The Insyderz began as a project of Joe Yerke and Nate Sjogren, who led worship at their church at the time. The band found their break at the 1996 Cornerstone Festival. They began playing on their campsite, and wound up garnering the attention of Michael Sean Black and Gene Eugene, who signed them to his label Brainstorm Artists International. While that label folded soon after, the bands first album, Motor City Ska (1997), effectively established their presence in the Christian music marketplace and garnered the attention of Steve Taylor's Squint Entertainment.
Their subsequent release, Skalleluia, was probably their most widely known and successful album. The album, which was devoted to ska-based praise and worship, included an all-star lineup of Gene Eugene, Terry Scott Taylor, and Steve Taylor. Despite the backing of well-known artists the album faced criticism from the outset. Praise and worship music, heralded by artists such as Hillsong, Rich Mullins, and Matt Redman, was experiencing substantial growth as a genre at the time, and some accused the band of "jumping on the bandwagon". Skalleluia was extremely well received; Beyond charting on Billboard's "Hot 200", "Heatseekers", and "Top Contemporary Christian" charts, their rendition of Rich Mullins' song "Awesome God" won the band a Dove Award for "Hard Music Recorded Song Of The Year" in 1999. Part of the reason for its success was that most of the songs on the album were fairly recently written, and were widely known as contemporory worship songs. Covers included Twila Paris's "We will Glorfiy" and Keith Green's "Oh, Lord, You're Beautiful". Their manner of playing worship songs is still relatively unique.
While Skalleluia was an unexpected hit for the band, the sound of the band was significantly different than they had displayed on their first album. For their next album, Fight of My Life, the band returned to their previous sound. The band also made a point of returning to their ministry roots by turning down several major record deals and choosing to tour in secular clubs with ska bands such as The Skeletones and Jeffries Fan Club.
It was widely rumored for awhile that the Insyderz, who apparently recorded their first album in a garage (sounded like it, but not true), had in fact broken up. The truth be known they were sick of record label politics and decided to go "underground" until things got sorted out. Their webpage, rarely updated, had few changes for several years after the release of Skalleluia Too! in 1999. In 2001 a compilation CD entitled The Greatest & The Rarest (or alternately Tails of a Comet) was released. Many of the members of the band married including Nate Sjogren (drums), Bram Roberts (Trumpet), Beau McCarthy (Bass), Kyle Wasil (Guitar), and Joe Yerke whose gravelly vocals mark the band. The band decided to spend more time working and ministering in other locations, and other projects.
Most of their fan base dissolved during this absence, yet in 2003 they re-activated, appearing at Cornerstone, and releasing an album entitled Soundtrack to a Revolution. This album received little hype but is considered by most to be the best to date. After the release the Insyderz went through another lineup change adding Royce Nunley (Suicide Machines) and Dan Powers (Blueprint 76) on bass.
In the first half of 2005, the band announced on their website that they would be playing their last three shows in August and September of that year, which lead to confusion on whether they were the band's last three shows or the tour's last three. Later, in August of the same year, the site was updated to announce that the band would be breaking up after their final show on September 24, 2005, as a part of the I'll Fight Fest presented by The Salvation Army.
They later reformed in 2009 for a European tour with Good Weather Forecast.
In 2012, The Insyderz launched a kickstarter campaign to fund their next album, The Sinner's Songbook, and succeeded in raising the funds to do so, and was released on September 3, 2012 independently at http://theinsyderz.bandcamp.com
Discography:
1996: Rockin' the Hubcat (7")
1997: Motor City Ska
1998: Skalleluia!
1998: Paradise CD Single
1998: Fight of My Life
1999: Skalleluia Too!
2001: The Greatest & The Rarest
2003: Soundtrack to a Revolution
2012: The Sinner's Songbook
Current Members:
Joe Yerke - vocals
Nate Sjogren - drums
John Miller - bass
Matt Darcie - Guitar
Alan Brown - cornet
Tim Reynolds - trombone
Past Members:
Beau McCarthy - bass guitar
Bram Roberts - trumpet
Pedro Zapata Hernandez - trombone
Michael Lloyd - guitar
Kyle Wasil - guitar (until 2000)
Sang Kim - trombone (until 2004)
Mike Rowland - trombone (until 1998)
Todd Miesch - drums (until 1997)
Trigger Happy
The Insyderz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With gangs and guns and drug abuse
For the moment whatcha got to lose
Extend a hand, do what you can do
This is my cry, this is my plea
To make a better society
Do you want to see insyde of me?
Wake up and smell the coffee
But it takes a real man to bite your lip and to take a stand
Any punk can point and pull the trigger
To walk away is a loss of pride but at least you're still alive
Gotta act big, gotta stare me down
You're actin' stupid like a drunken clown
You could be foolin, may be jokin around
Someday your jokes may put you in the ground
Lord, oh please, I'm so confused
Why do they do what they do?
Why can't they focus more on you?
They are blind to the truth
Put down your guard, let your fists relax
Don't need your boys to get your back
Say something nice, don't always attack
No one gets hurt, no one gets whacked
Change your style and you will see
It is much better in unity
No more violence, no more pain
Jesus saves from going down the drain
The Insyderz's song "Trigger Happy" is a reflection of the current state of society that is marred by gang violence, drug abuse, and gun culture. The lyrics express frustration about the reckless behavior of people who are quick to pull the trigger without thinking about the consequences of their actions. The song urges everyone to take a stand and do something to make society a better place. The singer's plea is for people to extend a hand and help each other out.
The lyrics of "Trigger Happy" also suggest that it is easy to be violent and aggressive, but it takes a strong person to be peaceful and cooperative. The song talks about the need to put down our guard, relax our fists, and say something nice. It encourages people to focus on unity and to do things that promote peace, rather than violence.
Overall, "Trigger Happy" is a call to action for everyone to take responsibility for their actions and to do things that make society a better place. It is a reminder that we need to focus on the things that truly matter and make a real effort to create a safer, more peaceful world.
Interesting Facts:
* "Trigger Happy" was released in 1998 on The Insyderz's album "Skalleluia Too!"
* The song was written by Kyle Wasil, the lead singer of The Insyderz.
* The Insyderz were a Christian ska punk band from Michigan that formed in 1995.
* The band's name is a play on the word "insider," which reflects their Christian faith and desire to be "inside" mainstream culture.
* "Trigger Happy" was one of the band's most popular songs and was often played at Christian punk festivals and concerts.
* The song's message of peace and unity resonated with many listeners, who appreciated the band's positive message in a sea of negative punk and ska music.
* The Insyderz expanded their sound beyond ska punk, and experimented with reggae, rock and other genres in subsequent albums.
* The band performed multiple times at the Cornerstone Festival, one of the biggest Christian music festivals in the US.
* The Insyderz disbanded in 2006, but reunited and performed a series of shows in 2017 to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
* The chords for "Trigger Happy" are D, G, A.
Chords:
Verse: D/G/A
Chorus: G/A/D/G/A
Line by Line Meaning
Man this world's going down the tubes
The world is deteriorating rapidly
With gangs and guns and drug abuse
The reason for the world's deterioration is due to the prevalence of gangs, guns, and drug abuse
For the moment whatcha got to lose
Take a chance and extend a helping hand because you have nothing to lose for the present moment
Extend a hand, do what you can do
Offer a helping hand and do all that is within your power to make a positive difference
This is my cry, this is my plea
This is my impassioned call for all to join forces in making the world a better place
To make a better society
The goal is to create a better society
Do you want to see insyde of me?
Are you willing to see and understand my point of view?
Wake up and smell the coffee
Realize the severity of the situation and take action
Any punk can point and pull the trigger
It takes no skill to resort to violence
But it takes a real man to bite your lip and to take a stand
It takes courage and strength to resist resorting to violence and instead take a stand against it
To walk away is a loss of pride but at least you're still alive
Walking away from violent situations may feel like a loss of pride, but it is better than risking one's life
Gotta act big, gotta stare me down
Feeling the need to act tough and intimidate others
You're actin' stupid like a drunken clown
Your behavior is foolish and reckless
You could be foolin, may be jokin around
Perhaps you are not serious and only joking, but such behavior can still have serious consequences
Someday your jokes may put you in the ground
One day, your actions or words may lead to your demise
Lord, oh please, I'm so confused
Feeling overwhelmed with confusion and uncertainty
Why do they do what they do?
Questioning why people resort to violence and destructive behavior
Why can't they focus more on you?
Wondering why people don't focus more on a positive role model, such as Jesus
They are blind to the truth
People are spiritually blind and unaware of the consequences of their actions
Put down your guard, let your fists relax
Let go of violent tendencies and remain calm
Don't need your boys to get your back
You don't need to intimidate others or rely on others to back you up
Say something nice, don't always attack
Choose to say kind words instead of resorting to verbal or physical attacks
No one gets hurt, no one gets whacked
Choosing to be peaceful and respectful towards others avoids causing harm or injury
Change your style and you will see
If you change your behavior, you will see a positive change in your life
It is much better in unity
The world is a better place when people unite for a common good
No more violence, no more pain
The goal is to put an end to violence and its resulting pain and suffering
Jesus saves from going down the drain
Putting faith and trust in Jesus can provide salvation from a negative path in life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kaazi
This is my favorite song on this album.
Ruthe Kruse
i have not heard this song in years. love it
Super SajayinLegendario
great song not only what he says the rythm is awsome
The Technodrome
Man, this is the only Christian ska I like for, good reason