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
No Way Out
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are the fuckin' punx the the fuckin' streets
We are the fuckin' punx that make you get down on you're knees
You want to fuck with us well we will meet you on the streets
[Chorus]
Just so you fuckin' no there is no way out
No way out!
Oi oi oi
Oi oi oi
Oi oi oi!!
You fucking crazy from head to toe
Your fuckin' crazy I just want you to no
Your fucking crazy
That's what I say
Your fuckin' crazy
Oi oi oi!
[Chorus: x3]
The Casualties's song No Way Out is a hard-hitting punk rock anthem that is an ode to the punk rock community. The song is set to a fast-paced beat and features raw, aggressive vocals that speak to the punk lifestyle. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the punk rock lifestyle and the people who live it. The opening lines of the song assert that the punks are "the fuckin' punx of the fuckin' streets" and that they are a force to be reckoned with. The chorus repeats the declaration that there is "no way out" for those who try to go against the punk rock community, emphasizing the strength and determination of the punks.
The verses of the song feature imagery of the punk rock lifestyle and the people who live it. The repeated line "Oi oi oi" is a common punk rock chant that is used to express excitement and to create a sense of unity among punks. The song also references the punk rock tendency to reject societal norms and to live in a way that is outside of the mainstream. The line "Your fuckin' crazy from head to toe" acknowledges that the punk rock lifestyle is often seen as unconventional and even crazy by those outside of the community, but it celebrates that fact and asserts that there is solidarity among punks.
Line by Line Meaning
Oi oi oi!
A punk rock chant that sets the tone for this rebellious song.
We are the fuckin' punx the the fuckin' streets
We, the punks, are out in the streets making ourselves heard and seen.
We are the fuckin' punx that make you get down on you're knees
We are the punks who stand up for our beliefs and force others to take notice and possibly take a knee in respect or submission.
You want to fuck with us well we will meet you on the streets
If you challenge us or try to oppress us, we'll be ready to confront you in public.
Just so you fuckin' no there is no way out
We want to make it clear that there is no escape or avoiding our movement.
No way out!
Reiterating the fact that there is no way out for those who oppose or misunderstand the punk rock community.
O fucking way out!
An emphatic declaration that there is absolutely no chance of escape.
You fucking crazy from head to toe
Calling out someone for being eccentric, wild, and perhaps even unstable.
Your fuckin' crazy I just want you to no
Making it clear to someone that they are acting wildly or erratically and need to calm down.
Your fucking crazy
Continuing to assert that the person being addressed is acting irrationally or recklessly.
That's what I say
Affirming one's previous statement about someone's behavior and its disapproval.
Oi oi oi!
A final chant to close out the song and leave the listener with the punk rock anthem ringing in their ears.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER WOLF, INA WOLF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind