The Living End got their first big break in 1995 when, after sending a t-shirt and a demo tape to Billie Joe Armstrong, they landed a support slot in Green Day's upcoming Australian tour. After the tour, the group went into the studio to record their debut EP Hellbound which received moderate support from community radio stations.
In November 1995, the band went back into the studio to record their second EP (It's for Your Own Good which they released several months later. This recording yielded their first major radio airplay with the song From Here On In, which was placed on high rotation on the youth radio network Triple J. Shortly after the release of the second EP, drummer Joe Piripitzi left the band and was replaced with Travis Dempsey who was soon playing with the band at major festivals such as Pushover and the Falls Festival. After a year touring Australia, The Living End again headed into the studio to record something new to sell at their now very popular shows. The result was the Second Solution / Prisoner of Society double single.
Prisoner of Society quickly became a national hit and the band signed on to Modular Recordings for the release of their debut self titled album, The Living End. The album was an instant hit with Australian audiences and resulted in six Australian singles (counting the "Second Solution" release as two because both songs received major airplay). The Living End became the second-highest-selling debut rock album in Australian music history, now five times platinum.
The Roll On album in 2000 was a more creative work, but did not manage to achieve the status of their earlier album. Cheney later stated that he was trying to prove to critics that The Living End were not a band simply defined by their hit Prisoner of Society, and the album showed this by displaying other influences, as well as their traditional fast-paced rockabilly music. The album even garnered comparison, by a few critics, to seminal punk band The Clash's creative breakthrough, London Calling.
The band hit a quiet period after that during which Chris Cheney had a tragic car accident on the Great Ocean Road, rendering him unable to play for a significant period of time. He had been on the road to the house of a member of fellow Australian band Bodyjar.
In 2003, after Chris's recovery and with new drummer Andy Strachan, the band made a comeback, releasing One Said to the Other, Who's Gonna Save Us? and getting air play once again. This was followed by heavy touring (including Big Day Out) and a release of Modern ARTillery.
In late 2004, the band has released a singles collection From Here on In: The Singles 1997-2004 as well as a DVD, which included all video clips and a "supergig", collections of the band's most famous songs performed in Australia, Japan and the USA. The DVD also features the band's history- documented in interviews and home footage.
Recently, Chris performed at the 2004 ARIA awards as part of the supergroup The Wrights, featuring members of many other Australian rock bands.
Chris Cheney and Scott Owen have won the Best Guitarist and Best Bassist awards for 2004 and 2005, in the Jack Awards.
The band performs regularly in Melbourne, one performance recently was for the Channel V Music Bus at Federation Square Melbourne, Australia (15th of December 2005) which saw a capacity crowd of between 4,500 and 5,000 people attend. The event saw many under 18's get the chance to see their idols for free, and for a lucky few, the chance to sing with Chris Cheney, unplanned of course.
The Living End's fourth album, titled State of Emergency, was released on February 4 2006 and was recorded in Byron Bay after they played in the Splendour in the Grass festival. They had finished the recording and the artwork for State of Emergency in mid December 2005. The single "What's on Your Radio was released on November 20, 2005, and debuted at #9 on the ARIA singles chart. The second single, "Wake Up" was released on February 19 and debuted at #5 on the ARIA singles chart. The group is currently signed to Adeline Records, owned and run by Billie Joe and Adrianne Armstrong.
In 2008 The Living End released their fifth studio album titled as White Noise, showing more hard rock influenced sound of The Living End. First single from the album was a double A-side single White Noise/How Do We Know which was released physically and digitally 5 July 2008. The second single Moment in the Sun was released 25 October 2008. The third single, Raise the Alarm, was released 22 December 2008. In 2009 The Living End started the Raise the Alarm Tour.
Hold Up
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said the petty thief
I'm only gonna say it once
So don't play dumb with me
Don't nobody make a move
And don't nobody speak
Everybody on the floor
Put it in the bag boys
Then we're on our way
All the money in the bag
We'll count it up another day
Put it in the bag boys
Then we've got it made
Now don't go making me mad
Put the money in the bag
We've gone and made it this far
Now we can't run away
If we make it out alive
To see another day, oh then
We'll leg it to the border
Sneak on past the toll
There ain't no copper
Gonna put me in the hole
We're almost at the end
There's an open road ahead
Freedom's just another 30 miles away
But luck came undone
As we jumped the gun
Now all we can do is run
The Living End's song Hold Up is a high-energy tune that explores the adventures of a group of criminals planning to make a quick getaway after robbing a location. The lyrics are bold and direct, showcasing the attitude of the lead singer as he sets the stage for the narrative. The first verse is a call to action, with the leader of the group telling his fellow robbers to put the stolen goods in the bag so that they can be on their way. He warns them not to play dumb and orders everyone on the floor. This is a clear sign of the confidence that the robbers have in their skills and their intention to get away with the loot.
The second verse adds to the tension of the story, with the robbers' plot now thickening. They realize that they've gone too far, and they're now committed to their getaway plan. They decide to head to the border to evade the cops, and they're only 30 miles away from freedom. The music gets faster and more intense, adding more weight to the story's climax. Unfortunately, their luck runs out, and they get caught when they jump the gun. The lyrics end on a cliffhanger, leaving the listener to wonder what happens next.
Line by Line Meaning
Put it in the bag boys
The singer is commanding the others present to put the stolen items in the bag.
Said the petty thief
The singer identifies themself as a petty criminal.
I'm only gonna say it once
The singer warns the others that they won't have a chance to hear the command again.
So don't play dumb with me
The artist does not want the others to pretend that they don't understand what they are supposed to do.
Don't nobody make a move
The artist warns everyone present not to move.
And don't nobody speak
The singer warns everyone present not to speak.
Everybody on the floor
The singer commands everyone present to get onto the floor.
Don't mess around with me
The artist is giving the command with the utmost seriousness.
Then we're on our way
If the command is followed, the group can leave and continue with their plans.
All the money in the bag
The artist specifies what is to be put into the bag.
We'll count it up another day
The singer suggests that they should wait until later to count the stolen items.
Then we've got it made
If the command is followed successfully, the group will have achieved their goal.
Now don't go making me mad
The singer is warning others not to upset them.
We've gone and made it this far
The group has made progress in their plan.
Now we can't run away
The group is too invested in their plan to back out now.
If we make it out alive
The plan is risky and there is a chance they won't make it out alive.
To see another day, oh then
The group hopes to be able to live through their dangerous venture.
We'll leg it to the border
If the group makes it out alive, they will head for the border as part of their plan.
Sneak on past the toll
The group will attempt to avoid paying a toll or being caught at a checkpoint.
There ain't no copper
The group is confident that they will avoid being caught by the police.
Gonna put me in the hole
The artist doesn't want to be caught in jail or prison.
We're almost at the end
The end of their plan is nearing.
There's an open road ahead
If the plan is successful, there will be nothing stopping them from escaping.
Freedom's just another 30 miles away
The group is close to being free of their criminal act.
But luck came undone
Something went wrong - the group's luck has run out.
As we jumped the gun
The group started too soon or was too impatient in their plan.
Now all we can do is run
The group must leave the scene quickly and without being caught.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JOHN CHENEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
croweater75
I love the living end..... they are a mainstream version of THE FIREBALLS and I luuuurrrve the fireballs
Ashley Hardy
An underappreciated song
Neon Peon
Tons of their music is underrated
Marco Gonzalez
The whole humanity must listen this.
Tali Strahan
Lyrics?