1) The Loved Ones are … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) The Loved Ones are a punk rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was founded in late 2003 by Dave Hause (formerly of The Curse and Paint It Black) on vocals and guitar, Michael Cotterman (formerly of Kid Dynamite) on bass and Mike Sneeringer (formerly of Trial by Fire) on drums. In 2005, they released a self-titled EP on Jade Tree Records. Their debut full-length album, Keep Your Heart, was released in 2006 on popular San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords.
After leaving Paint It Black, singer Dave Hause worked as a roadie for New Jersey's The Bouncing Souls, which got the Loved Ones' foot in the door. They eventually toured with the Bouncing Souls and many other reputable bands, including Against Me!, Rise Against, Bad Religion, NOFX, and Less Than Jake.
In December 2006, a posting on the band's MySpace page announced that Cotterman had left the band. He was replaced by Chris Gonzalez, and they also added second guitarist David Walsh. They were both formerly members of The Explosion, who had announced their breakup near the time Cotterman left.
2) The Loved Ones were an Australian rock group of the 1960s, formed in the wake of the British Invasion. Although the band’s career lasted only two years, the group is now regarded as one of the most significant Australian bands of the 1960s.
3) The Loved Ones were a nineties rock band from Oakland, California. The released two albums, The Price for Love (1993) and Better Do Right (1994). Although they had quite a following in '94 and '95, the band broke up. Vocalist Bart Davenport has a solo career as well as performs with Honeycut.
3rd Shift
The Loved Ones Lyrics
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Away from all the darkness, it'll haunt you
And everything we've ever prayed
Is the only thing that will ever save you
But it all started with that little taste
It helped keep him up later at night, helped the truth come back into sight
And when she left him it dulled the pain
His mama said it's the last time
It's the last time we'll be here to save you
Because you've fucked this up again
And those kids aren't your friends, they use you up
And now he's standing in the rain
He should have probably hopped the train instead of drove
The sergeant's seen this thing before
Maybe some time behind locked doors will save this kid
No, but it don't save him, and who's to blame?
The truth just keeps him up at night, there was never much inside he liked
The guilty phantoms make him insane
He could clean up but why start now, after all, who knows how to start again?
If they don't save him, who's to blame?
If he don't save him, who's to blame?
If we don't save him, who's to blame?
His mother said stay away
Away from all the darkness, it'll haunt you
And everything we've ever prayed
Is the only thing that will ever save you
But it all started with that little taste
It helped keep him up later at night, helped the truth come back into sight
And when she left him it dulled the pain
He'd hide the marks under his socks, the doctor said he was in shock
If we don't save him, who's to blame?
The truth just keeps us up at night, why can't he see what's there to like?
Do guilty phantoms make us insane?
If we clean it up there's no way out, time will tell if he makes it out of this alive
The Loved Ones's song "3rd Shift" is a poignant reflection on the struggle of addiction and its consequences. The song is told from the perspective of someone who is observing a friend or family member going through addiction and trying to help them.
The song begins with a warning from the singer's mother to stay away from the darkness that addiction brings. She emphasizes the importance of prayer in saving him from the clutches of addiction. However, despite her warnings, he succumbs to the temptation of drugs, and it starts with just a little taste. This taste helps him stay up longer and brings back the truth into his life. However, when his girlfriend leaves him, he is left with only the pain and suffering, which he tries to hide from the world.
The chorus is a plea for help, and it highlights the frustration of being unable to save someone from their own demons. The singer's mother, friends, and the singer himself all share the blame for this situation. In the end, the song leaves the listener questioning whether anyone can be saved from addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
His mother said stay away
His mother advised him to keep away from dark things that could possibly harm him
Away from all the darkness, it'll haunt you
His mother warned him to stay away from everything bad and dangerous as it would make him miserable
And everything we've ever prayed
His mother believed that prayers are the only way to save him from the evils of the world
Is the only thing that will ever save you
His mother was convinced that if he prayed hard enough, he would be saved from the darkness that threatened him
But it all started with that little taste
However, everything started with a small indulgence in something risky and dangerous
It helped keep him up later at night, helped the truth come back into sight
The small indulgence helped him stay awake and realize the truth about himself and the world
And when she left him it dulled the pain
When his partner left him, he numbed his pain with more indulgence
He'd hide the marks under his socks, the doctor said he was in shock from what he'd seen
He tried to hide the evidence of his indulgence from others, and his doctor thought he was in shock from something traumatic he'd witnessed
His mama said it's the last time
His mother warned him that this would be the final opportunity for him to be saved
It's the last time we'll be here to save you
His mother believed that they might not be around to help him if he continued down this path of darkness
Because you've fucked this up again
His mother used crude language to emphasize that he had messed things up yet again
And those kids aren't your friends, they use you up
His mother warned him that his so-called friends were not true friends and were only using him for their own benefit
And now he's standing in the rain
He is currently standing in the rain, perhaps feeling lost and alone
He should have probably hopped the train instead of drove
He should have maybe taken a different path in life instead of continuing down this destructive road
The sergeant's seen this thing before
The sergeant is familiar with this type of situation as he may have seen it before
Maybe some time behind locked doors will save this kid
Perhaps locking him up and giving him time to reflect will help him turn his life around
No, but it don't save him, and who's to blame?
Although this may not necessarily save him, who is to take responsibility for his actions?
The truth just keeps him up at night, there was never much inside he liked
He is plagued by the truth of his situation and doesn't necessarily enjoy what's inside of him
The guilty phantoms make him insane
He feels guilt and shame that haunt him, driving him insane
He could clean up but why start now, after all, who knows how to start again?
He could change his ways, but he questions whether it's worth it or if he even knows how to start over
If they don't save him, who's to blame?
If others don't help him out of this situation, who is responsible for his well-being?
If he don't save him, who's to blame?
If he doesn't take responsibility for his own actions, who can be held accountable?
If we don't save him, who's to blame?
If as a society we do not help individuals like him, who can we blame for these situations?
The truth just keeps us up at night, why can't he see what's there to like?
As outsiders, the truth worries and troubles us, and we question why he can't see what's beneficial for him
Do guilty phantoms make us insane?
We question whether guilt and shame drive individuals to insanity
If we clean it up there's no way out, time will tell if he makes it out of this alive
If we try to fix the situation, there's no guarantee that it will lead to a better outcome, and only time can tell if he will ultimately survive
Contributed by Daniel J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.