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.
Who's Gonna Save Us?
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems all out of place now
And I know it's late
But you know what they say now
We're under attack now
Our work is all cut out
Whatever happened to your rights?
But you know what they say now
So where's the writing on the wall
Who's gonna save us?
Who's gonna provide us?
Who's gonna divide us?
Who's gonna save us
We're under powered now
Trial devoured now
Step aside and make way for the new leader
And it's getting late
But you know what the say now
[Chorus]
It's all around me and I just don't understand
Seems all out of place now
And I know it's late
But you know what they say now
[Chorus]
Looking for the writing on the wall
Who's gonna save us?
Who's gonna provide us?
Who's gonna divide us?
Who's gonna save us?
The Living End's song "Who's Gonna Save Us?" is a commentary on the state of the world and the feeling of helplessness that comes with it. The lyrics suggest that everything is "out of place" and "under attack." The singer wonders what has happened to their rights and who is going to save them. They ask, "Where's the writing on the wall?" indicating that there should be warning signs or a plan of action, but there isn't. The repetition of the line "Who's gonna save us?" emphasizes the desperation and hopelessness the singer feels.
The song is critical of those in power and suggests that they are not doing enough to protect the people. The singer sings, "Step aside and make way for the new leader," indicating that change is needed. The line "Our work is all cut out" suggests that the responsibility falls on the people to save themselves because those in power are not doing enough.
Overall, "Who's Gonna Save Us?" is a powerful commentary on the state of the world and the feeling of helplessness that comes with it. It suggests that change is needed and that the responsibility falls on the people to bring it about.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all around me and I just don't understand
I feel surrounded by chaos and confusion, and I cannot comprehend what's going on.
Seems all out of place now
Things are no longer in order as they used to be, and there is a feeling of disarray.
And I know it's late
I realize that it's already too far gone, and we may have missed our chance to prevent this situation.
But you know what they say now
As the saying goes, better late than never. We still have to do something about it.
We're under attack now
Our society is facing a serious threat or danger that requires us to defend ourselves.
Our work is all cut out
The task at hand is challenging and will require a lot of effort and dedication.
Whatever happened to your rights?
Our fundamental human rights seem to be disappearing, and we need to fight to regain them.
So where's the writing on the wall
Where are the signs or indications that would have forewarned us about this impending crisis?
Who's gonna save us?
We're in dire need of a savior or hero who can help us overcome this predicament.
Who's gonna provide us?
Who will offer us the guidance, support, or resources that we need to face this challenge?
Who's gonna divide us?
We need someone who can help us find common ground and come together to face this challenge as a united front.
We're under powered now
We do not have enough strength, resources, or influence to effectively resist or overcome this threat.
Trial devoured now
We're being consumed or defeated by the difficulties and obstacles that come with this situation.
Step aside and make way for the new leader
Perhaps we need to accept that our current leadership is ineffective and make room for someone who can better guide us through this crisis.
And it's getting late
The situation is becoming increasingly urgent, and we need to act fast if we want to prevent disaster.
Looking for the writing on the wall
We're searching for any clues, signs or indications that would help us understand what's really going on or what we need to do next.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JOHN CHENEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lachlan Nichols
I wish music like this was still popular. The Living End are like gods
Aussie
They’re pretty much Australian green day
Ashlee B
+LoadingJoker342 call me blind freddy 😩😏
Penelops
Ash B. Why?
RIVEXNGLE
@Aussie Green Day in the States, Ash in Europe, and Living End in Australia.
Cesar Verazzu
Aguante the living end!!!
Purple Schmurple
Love this! It's probably my favourite one. It's still in my playlist going into 2022!
Ralph V. Enriquez III
Idk how but this song randomly popped into my head after all these years and I got chills watching the video and just how all this coincides with everything happening right now.
Sir Me
Had this on repeat for the past 4 hours.
Nice work Living End ;-)
Dylan Elliott
Shame these guys never really made a dent here in the states. Their music got me through middle/high school.