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.
One Step Behind
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell us everything that happened tonight
We know you were there
There at the scene of the crime
No, no you've got it all wrong
So don't blame me
For something I haven't done
And now you can't think straight
'Cause they're onto you now
And they've figured you out
'Cause they're onto you now
They're always just one step behind
And you're so scared of what they'll find
And now you're running for your life
You're buying everything they sell
Those pushed will always say they fell
You got a postcard sent from hell
With my strong alibi
You can't frame me, don't even try
You don't know me
You're not even trying to see
And now you can't think straight
'Cause they're onto you now
And they've figured you out
'Cause they're onto you now
They're always just one step behind
And you're so scared of what they'll find
And now you're running for your life
You're buying everything they sell
Those pushed will always say they fell
You got a postcard sent from hell
And you don't belong
And the papers are never wrong!
Just like the public don't forget, don't forget, don't forget
And now you can't think straight
And now you can't think straight
You're not even trying to see
They're always just one step behind
And you're so scared of what they'll find
And now you're running for your life
You're buying everything they sell
Those pushed will always say they fell
You got a postcard sent from hell
The Living End's song "One Step Behind" talks about a person who was wrongly accused of a crime and is now constantly on the run from law enforcement. The song starts with someone asking the accused to sit down and confess to everything that happened on that fateful night. However, the accused denies any wrongdoing and pleads innocence. But the authorities are already closing in on them, which causes paranoia and fear to set in. As a result, the accused is always one step behind the police and is constantly buying whatever anyone sells to escape their grasp.
The person is frustrated with the authorities and their lack of understanding of the truth. They try to explain their side of the story and clear their name, but it falls on deaf ears. The authorities have already made up their mind, and the accused is helpless. The song signifies the feeling of being trapped and running out of options while trying to prove your innocence.
The Living End's "One Step Behind" deals with themes of paranoia, mistrust, and betrayal. These feelings are essential to understand the lyrics' meaning entirely, and the band's punk rock style only adds to the intensity of the emotions conveyed.
Line by Line Meaning
Come in sit by the light
We want you to confess to what you have done, so sit down and let us hear the truth from you.
Tell us everything that happened tonight
We want a detailed explanation of what occurred today, don't conceal anything from us.
We know you were there
We are aware of your involvement in the situation, so there is no use in denying it.
There at the scene of the crime
We know you were present and directly involved in the criminal activity that took place.
No, no you've got it all wrong
Your assumption that I am guilty is incorrect, and you are misguided in believing that I am the one responsible for this occurrence.
So don't blame me
You cannot hold me accountable for something that I did not do or participate in.
For something I haven't done
I am not responsible for the crime that has taken place, and it would be unfair to implicate me in it.
It was all just a big mistake
The entire situation was an accident that spiraled out of control, and no one intended for it to happen the way that it did.
And now you can't think straight
You are no longer able to logically process what has happened because of your emotional state and stress surrounding the situation.
'Cause they're onto you now
The authorities are aware of your involvement and are pursuing you.
And they've figured you out
The authorities have pieced together the evidence and are aware of the role you played in the crime.
They're always just one step behind
The authorities are always close behind and closing in on you.
And you're so scared of what they'll find
You are afraid of being caught and prosecuted for your involvement in the crime.
And now you're running for your life
You are trying to evade the authorities who are chasing you to arrest you.
You're buying everything they sell
You are gullible and are believing everything that the authorities are telling you and the public about the crime.
Those pushed will always say they fell
One will always claim that they were coerced into performing an action, and were not willing participants.
You got a postcard sent from hell
You have been informed of your imminent demise or punishment for your part in the crime.
With my strong alibi
I have a concrete witness or evidence to prove that I was not involved in the crime.
You can't frame me, don't even try
It is impossible for you to manipulate the evidence or create false evidence to incriminate me in the crime.
You don't know me
You have assumptions about my character and potential guilt, but you don't know me or have evidence to back up your claims.
You're not even trying to see
You are blindly accusing me of being guilty without analyzing the evidence or considering other possibilities.
And you don't belong
You are not a member of the community, company, group, or establishment that you have infiltrated or involved yourself in.
And the papers are never wrong!
The media has cast doubt on my innocence through the spreading of misinformation and false reports.
Just like the public don't forget, don't forget, don't forget
The general public is continuing to believe the rumors and false reports about my involvement in the crime.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY DOUGLAS STRACHAN, CHRISTOPHER JOHN CHENEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind