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
Here Today...
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't change or sellout, that's what you said to us
a blinded following, naive kids don't understand
our music, our style, is all taken away
our fashion, our style, you have all sold it away
and here we stand, our teacher has gone away
[Chorus x4]
punk and skin, united until the end
but junkies and nazis a part of our scene again
they're fighting eachother, is the Oi! scene of today
from punk to skin, the fashion also changed your brain
our music, our style, is all taken away
and there we stand, our teachers have gone away
[Chorus-1st verse-Chorus-Bridge]
seen it before in '77
seen it again in '82
will you keep it alive?
it's all up to you
posers come and go
i've seen it all before
will you keep it alive?
better not conform
[Chorus]
The lyrics of The Casulties's song "Here Today" reflect the frustration that the band felt towards the punk scene that they were a part of. The song addresses the issue of "selling out" and conforming to the mainstream, something that the punk culture usually opposes. The lyrics suggest that certain individuals, who were once leaders in the punk community, have lost their way and sold out their beliefs, leaving behind a generation of naive followers who are unable to understand the true essence of punk.
The song speaks about how punk music and style have been taken away from the community, with punk and skinheads fighting amongst themselves. The lyrics talk about the changing fashion also changed the mindset of the community, with both junkies and nazis infiltrating the scene. The lyrics suggest that the punk community has lost its identity due to the influence of these external factors.
In conclusion, "Here today" is a lament against the loss of punk culture and the changing belief system of the individuals in the community. It's a reminder to stay true to oneself and not conform to the masses, even when the going gets tough.
Line by Line Meaning
united together...you preach to us before
We were once a cohesive group, and you lectured us about staying true to our ideals.
don't change or sellout, that's what you said to us
You warned us not to betray our values or compromise our authenticity.
a blinded following, naive kids don't understand
We were blindly loyal to you, without fully comprehending the implications of our actions.
our music, our style, is all taken away
Our unique music and fashion have been co-opted and stolen from us.
our fashion, our style, you have all sold it away
You are the ones who traded our distinct aesthetic for mainstream success.
and here we stand, our teacher has gone away
Now we find ourselves alone, abandoned by those who once claimed to lead us.
[Chorus x4] HERE TODAY...GONE TOMORROW
The fleeting nature of our scene, and the impermanence of youth culture, is emphasized in the chorus.
punk and skin, united until the end
We used to be united as punk and skinheads, but that solidarity has eroded over time.
but junkies and nazis a part of our scene again
Despite our efforts to keep our scene pure, unsavory elements have resurfaced within our ranks.
they're fighting eachother, is the Oi! scene of today
Today's Oi! scene is defined by internal conflict and infighting.
from punk to skin, the fashion also changed your brain
Fashion trends have influenced our beliefs and attitudes, causing a shift in our collective mindset.
seen it before in '77
The cycle of youth culture rising and falling has repeated itself numerous times before.
seen it again in '82
This pattern has repeated itself yet again, with another wave of subcultures emerging and fading away.
will you keep it alive?
The song poses a challenge to its listeners - will we fight to preserve our culture or let it fall by the wayside?
it's all up to you
The ultimate responsibility for the continued existence of our scene rests on us as individuals.
posers come and go
False adherents to our culture will inevitably appear and disappear.
i've seen it all before
The artist has lived through previous cycles of youth culture and has gained a sense of perspective on the phenomenon.
better not conform
The song urges listeners not to blindly conform to societal norms, but rather to stand up for their individuality and beliefs.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats, driving home the message of the song and underscoring the fleeting nature of youth culture.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ace McGilicuddy
Me and my buddy would listen to this all the time before he left. Good times
Mark "Big Al" Reeves
This song means alot to me
Antonije Staniša
Seen it before in 77 seen it again in 82.
OjaiPunk
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