Catching onto the then-noteworthy idea of touring , the band gained notereity through repeated exposure in the skateboarding world, which helped on tour, and which helped create a national fanbase. Thrasher Magazine's MoFo compiled the first Skate rock tape, which featured several Faction songs, as well as songs by JFA and the Big Boys, the two other most established skate punk bands. Other bands included were Riot .303, Minus One, Los Olvidados, Skoundrelz, featuring Tony Alva, Anvil Chorus, Free Beer, featuring San Francisco's Tony and Tommy Guerrero, and others.
The Faction recorded two 7" records, an LP, an EP, and a posthumous EP, and contributed songs to a 7" compilation single, From The Valley Within. Their song Skate and Destroy was also featured in the first skateboarding video, Powell-Peralta's "Bones Brigade Video Show." Except for the Thrasher Skate Rock tapes and the posthumous "Epitaph" EP, which was released on Mystic Records, all the Faction's music was released on IM Records. This label was owned by guitarist Adam Segal, and financed by Arly. Primarily due to musical evolutional differences in the band, they broke up in 1985. In 1989 they reformed with pro skateboarder Jeff Kendall on guitar instead of Adam Bomb. They played two shows, recorded "Accelerate" (used in the "Stoked: The Gator Story") and for whatever reason it didn't go any further.
In 1994, Mark Waters, of Goldenrod Records, approached the band with the idea to compile the Faction's musical history into one complete CD package. The resulting "Collection" gathered most of the band's studio recordings along with some live and radio recordings, along with Gavin's complete list of every show the band ever played, complete lyrics, and what most of the band called their first good artwork. In 2001, the band started playing shows here and there, with original guitarist Russ Wright on guitar. One show led to more, and between 2001 and 2005 the band played a handful of shows, including gigs in Dortmund and Munster Germany, Vancouver B.C., Aberdeen Scotland, Seattle (with X), San Diego and Anaheim with the Adolescents and Strung Out, Sacramento, and numerous San Jose and San Francisco shows.
The Faction's song 'Skate And Destroy" is featured in the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 video game.
Since I Was A Kid
The Faction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hyperactive little boy
One day of life on all my toys
I pulled the hair of little girls
Slid on cardboard down steep hills
Ghost-ride my bike into walls
Broke windows while playing baseball
Get dragged to shop with the folks
Snake some money and go to the store
Kicked a hole in my bedroom door
Dropped a desk on my teacher's toe
"Apologize"
I said no
Big Wheel races were always great fun
I'd stuff the others and I had won
Never had any friends at school
I was too hyper, I was uncool
I'd still rain on everyone's day
To me the world was just a stage.
The Faction's song Since I Was A Kid is a reflection on the life of the singer as a child. The lyrics make a nostalgic representation of the days when the singer was young and didn't care about the consequences of his actions. In the first verse, he talks about how his dad said that he was one of the few who acted bad before he was even two years old. The singer describes himself as a hyperactive little boy who liked to break things and do crazy stuff.
The singer mentions some of the antics he used to indulge in as a child, from pulling the hair of little girls to breaking windows while playing baseball. The lyrics are a recollection of all the wild crazy things the singer used to do when he was young. The verse also depicts how the singer would act out and fake tantrums so that he wouldn't have to accompany his parents to the shops.
The second verse talks about how the singer used to take part in big wheel races and how he always used to win by stuffing the others. He also talks about how he never had any friends at school, as he was too hyper and uncool. However, the singer notes that he would still rain on everyone's day as he saw the world as his stage. The song essentially portrays the singer as a mischievous and adventurous child who loved to create chaos wherever he went.
Line by Line Meaning
Dad said I was one of the few who acted bad before I was two
My dad claims that I was one of the few children who were always up to mischief even before my second birthday
A hyperactive little boy
I was a very active and restless child
One day of life on all my toys
I was always rough with my toys, making them break or wear down quickly
I pulled the hair of little girls
I would pull on the hair of girls I saw, causing them pain and annoyance
Slid on cardboard down steep hills
I would slide down hills on cardboard boxes, usually steep ones
Ghost-ride my bike into walls
I was reckless with my bike and would ride it into walls for fun
Broke windows while playing baseball
I played baseball recklessly and broke windows as a result
Get dragged to shop with the folks
I was usually dragged along to shops by my parents
Nag and pout, make 'em look like jokes
I would usually nag and complain, making my parents look foolish in public
Snake some money and go to the store
I would sneak money from my parents and use it to buy things I wanted from the store
Kicked a hole in my bedroom door
I was so reckless that I kicked a hole in my own bedroom door
Dropped a desk on my teacher's toe
I was so careless that I dropped a desk on my teacher's toe
"Apologize"
My teacher asked me to apologize for dropping the desk on her toe
I said no
I refused to apologize for my actions
Big Wheel races were always great fun
I loved participating in Big Wheel races and found them very fun
I'd stuff the others and I had won
I would usually cheat in the Big Wheel races, stuffing the other racers and ensuring my victory
Never had any friends at school
I never had any close friends at school due to my hyperactivity and bad behavior
I was too hyper, I was uncool
My hyperactivity made me seem uncool and unpopular to my classmates
I'd still rain on everyone's day
Despite my lack of popularity, I would still find ways to annoy and upset those around me
To me the world was just a stage
I saw the world as a stage where I could act out and be the center of attention, regardless of my actions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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