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.
Why Save The Whales
The Faction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One ate Pinocchio but you don't care
Solicit money using solemn stares
Acting educated, put on your act
You make people think you've got the facts
You study films, keep up on the news
How could anyone be as noble as you
Why save the whales, let's save us
You think the whales would save me and you, all they do is swim and spew
This fetish for fish has got to end
A helping hand I will not lend
There's too much wrong here on the land, who cares what lives beyond the sand
Green Peace is snaking all our loot for that humongous monster that they think is cute
I bet if I were swimming way out at sea, one of those things would make lunch outta me.
The Faction's song "Why Save The Whales" is a satirical critique of the animal rights movement in the 1980s. The lyrics mock the idea of saving whales when there are more pressing issues affecting human beings on land. The song suggests that the animal rights movement is a facade for people to solicit money and appear noble. The lines "You make people think you've got the facts / You study films, keep up on the news / How could anyone be as noble as you" satirize activists who present themselves as experts on animal rights and use their knowledge to guilt people into donating money.
The lyrics also poke fun at the idea that whales are somehow more important than human beings, as seen in the lines "You think the whales would save me and you, all they do is swim and spew / This fetish for fish has got to end / A helping hand I will not lend." The song implies that the animal rights movement places too much emphasis on saving animals at the expense of human well-being. The line "Green Peace is snaking all our loot for that humongous monster that they think is cute" suggests that animal rights organizations are more concerned with their own interests than with actually making a difference.
Overall, "Why Save The Whales" is a scathing critique of the animal rights movement and the hypocrisy of those who claim to care about animals more than people. The song challenges the idea that saving animals is more important than addressing social and economic issues affecting human beings.
Line by Line Meaning
Funds collected in a humane cause, to rescue a mammal with enormous jaws
Money is being raised for a supposedly noble cause of saving a huge animal with large teeth
One ate Pinocchio but you don't care
You are not bothered that these animals are known to have eaten fictional characters like Pinocchio
Solicit money using solemn stares
Donations are being asked for with serious and intense looks
Acting educated, put on your act
You pretend to be knowledgeable and informed
You make people think you've got the facts
You manipulate others into thinking that you have accurate and truthful information
You study films, keep up on the news
You watch documentaries and stay updated with current events related to this cause
How could anyone be as noble as you
You believe and portray yourself as the most virtuous person in the world
Why save the whales, let's save us
You question the importance of saving animals and suggest focusing on saving humans instead
Give me the money, I'll open a trust
You offer to take the donations and create a fund yourself
You think the whales would save me and you, all they do is swim and spew
You mock the idea that these creatures could save people and argue that they do nothing but swim and produce waste
This fetish for fish has got to end
You suggest that people's obsession with sea creatures needs to stop
A helping hand I will not lend
You refuse to offer any assistance or support for this cause
There's too much wrong here on the land, who cares what lives beyond the sand
You argue that there are too many problems on land to worry about what's happening in the ocean
Green Peace is snaking all our loot for that humongous monster that they think is cute
You accuse Green Peace of taking all the money raised for their own gain and using it to support an animal they find attractive
I bet if I were swimming way out at sea, one of those things would make lunch outta me.
You conclude the song with a fear that if you were ever in the ocean, one of these animals could potentially harm you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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