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
Rise And Fall
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
we stood for something with a constitution
send us huddled masses, send us prisoners
we overcame the evil of the world
separate the church and state, abolished slavery
somewhere along the line we forgot what we stood for
OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL
innovation, invention, a modern way of thinking
it was hard but we got out of the depression
civil rights, equal rights, improving as a nation
give me your tired, give me your poor, yearning to breathe free
we care about each other, we had it all
or did we fall from the start?
somewhere along the line we forgot what we stood for
OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL
the wretchold refuse that we used to be
came from fallen lands to form our own country
but have we forgot about those who were here
slaughtering innocent natives doesn't seem fair
our modern day leaders with too many laws
our society with too much hate
world police with secret foreign hate
and all you care about is what's on tv
OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL
The Casualties's song Rise and Fall starts with a reflection on the birth of the United States of America through revolution and the establishment of the Constitution. The country welcomed the downtrodden and those imprisoned as a refuge against the evil in the world. The song acknowledges the strides the country has made such as separating church and state and abolishing slavery. However, the song laments that along the way, the country seems to have forgotten its core values.
The chorus OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL emphasizes the cycle of progress and regression the country has undergone. The song continues with a recognition of the country's progress as a world leader in innovation, invention, and modernization, and overcoming the depression that befell the nation in the past. The Casualties' song acknowledges major strides the country has made in civil rights and equal rights, but it bemoans that the country might not have done enough because it has forgotten what it stood for.
The final verses of the song challenge the listener to rethink the origins of the country, the treatment of the natives and the current state of the society. The casualties criticize current leaders who have too many laws, a society with too much hate, and a world police with secret foreign hate. The final verse ends on a cynical note, with a nod to society's obsession with television and a renewal of the chorus OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL.
Interesting facts about the song Rise and Fall include its release in 2004 as part of the album "On the Front Line" by the punk rock band, The Casualties. Other interesting facts include the song's use in video games such as Tony Hawk's Underground 2 and Madden NFL 2005, a live performance of the song during the 2005 Vans Warped Tour, and its use in an episode of the television series Son of the Beach. The song featured in a compilation album aimed at raising funds for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake called "Music for Relief: Rebuilding South Asia." The band released a music video for the song featuring live concert footage during a performance at The Showcase Theater.
Chords: The chords are not available as the song contains multiple guitar riffs, drumbeats, bass line and vocal range.
Line by Line Meaning
A country was born from revolution
The United States was founded through a violent upheaval against British rule.
we stood for something with a constitution
The Constitution of the United States embodies the values that the country was founded upon.
send us huddled masses, send us prisoners
The United States welcomed immigrants and criminals alike.
we overcame the evil of the world
The United States fought and triumphed in many wars against enemies that threatened its existence.
separate the church and state, abolished slavery
The United States separated religion from government and outlawed the practice of owning slaves.
somewhere along the line we forgot what we stood for
Despite its ideals, the United States has failed to live up to its values at times.
OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL
The ups and downs of American history.
innovation, invention, a modern way of thinking
The United States has been at the forefront of technological advancements and has a progressive culture.
it was hard but we got out of the depression
The country emerged from the Great Depression through perseverance and government intervention.
civil rights, equal rights, improving as a nation
The United States has made strides towards equal rights for all, though it still has far to go.
give me your tired, give me your poor, yearning to breathe free
The iconic words at the base of the Statue of Liberty symbolize the American ideal of welcoming immigrants fleeing tyranny.
we care about each other, we had it all
The United States has a communal spirit that promotes a sense of belonging and unity.
or did we fall from the start?
Perhaps the United States was flawed from its inception.
the wretchold refuse that we used to be
The undesirable and impoverished people of other nations were welcomed to the United States.
came from fallen lands to form our own country
The early settlers arrived in America from Europe to escape religious persecution and to explore a new world.
but have we forgot about those who were here
Native Americans were largely forgotten and oppressed as the United States expanded westward.
slaughtering innocent natives doesn't seem fair
The treatment of Native Americans was atrocious.
our modern day leaders with too many laws
Some feel that the government has become too intrusive in people's lives.
our society with too much hate
Hate and intolerance continue to be problems in the United States.
world police with secret foreign hate
Some view the United States as an arrogant and aggressive global superpower.
and all you care about is what's on tv
Many Americans are more concerned with entertainment than with the issues facing the country.
OH OOH OH RISE AND FALL
The cycle of American history continues.
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
guitarguy2277
good shit right here
Alex Jackson
This song's called, "Stand Against Them All"
vastowildbrothers
mmhhh....NO mate....its not so hard to understand...if you listen closely to the chorus, they say: "OHH-OHH-OH OH OH...RISE AND FALL!!" anyway...just remember: when you want to write a comment, please... wait 5 or 10 minutes, have a beer, pay attention, and dont write any fuckin comments anymore!!