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.
Witch Doctor
The Living End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paid for his powers of reading the future
I see fire and I see rain
I've seen pride and I've seen pain
I will again
Trekked to the jungle and found the witch doctor
Casting a spell I proceeded to watch on
He looked deep into my eyes
Next thing I knew I was hypnotized
Yeah
Hypnotized
He said
I see what you know
And I see what you're dreaming
I see where you've been
But you won't see me again
(Went to the jungle)
(To see the witch doctor)
Went to the jungle to find out my future
Found myself possessed and mentally dispenced
Saw the powers I could learn
He told me never to return
Or in hell you'll burn
I see what you know
And I see what you're dreaming
I see where you've been
But you won't see me again
The Living End's song "Witch Doctor" tells the story of a person who seeks out the assistance of a witch doctor in the jungle in order to learn about their future. They are willing to pay for the witch doctor's powers, and they become entranced by his spellcasting. The witch doctor looks deep into their eyes and sees what they know, what they're dreaming of, and where they've been. However, the witch doctor warns them that if they ever return, they'll burn in hell.
This song seems to explore themes of superstition, fate, and the consequences of seeking out supernatural powers. The person in the song is willing to pay for something that they hope will provide them with answers or guidance about their future, but they don't anticipate the potential danger or consequences that could come with it. Additionally, the witch doctor's warning about burning in hell suggests the idea that meddling with supernatural powers could have severe religious consequences. Overall, this song creates a haunting and eerie atmosphere that captures the danger of seeking out the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Went to the jungle to see the witch doctor
I ventured into the jungle to seek guidance from the witch doctor who's known for his supernatural powers.
Paid for his powers of reading the future
I paid him to gain access to his ability to predict future events.
I see fire and I see rain
I've witnessed both destruction and rebirth, sometimes feeling hopeless, sometimes feeling hopeful.
I've seen pride and I've seen pain
I've encountered situations where people express their confidence as well as experiences causing severe psychological or emotional distress.
I will again
I have and will continue to witness these kinds of events and emotions repeatedly throughout my life.
Trekked to the jungle and found the witch doctor
I journeyed into the jungle and finally located him.
Casting a spell I proceeded to watch on
He began to perform a mystical incantation, and I looked on in fascination.
He looked deep into my eyes
He gazed for a long time into my eyes, looking for something specific.
Next thing I knew I was hypnotized
Suddenly I was completely under his control, enamored by his command and imbibing what the witch doctor was influencing me to do or say.
He said... won't see me again
He told me he had seen my past, present, and future -- but warned me never to return or face the consequences.
I see where you've been
I can perceive your history, your past experiences.
But you won't see me again
I do not plan to make myself available to you, in future, regardless of your circumstances or your desires.
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mywhychromosome
I remember when I was 16 and diehard into this band, my band at the time worked super hard on a cover of this (it's a tricky song regardless, but we were still learning our instruments). We finally got it just about perfect, played it at a couple of shows, and then suddenly realized, "Wait...people don't know Living End SINGLES in America...and we are covering an obscure b-side." Whoops
Jason Cessna
Doesn't make it that much less enjoyable. I'd be freaking out if I saw a band cover it, but if I saw a band cover it before ever hearing it I would also be pretty thrilled.
It's a good song after all
Arthur Black
In that situation you'e be regarded as something of a trail-blazer.
miko stubborn
INSANE BASS INDEED!AWESOME!
TigerSham
Amazing!!!! Can't find this song anywhere!
lalometalik
badass part deuce!
Syd M.
can someone PLEASE tell me where to get a decent quality download of this song?
Scot Johnson
Simply paste the link to this video in the Box and download the MP3 audio file.
https://ytmp3.cc/en13/
lovks0514
👎