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.
We Want More
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breaking down the door
Sick of all the laws
And we want more
Everyone's so pretty
Living in the city
Drowning in their pity
Did you forget about us?
Did you forget about trust?
Out with the old, and in with the new
You haven't earned it (You haven't earned it)
You don't deserve it (You don't deserve it)
Badadadadadadadadadadadada
Every dog has its day
Badadadadadadadadadadadada
So what are you gonna do when they take it away from you?
Making up the rules
Fooling all the fools
Like you got nothing to lose
And we want more
You only get out what you put in
You want your supper but you don't wanna sing
Living a lie, you know it's not right
We want more
Did you forget about us?
Did you forget about trust?
Out with the old, and in with the new
You haven't earned it (You haven't earned it)
You don't deserve it (You don't deserve it)
Badadadadadadadadadadadada
Every dog has its day
Badadadadadadadadadadadada
So what are you gonna do when they take it away from you?
Rotten to the core
Breaking down the door
Sick of all the laws
And we want more
Everyone's so pretty
Living in the city
Drowning in their pity
And we want more
Did you forget about us?
Did you forget about trust?
Out with the old, and in with the new
You haven't earned it (You haven't earned it)
You don't deserve it (You don't deserve it)
Badadadadadadadadadadadada
Every dog has its day
And they're never gonna give you want
They're never gonna give you what you want
What are you gonna do when they take it away from you?
The Living End's We Want More is a rebellious anthem that speaks to frustration and dissatisfaction with the state of society. The lyrics criticize the way things are and the powers that be, with lines like "Rotten to the core, breaking down the door, sick of all the laws, and we want more." The song portrays a generation that feels forgotten, that feels like nobody is listening to them, and they want change. They are tired of being ignored and oppressed, and they want more from life.
The song also touches on themes like trust and authenticity. The lyrics ask, "Did you forget about trust?" and "You haven't earned it, you don't deserve it." This speaks to a culture of dishonesty and insincerity that pervades modern life. It's a call for people to be honest and true to themselves, to be trustworthy and earn the respect of others. The chorus repeats the line "Every dog has its day" as a defiant message that someday, the voiceless will be heard.
Overall, We Want More is an anthem for anyone who feels like the world is against them, who feels like they're not being heard, who wants more from life. It's a call to arms to stand up to the powers that be, to fight for what's right, and to demand change.
Line by Line Meaning
Rotten to the core
We are fed up with the current system that is filled with corruption and decay
Breaking down the door
We are not waiting for an invitation, we want to create change now
Sick of all the laws
We are tired of a system that keeps us trapped and oppressed with its restrictive laws
And we want more
We are not satisfied with the status quo and demand change and progress
Everyone's so pretty
People in society are too concerned about superficial things such as appearance
Living in the city
City life is stressful, chaotic and unfulfilling
Drowning in their pity
People are consumed with self-pity and are not taking responsibility for their lives
Did you forget about us?
We feel ignored and abandoned by those in power
Did you forget about trust?
We have lost faith in the system to provide for our needs and interests
Out with the old, and in with the new
We need a complete overhaul of the current system and replace it with something more just and equitable
You haven't earned it (You haven't earned it)
Those in power have not earned our trust or respect
You don't deserve it (You don't deserve it)
Those in power do not deserve our trust or respect
Badadadadadadadadadadadada
Repetitive chant expressing frustration and anger
Every dog has its day
Everyone will have their moment to shine and seek justice
So what are you gonna do when they take it away from you?
When those in power take away our rights and freedoms, we demand to know how they will justify their actions
Making up the rules
The system is rigged and the powerful make the rules to their own benefit
Fooling all the fools
Those in power manipulate and deceive the masses to keep them under their control
Like you got nothing to lose
Those in power act recklessly and without concern for the consequences of their actions
You only get out what you put in
Success is dependent on the effort you put in
You want your supper but you don't wanna sing
You want rewards without putting in any effort
Living a lie, you know it's not right
We must live and act according to our values and principles, not according to societal norms and expectations
And they're never gonna give you what you want
Those in power will not voluntarily give up their control and privileges
What are you gonna do when they take it away from you?
We demand to know how we will be compensated for the loss of our rights and freedoms
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY DOUGLAS STRACHAN, CHRISTOPHER JOHN CHENEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind