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
We Are All We Have
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
The ones you can't control
Have only one another to depend upon
Displaced from society outcast we are
We have nothing to live up to
Hey! loud fast music
Hey! sweat and dirt
Hey! sounds from man's soul
Hey! noise of battle
Hey! black clouds of smoke
Hey! it's time to lose control
Come on get up now!
Vengeance with our fists
Right now!
Screaming in the air
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
All these joys and sorrow
I gladly sadly bring
This music is all we got
The only place I need
Is drinking here tonight
Together with you all
All these joys and sorrow
I gladly sadly bring
This music is all we got
The only place I need
Is drinking here tonight
Together with you all
Hey! loud fast music
Hey! sweat and dirt
Hey! sounds from man's soul
Hey! noise of battle
Hey! black clouds of smoke
Hey! it's time to lose control
Come on get up now!
Vengeance with our fists
Right now!
Screaming in the air
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Now!
Vengeance with our fists
Whoa whoa
Screaming in the air
The only place I need
Is drinking here with you
We are all we have tonight!
This music is all we got
So let me hear you sing
We are all we have tonight!
Hey! loud fast music
Hey! sweat and dirt
We are all we have tonight!
Hey! sounds from man's soul
Hey! the only songs we need
We are all we have tonight!
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
The Casualties's song "We Are All We Have" is an anthem that speaks to those who feel alone and outcast from society. The lyrics begin with the repetition of "we are all we have tonight," which emphasizes the idea that the only people the ones who feel out of control can depend on are each other. The song speaks to the displaced and the outcast who feel like they belong nowhere, and who have nothing to live up to. The lyrics, "we have nothing to live up to, we are all we have," are a reminder that they don't need to conform to society's expectations.
The song's chorus emphasizes that loud, fast music is what brings them together, and it's the only thing they need. The lyrics, "this music is all we got, the only place I need is drinking here tonight together with you all," emphasizes that the group of people brought together by this music is all that matters. The bridge of the song speaks to the feeling of release that comes with the music. The lyrics, "hey, black clouds of smoke, hey, it's time to lose control," create a picture of a moment of release, where they can let go of their worries and embrace the music.
Overall, "We Are All We Have" speaks to the underdog, the outcast, and the displaced. It speaks to those who feel like they don't belong and reminds them that they're not alone. The song emphasizes the power of music to bring people together and the release that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa whoa ohh we are all we have tonight
Tonight, all we have is each other, and we need to support and rely on one another.
The ones you can't control
Those who have been outcast and displaced from society, who cannot be controlled by mainstream society.
Have only one another to depend upon
Those who are outcast and displaced can only rely on each other for support and survival.
Displaced from society outcast we are
We are a marginalized and outcast group, rejected by mainstream society.
We have nothing to live up to
We are not bound by the expectations or standards of mainstream society.
Hey! loud fast music
The music we make and listen to is energetic, fast-paced, and loud.
Hey! sweat and dirt
We put our all into this music, working hard and sweating through our performances and practices.
Hey! sounds from man's soul
Our music is a genuine expression of our souls, our struggles, and our experiences.
Hey! noise of battle
Our music is a battle cry, a call to action, and a way to fight back against the oppression we face.
Hey! black clouds of smoke
Our music is filled with imagery of destruction and chaos, symbolizing the struggles we face and the harsh reality of our lives.
Hey! it's time to lose control
Our music is about letting go of control, embracing our wild side, and releasing our pent-up frustration and anger.
Come on get up now!
We need to rise up, take action, and fight back against the oppression we face.
Vengeance with our fists
We will not stand idly by, but instead will fight back against those who oppress us with our fists.
Right now!
The time for action is now, we cannot afford to wait any longer.
Screaming in the air
Our screams symbolize our frustration, anger, and determination to fight back against our oppressors.
All these joys and sorrow
Our lives are full of both joyful and sorrowful moments, and our music reflects both sides of our experiences.
I gladly sadly bring
We accept and embrace both the good and the bad in our lives, and we express this through our music.
The only place I need
This community is the only place we need to feel accepted and understood.
Is drinking here tonight
We will come together tonight to drink and celebrate our community and our music.
Together with you all
We will come together as a community, united in our struggles and our love for this music.
Now! Vengeance with our fists
We will fight back against our oppressors with all our might, using our fists as weapons.
Whoa whoa Screaming in the air
We will scream and shout, making our voices heard and expressing our determination to fight back.
The only place I need is drinking here with you
This community and our music are the only things we need to feel fulfilled and accepted.
This music is all we got
Our music is the only thing that truly belongs to us, reflecting our struggles, our communities, and our experiences.
So let me hear you sing
We want everyone to be a part of this community and this struggle, and we want everyone to sing along and feel connected to our music.
Hey! the only songs we need
Our music is the only music we need, representing our experiences, our struggles and our community.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind