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.
United
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why should I take the blame?
When both of us have the power
The power to change
There is no misunderstanding
There is no confusion here
I'm feeling disconnected
Well I don't want to be a victim or a casualty
No I don't want to be a soldier on the battlefield of love
Battlefield of love, the battlefield of love
And I don't wanna be a victim or a casualty
No I don't wanna be alone here on the battlefield of love
Battlefield of love, the battlefield of love
We stand alone and divided
We stand alone and divided
We stand as one, we're united
We stand as one, we're united
We stand alone and divided
We stand as one, we're united
Why should we be responsible?
Why should we take the blame?
When all of us have the power
The power to change
Well I don't want to be a victim or a casualty
No I don't want to be a soldier on the battlefield of love
Battlefield of love, the battlefield of love
And I don't wanna be a victim or a casualty
No I don't wanna be alone here on the battlefield of love
Battlefield of love, the battlefield of love
We stand alone and divided
We stand alone and divided
We stand as one, we're united
We stand as one, we're united
We stand alone and divided
We stand as one, we're united
And I don't wanna be a victim of your life
And I don't wanna be a victim of your life
And I don't wanna be alone here
And I don't wanna be a victim of your life
And I don't wanna be a victim or your life
And I don't wanna be alone
The Living End's song "United" is a sonically-driven plea for unity and collective responsibility in relationships. The lyrics depict a communication breakdown and feelings of fear and disconnection within a relationship. The first verse suggests a shared responsibility for the issues at hand, with the singer questioning why they should take all the blame when both partners have the power to change. However, the second verse speaks more to individual agency, with the singer stating their desire to avoid being a "victim or a casualty" on the "battlefield of love". The chorus gives voice to the longing for connection and the recognition that we are stronger together than apart, represented by the repetition of the refrain "We stand alone and divided / We stand as one, we're united".
The repetition of the phrase "We stand alone and divided / We stand as one, we're united" underscores the main theme of the song, with the juxtaposition highlighting the contrast between disconnection and unity. The battlefield imagery used throughout the song is also effective in conveying the idea that relationships can often feel like a struggle or a war, but that solidarity and alliance can help to overcome these challenges.
Overall, "United" is a rousing call to action for greater empathy, communication, and willingness to work together in relationships. The song's catchy melody and driving beat serve to reinforce its message of strength in unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Why should I be responsible?
I am questioning my personal responsibility in this situation.
Why should I take the blame?
I am questioning why I have been assigned blame in the situation.
When both of us have the power
We both have the ability to change things for the better.
The power to change
Our actions have the ability to alter the course of this situation for the better or worse.
There is no misunderstanding
There is a clear understanding of the situation here.
There is no confusion here
We are not confused about the situation at hand.
I'm feeling disconnected
I feel isolated and alone in this situation.
Swallowed by fear
I am overwhelmed by fear in this situation.
Well I don't want to be a victim or a casualty
I do not want to be harmed by this situation.
No I don't want to be a soldier on the battlefield of love
I do not want to be engaged in the difficulties of love.
Battlefield of love, the battlefield of love
The context of the difficulties is within the realm of love.
We stand alone and divided
We are separated from one another and unable to come together.
We stand as one, we're united
We are able to come together and stand as one.
Why should we be responsible?
We are questioning why we are held responsible in this situation.
Why should we take the blame?
We are questioning why we have been blamed in this situation.
When all of us have the power
We all hold the ability to make a positive change in this situation.
And I don't wanna be a victim of your life
I do not want to be caused harm by your actions or circumstances.
And I don't wanna be alone here
I do not want to be left alone in this difficult circumstance.
And I don't wanna be a victim or your life
I do not want to be caused harm by the circumstances surrounding you.
Contributed by Dylan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
J4CKM4N2266
I love this song. Liked this song ever since that Youtube Live event a few months ago.
AsYouFallingDown
My top 10 TLE songs: 10.)Away From The City 9.)United 8.)Second Solution 7.)Universe 6.)Raise The Alarm 5.)Hold Up 4.)State Of Emergency 3.)Wake Up 2.)The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating 1.)Prisoner Of Society :)
nathika09
United 5 - Wolver 0 We're still as one, we're United.
FlameAngel101
yay first :P good song