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.
Second Solution
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to get away
Guilty, Guilty I hear you say
Countin' down the hours
But I haven't got the time
23rd Precinct jumping on the line
What I wanna know
Is will I get death row
What I wanna say
Is will I die today
Or will I get second solution
It was never meant to end this way
One shot violence I hear what you say
Standin' on a street light
Tryin' to get away
Guilty, Guilty I hear you say
What I wanna know
Is will I get death row
Or is there a second solution
"Second Solution" is a fast-paced, punk-rock song by The Living End that tells a story of a person trying to escape from guilt and from the law. The song starts with the persona standing on a streetlight, attempting to flee from something. The phrase "Guilty, Guilty, I hear you say" could refer to someone's conscience being tormented by a wrongdoing, or a police siren condemning their actions. The persona is counting down the hours, but they are running out of time as the 23rd Precinct is closing in. The singer is scared of being sentenced to death row and wants to know if there is a second solution. They are pleading for mercy, and are desperate to know if there is another way to avoid punishment.
The Living End's "Second Solution" is a song that talks about the consequences of one's actions, especially when it comes to crime. It portrays a person's fear of being held accountable for their mistakes and the possibility of choosing a different path instead of the one that leads to death row. The song's lyrics express a sense of urgency, desperation, and hopelessness. The Living End was formed in 1994 in Melbourne, Australia, and the band's sound has been heavily influenced by punk rock, rockabilly, and ska. "Second Solution" is one of their most popular songs and is often played during live performances.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' on a street light
The singer is standing on a street light, which is a metaphor for being stuck in an undesirable situation.
Tryin' to get away
The singer is attempting to escape the situation they are in.
Guilty, Guilty I hear you say
The singer is being accused of something, but they do not necessarily believe they are guilty.
Countin' down the hours
The artist is aware of the gravity of their situation and is waiting anxiously for a resolution.
But I haven't got the time
The artist is impatient and feels like they do not have enough time to get out of their predicament.
23rd Precinct jumping on the line
The singer is being pursued by authorities, specifically the 23rd precinct.
What I wanna know
The singer is asking a question (about their fate).
Is will I get death row
The artist is wondering if they will be sentenced to death for their alleged crime.
Or is there a second solution
The artist is asking if there is another option, other than death row.
What I wanna say
The artist has a statement to make.
Is will I die today
The singer is asking if they will be executed (or otherwise die) today.
Or will I get second solution
The artist is again asking if there is an alternative to death.
It was never meant to end this way
The singer acknowledges that their current situation was not part of their plan or intentions.
One shot violence I hear what you say
The singer is aware that violence can be deadly and potentially irreversible.
Standin' on a street light
Reiteration of the first line - the singer is still stuck in their predicament.
Tryin' to get away
Reiteration of the second line - the artist is still attempting to escape their situation.
Guilty, Guilty I hear you say
Reiteration of an earlier line - the artist may still not believe they are guilty, but are still being accused.
What I wanna know
Reiteration of an earlier line - the singer still has questions about their fate.
Is will I get death row
Reiteration of an earlier line - the singer is still concerned about the possibility of being sentenced to death.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JOHN CHENEY, SCOTT BRADLEY OWEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nick9198
most underrated band of all time
@castleanthrax1833
I hate that phrase, but in this case, I can't think of a better one. 👊🇦🇺
@paulfri1569
Hell yeah 👍
@chanang453
That guitar solo is sooooooo fast ...this guy can shred but he plays so precisely and follows the melody with blistering speed....he’s incredibly talented.... bass and drums are monster players also...imho....
@angemala
The first band I saw live, age 14 in 1998. Woohoo! Still love this song. Love that double bass. Said that they were never a punk band. They were rockabilly
@mjpartyz4584
Surprised for a band that was blowing up in the late 90's these guys are not even in the 1mill category There first album produced a slew of notable hits.
@somelikeithotmel
Most people don't have taste. squares
@Stoneman180190
The Living End making the double bass the coolest instrument to play since 1994
@commander5640
Takes me back to the summers I would work on my mountain bike and listen to the album on repeat, I was about 16-17
@manearthsunty6188
One of the best live acts I've seen