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.
Reborn
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reborn, in another place
Vanishing without a trace
Daylight in another time
Disappear without a sign
Restore what we had before
Vanishing expired law
The one we will never see
Well waited a life time to make up your mind
Wait for the right time for you moment to arrive, To arrive
Reborn, in another place
Vanishing without a trace
Daylight in another time
Disappear without a sign
The first light of the first day
An light your path along the way
And all you kill, and all you take
And all you fix and all you break
Well waited a life time to make up your mind
Wait for the right time for you moment to arrive, To arrive
Reborn, in another place
Vanishing without a trace
Daylight in another time
Disappear without a sign
If you hide from yourself
You won't see no one else
If you hide from yourself
You won't see no one else
Well waited a life time to make up your mind
Wait for the right time for you moment to arrive, To arrive
Reborn, in another place
Vanishing without a trace
Daylight in another time
Disappear without a sign
yeah yeah yeah
The Living End's song, "Reborn" speaks about a cycle of renewal and rebirth. The theme of disappearing and vanishing are present throughout the song. The idea of starting anew in a new place and shedding the old life is prominent. The phrase "reborn in another place" could be a metaphor for starting anew in a new location or a fresh start in life. The song explores the idea of how restarting is sometimes the only option to move forward from a past that is holding one back.
The lyrics also touch upon the importance of timing. The lines "Waited a lifetime to make up your mind, Wait for the right time for your moment to arrive" convey the significance of waiting for the perfect moment to make crucial decisions in life. Patience is crucial to make informed decisions that lead to positive outcomes. The song's theme is mainly to create an optimistic message of starting anew, focusing on the positive aspects of life and letting go of the past.
Overall, the lyrics of "Reborn" send an uplifting message to the listener. It highlights the fact that everyone gets broken at some point in their lives, but renewal is always possible with new beginnings. The lyrics convey that life is full of uncertainties, but starting anew is a way to control them and move forward towards positivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Reborn, in another place
Starting anew, from scratch, taking on a completely different life, in a totally different surrounding that is much different from the previous one.
Vanishing without a trace
Going away without leaving any indication of where or why, as if you just evaporated.
Daylight in another time
Being in a time that is completely different from what you used to know, looking at daylight that belongs to a different day.
Disappear without a sign
Leaving without letting anybody know, without giving any indication or clue.
Restore what we had before
Reconstructing or renewing what existed before, bringing back the past, to make it anew.
Vanishing expired law
Rules that are no longer valid, become outdated, the reason for them no longer exists and get annihilated.
A clear view of a fallen dream
A vivid understanding of what was pursued as a goal, in the past, that ended up unsuccessful or fruitless.
The one we will never see
The vision/mindset that never materializes, and can never be witnessed.
Well waited a life time to make up your mind
Taking one's time, not being hasty, deliberating over a lifetime to make an important decision.
Wait for the right time for you moment to arrive, To arrive
Delaying gratification and waiting for the perfect moment when the setting is right to take action.
The first light of the first day
Beginning at the start of a new era, taking the first step to a new dawn.
An light your path along the way
Guided by a source of illumination, becoming the beacon that shows the way.
And all you kill, and all you take
Everything that you destroy or remove from its place, everything that you reap from everyone else.
And all you fix and all you break
Everything that you mend or repair to make it work, but also everything that you ruin or prevent from continuing to function.
If you hide from yourself
If you avoid or run away from your true self or feelings.
You won't see no one else
You will be blind to others and their points of view, relationships and commitments.
yeah yeah yeah
Background chorus to add energy to the melody.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JOHN CHENEY, SCOTT BRADLEY OWEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind