording of the 4 song EP, Drinking Is Our Way Of Life, however it would not be released. The songs would later appear on the Casualties "early years 1990-1995" CD in 1999.[4] In 1995, the band's second release, the 4 track A Fuckin' Way Of Life E.P. was released on Eyeball Records. After recording A Fuckin' Way of Life, Shawn left the band, and Marc Eggers (nicknamed Meggers) of the Rivits became the regular drummer. The line-up of Jorge, Jake, Mike and Meggers continued until 1997.
In 1996 the Casualties became the first American band to appear at the "Holidays in the Sun" Festival in London. 1997 saw the release of the band's debut album, For the Pun is released on Tribal War Records, and the band embarks on its first American tour with The Varukers. Mike (the bassist) left the band in 1998, to be replaced with Johnny Rosado, from The Krays.[4][5] They released their second LP that year, Underground Army, and begin a world tour. Jon leaves the band during the European leg of the tour, to be temporarily replaced by Dave Punk Core.
Present lineup
After the world tour, Dave would be replaced by Rick Lopez from the band, Manix. The line-up was now solidified for the band and would continue to the present day.[6] The end of the millennium, 1999, saw the band produce a compilation album, Early Years 1990-1995, which included tracks which appeared on earlier ED's, as well as never before released songs, such as the four songs they had recorded on the never released EP Drinking is Our Way of Life back in 1994.
The 2000s have seen the band continue to tour[3][6] and produce albums (an album list can be seen below). They have toured with several other bands, such as The Exploited, GBH, Cockney Rejects, Slaughter & the Dogs,[4] and the English Dogs.[6] In December 2009, The Casualties toured alongside Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Crowbar, and Thy Will Be Done as part of the Stillborn Fest.[3] In the summer of 2012, The Casualties co-headlined the Tonight We Unite tour along with Nekromantix, where they played For The Punx in its entirety, the first time they had played the album through since its release in 1997.[3] Later that year, The Casualties released their new album titled Resistance through Season of Mist.[7][8] In 2013, The Casualties played at the largest Punk Rock festival in the world,[9] the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England, where they shared the stage with The Exploited, Special Duties, Chron Gen and Anti-Establishment, and others
Brainwashed
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you couldnt pay attention
be a good man
kissing ass is the way
brainwashed, brainwashed
respect the tie and suit
brainwashed, brainwashed
brainwashed, brainwashed
they are better than you
brainwashed, brainwashed
they took your music books
you got a football to be cool
respect the teacher he knows best
be a robot like the rest
brainwashed, brainwashed
respect the tie and suit
brainwashed, brainwashed
respect the man in blue
brainwashed, brainwashed
they are better than you
brainwashed, brainwashed
work to get your pay
buying makes you a better man
produce a generation of slaves
the system never really cared
brainwashed, brainwashed
respect the tie and suit
brainwashed, brainwashed
respect the man in blue
brainwashed, brainwashed
they are better than you
brainwashed, brainwashed
- brainwashed from the start
- brainwashing the youth
- they control your brain
- and keep you from the truth
The lyrics of The Casualties's song Brainwashed speak to the idea that society forces conformity upon its members through various social institutions such as schools and workplaces. The first verse states that detention is the fate of those who fail to conform; the second demonstrates that school is where conformity is expected - and rebellion is punished. Furthermore, it encourages students to be a pawn and respect the status quo. The third verse references work and consumerism where conformity is expected to make money to buy useless things. It also speaks to the capitalist view of worth that money can buy and that producing a generation of slaves is the goal of the government, capitalism, and society. The chorus repeats the title of the song and its key theme: that society maintains control through brainwashing. The lyrics are a critique of the government's influence over people's lives and how that distracts from the truth.
To delve deeper into the song's meaning, the title itself – brainwashed – gives insight into the main theme. Brainwashing is a process of altering someone's beliefs or values through coercion and lies. The Casualties shows in this song that brainwashing can be done subtly, as education and work seem innocuous but can force one to conform. The song's tone is rebellious, challenging the way things are without any apology. The Casualties is encouraging listeners to think for themselves and not be manhandled by society's interests.
Line by Line Meaning
youre now in detention
You are being punished for your lack of attention.
you couldnt pay attention
You were unable to focus and pay attention.
be a good man
Conform to societal standards and expectations.
kissing ass is the way
To succeed, you must flatter those in power and authority.
brainwashed, brainwashed
Repeatedly drilled into your mind.
respect the tie and suit
Show reverence for those who hold positions of power and wealth.
respect the man in blue
Obey authority figures such as the police.
they are better than you
Those in positions of power are superior to you.
they took your music books
Your creativity and individuality have been suppressed.
you got a football to be cool
You are pressured to conform to societal norms to fit in and be accepted.
respect the teacher he knows best
Those in authority are assumed to know better than you.
be a robot like the rest
Conform to the standards of behavior and thinking.
work to get your pay
Your worth is determined by your productivity and ability to work for wages.
buying makes you a better man
Your value is based on what you own and consume.
produce a generation of slaves
Society is designed to create obedient and compliant workers.
the system never really cared
The societal structure is not designed to benefit you, but rather keep you controlled and subservient.
brainwashed from the start
Indoctrinated into the societal norms and values from an early age.
brainwashing the youth
The system tries to exert influence and control over the upcoming generation.
they control your brain
Those in authority work to limit independent thinking and behavior.
and keep you from the truth
You are kept ignorant of or misled about certain realities, allowing those in power to maintain their control.
Lyrics © NUCLEAR ASSAULT ENTERPRISES,
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kaptin Krook
Brings back many memories
Mark Mohrs
Auf jeden Alter!😎🙈
Pizzahighfive
This song makes more sense than ever in 2019
Nick Dekker
@Edwin Castaneda It's only going to get worse. Time to refuse and resist.
Edwin Castaneda
@Nick Dekker Yup 2021 is no different
Nick Dekker
Even more in 2020 haha
blazeandcyrus
this song kicks all ass.
Michel Motoboy SP !!!
🤘🤘🤘
inkblot100
Damn I'm old
Nono saez
Punk s not deaaadddd