The Living End formed in 1994 after lead singer/guitarist Chris Cheney and … Read Full Bio ↴The Living End formed in 1994 after lead singer/guitarist Chris Cheney and bassist Scott Owen were introduced to each other by their older sisters at Wheelers Hill Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia. Cheney, obsessed with 80s rockabilly group the Stray Cats, convinced Owen to learn the double bass instead of the piano and they started playing gigs under the name Runaway Boys after the title of a Stray Cats song. The group went through a succession of drummers before settling on Joe Piripitzi.

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.

I Want a Day
The Living End Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

10.50, 3 minutes 'til, 'til 11
I don't want the alarm again
9.30, 3 minutes 'til, on the way to work, not smiling
I know time to go and punch my card in
Today, just another day at eleven
Got to help, so much to tidy up, too much too soon
I want a day, where I don't have to get up
Sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut

I want a day, where I don't have to go to work
This low life job makes me feel like a jerk
So dirty, burnt fingers to the bone
Not fair to be left in this job all alone
No help, no credit for making this
Evil machine doesn't stop
Am I going to spend every day of my life

Living this way
No way!

Overall Meaning

The Living End's song "I Want a Day" is a relatable anthem for everyone who has felt stuck in the monotony of daily life. The lyrics depict the frustration of working a low-paying manual labor job with no recognition or appreciation. The song's opening lines, "10.50, 3 minutes 'til, 'til 11, I don't want the alarm again," express the dread of waking up to the sound of an alarm and starting another day of work. The singer goes on to describe the mundane tasks of their job and the repetitive nature of their day, longing for a break from the routine.

The chorus of the song, "I want a day, where I don't have to get up, sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut, I want a day, where I don't have to go to work, this low life job makes me feel like a jerk," emphasizes the desire for a break from the daily grind. The singer is looking for a day where there are no responsibilities, no pressures, and no demands. The lyrics suggest that the job is physically and emotionally draining, leading the singer to question if they will spend the rest of their life living this way.

Overall, "I Want a Day" is a powerful social commentary on the challenges of working-class life. The song is relatable to anyone who has worked a monotonous, low-paying job with little opportunity for recognition or advancement. It reflects on the impact of these jobs on personal well-being and emphasizes the need for a break from such a cycle.

Line by Line Meaning

10.50, 3 minutes 'til, 'til 11
It's almost 11am and time feels slow.

I don't want the alarm again
The singer doesn't want to be woken up by their alarm again.

9.30, 3 minutes 'til, on the way to work, not smiling
The singer is almost at work but they're not happy about it.

I know time to go and punch my card in
The artist knows it's time to clock in at work.

Today, just another day at eleven
Today feels like just another typical day for the artist.

Got to help, so much to tidy up, too much too soon
The singer has a lot of work to do and not enough time to do it in.

I want a day, where I don't have to get up
The singer wants a day off where they can sleep in.

Sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut
The artist is tired of being stuck in the same routine.

I want a day, where I don't have to go to work
The artist wants a day off from their job.

This low life job makes me feel like a jerk
The artist doesn't like their job and it makes them feel bad about themselves.

So dirty, burnt fingers to the bone
The singer's job is physically demanding and causes pain to their hands.

Not fair to be left in this job all alone
The artist feels that it's unfair that they have to do their job alone.

No help, no credit for making this
The singer feels that they don't get enough recognition for the work they do.

Evil machine doesn't stop
The singer's workplace has machines that constantly need to be used and it's tiring.

Am I going to spend every day of my life
The singer is questioning whether they will have to keep working this job for the rest of their life.

Living this way
The artist doesn't want to keep living and working in this same pattern.

No way!
The artist is determined to change their situation and not continue living like this.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRIS CHENEY, SCOTT OWEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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