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.
The Living End
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing comes new to me anymore
Is this for real? I can't decide
Something is messing with my mind
Well I guess that now my time is near
Displacement conjures up no fear
The end will only linger on
The end of existence is heading my way
I don't think I can last one more day
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
Is this what's called the living end?
I'm stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea
The end is here for eternity
The end will only linger on
Responsibility has gone
The end of existence is heading my way
I don't think I can last one more day
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
Is this what's called the living end?
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
Is this what's called the living end?
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
Is this what's called the living end?
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
Is this what's called the living end?
The Living End, a song by the Australian punk rock band The Living End, speaks of the singer's contemplation of the end of existence. The lyrics suggest that the singer has become disillusioned by the world around him, implying a sense of repetition and mundanity in his life -"Well now I've seen it all before, nothing comes new to me anymore." He's contemplating the possibility of life's purpose and finds himself unable to decide if what he's experiencing is real or not - "Is this for real? I can't decide. Something is messing with my mind."
The singer's musings intensify, and he starts to contemplate the end of his existence, anticipating an impending doom. He realizes that death is near, and the thought of the end of his life brings no fear -"Displacement conjures up no fear. The end will only linger on. Responsibility has gone." In the chorus, the singer expresses his fear of the living end, the possibility of being stuck in a place where nothing changes, brings only pain-"The end of existence is heading my way. I don't think I can last one more day. Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend. Is this what's called the living end?" The repeated phrase, "Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend. Is this what's called the living end?" emphasizes the singer's fear of being trapped in a world where nothing changes.
Overall, The Living End speaks of the fear of living and dying. The song suggests that the mundanity of everyday life can bring one to contemplate the meaning and purpose of one's existence. The lyrics portray a sense of disillusionment and despair that can accompany this contemplation.
Line by Line Meaning
Well now I've seen it all before
Having gone through life numerous times, I feel like I've experienced everything there is to experience.
Nothing comes new to me anymore
There's nothing new or exciting in life for me to discover.
Is this for real? I can't decide
I'm questioning whether what I'm experiencing is actually happening or if it's just in my head.
Something is messing with my mind
I feel as though my thoughts and emotions are being manipulated or influenced in a negative way.
Well I guess that now my time is near
As life goes on, I realize that my time on this earth is limited and coming to an end.
Displacement conjures up no fear
Leaving everything behind and starting anew doesn't scare me anymore.
The end will only linger on
The end of my life is approaching and will last for some time before it finally occurs.
Responsibility has gone
My carefree attitude towards life has taken over and I no longer feel responsible for anyone or anything.
The end of existence is heading my way
Death is imminent and approaching quickly for me.
I don't think I can last one more day
The thought of living for even one more day is daunting and unbearable for me.
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
I feel trapped in a state of being where nothing changes or improves.
Is this what's called the living end?
I'm questioning whether my unchanging and stagnant state of being is what's known as the living end.
Stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea
I feel like I'm in a difficult and dangerous situation with no way out.
The end is here for eternity
Death is not only approaching, but it will last forever and there's no escaping it.
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
I feel trapped in a state of being where nothing changes or improves.
Is this what's called the living end?
I'm questioning whether my unchanging and stagnant state of being is what's known as the living end.
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
I feel trapped in a state of being where nothing changes or improves.
Is this what's called the living end?
I'm questioning whether my unchanging and stagnant state of being is what's known as the living end.
Stuck in a place that doesn't wound or mend
I feel trapped in a state of being where nothing changes or improves.
Is this what's called the living end?
I'm questioning whether my unchanging and stagnant state of being is what's known as the living end.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS CHENEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind