Along with fellow California punk bands Green Day and Rancid, The Offspring have been credited with reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. To date, The Offspring has released eight studio albums, one compilation, four EPs and three DVDs. They have sold over 34 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time. Each album since the release of their 1994 album Smash has sold over a million units.
Since the release of Smash, which is the best-selling independent label album of all time, The Offspring has achieved commercial success over five albums, with singles such as "Come Out and Play", and "Self Esteem". The band’s next three albums, Ixnay on the Hombre, Americana and Conspiracy of One, were also successful, with Ixnay on the Hombre and Conspiracy of One reaching platinum certification, and Americana achieving multi-platinum status. Longtime drummer Ron Welty left The Offspring in early 2003, and was replaced by Atom Willard. Later that year, the band released their next album, Splinter, to moderate sales and fairly warm reviews. In 2005, The Offspring released a greatest hits album and toured in support of the compilation. Their eighth studio album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, was released on June 17, 2008 with the hit singles "You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid" and "Hammerhead."
Days Go By is the band’s ninth studio album and is due to be released on June 26, 2012. The Days Go By Songfacts reports that the title track was released as the first single and was premiered on KROQ on April 27, 2012.
2. Offspring was a short-lived English pop duo of the early 1970s, consisting of Mike Brayn and John Howard, who met at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex, United Kingdom. They released just one single, 'Windfall' (1972). Their planned studio album was never completed.
Tehran
The Offspring Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You roam again
Words that echo in your mind
Make your heart beat faster
This is no Vietnam
We will win in Iran
The Captain said kill or die
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Warrior, the time bombs
About to go
What will you feel
Will you even wonder
If the man that's in your sights
Ever kissed his girl goodbye
The President said let it ride
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Great Satan
Our flags our burning
Soon America may find
Its young men in the sand
Where there casualty
Is just a number
In Iran
The President said let it ride
You will be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
The Offspring's song Tehran is a political commentary on the possibility of war between Iran and the United States. The song is presented from the perspective of an American soldier who is being sent to Tehran to fight. The first verse opens with the soldier looking out the window of the plane as it flies over Iran, saying that the words echoing in his mind are making his heart beat faster. He claims that Iran is not Vietnam, suggesting that the war would be easier to win. The chorus repeats the phrase "Islam be damned" and encourages the soldier to make his last stand in Tehran.
The second verse speaks directly to the soldier's emotions, asking what he will feel when he drops the bombs on Tehran. The lyrics speculate about the life of the Iranian civilians, hinting that the soldier might start wondering if the people he is killing are actually any different than himself. The third verse continues to show the effects of war on the civilians in Iran, suggesting that the American casualties will be just numbers while the Iranian casualties will be individually significant. The final chorus repeats the message that the soldier should "make his last stand in Tehran" and reminds him that he will be damned if he does not.
The song is considered one of the most political tracks from The Offspring's 2003 album "Splinter". The lyrics are a reference to the possibility of the US and Iran going to war over Iran's supposed nuclear weapons program which the US considered a national security threat. The US government dubbed Iran as part of the 'axis of evil' as a result. There has been a notable backlash against the song in Iran due to references to Iran as a place where the American soldiers are destined to die.
Interesting facts about the song Tehran:
Line by Line Meaning
In your plane in the blue sky
You are flying in a plane in the sky.
You roam again
You are traveling once again.
Words that echo in your mind
You remember certain words and they echo in your head.
Make your heart beat faster
You feel your heart rate increasing.
This is no Vietnam
This war is not like the war in Vietnam.
We will win in Iran
We are confident that we will win the war in Iran.
The Captain said kill or die
The Captain instructed you to either kill or face death.
Islam be damned
The artist shows disregard for Islam and the people who believe in it.
Make your last stand
Prepare for the final battle.
In Tehran
The final battle will take place in Tehran.
Warrior, the time bombs
You, as a warrior, need to be aware of the bombs that are about to go off.
About to go
The bombs are going to go off soon.
What will you feel
The singer questions what emotions you will feel during the final battle.
Will you even wonder
The singer questions if you will even contemplate about the life of your opponent.
If the man that's in your sights
The person you have in front of you.
Ever kissed his girl goodbye
The artist wonders if the opponent had a chance to say goodbye to his loved ones.
The President said let it ride
The President disregards the issue and wants to proceed.
Great Satan
The singer shows hatred towards America and calls it the Great Satan.
Our flags our burning
The country's flags are being burned.
Soon America may find
In the future, America may face a problematic situation.
Its young men in the sand
American soldiers will be fighting in the desert.
Where there casualty
Where their death is not mourned.
Is just a number
The number of deaths is irrelevant.
In Iran
The situation will take place in Iran.
You will be damned
The singer shows disregard for the American President's disregard for the situation.
Make your last stand
Prepare for the final battle.
In Tehran
The final battle will take place in Tehran.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRYAN HOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kurzackd
Man, I swear...
When I listened to this track back in the day, the progression went from:
first --- "the SERGEANT / CAPTAIN (either of the two) said..."
THEN --- "the CAPTAIN (if previous was serg) / GENERAL (if previous was capt) said..."
finally --- "the PRESIDENT said..."
But now I see that it's President / Captain / President again. wtf??
I listened to the alternative "Baghdad" version too... There it's the same as here.
So how come I have this memory then? :O
Not only is it clear as day in my head, but it's also more logical, as there is a gradual progression in the ranks.
@luigicordero4157
In your plane in the blue sky
You roam again
Words that echo in your mind
Make your heart beat faster
This is no Vietnam
We will win in Iran
The President said let it ride, ride
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Warrior, the time bomb's
About to go
What will you feel
Will you even wonder
If the man that's in your sights
Ever kissed his girl goodbye
The Captain said kill or die, die
Islam be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
Great Satan
Great Satan
(Great Satan) Our flags are burning
(Great Satan) Our flags are burning
(Great Satan) Our flags are burning
(Great Satan) Our flags will burn
Soon America may find
Its young men in the sand
Where their casualty
Is just a number
In Iran
The President said let it ride, ride
You will be damned
Make your last stand
In Tehran
In Tehran
In Tehran
@greisquirrel
Well this song became relevant again
@elishuakurtz3551
Oof, that’s why I’m here. I haven’t listened to it in maybe 16 years, but now...yikes.
@ohsteeev
Oh, it never stopped
@strangewayfaringstranger
I said this when trump almost went to war with Iran not long ago. They had military planes in the air, ready to strike and he called them back. Unfortunately, this time he was given options and he chose the most extreme.
@wyattgwyon9484
...over 30 years later.
@romaingomard2163
Again n again
@khoffmansd
This album is still urgent and timeless with its commentary on war, heartbreak, horror and the occult. There is no Offspring album quite like this one. Blistering with intensity and conviction, my favorite from the days of surfing Napster as an 11 or 12 year old, before I picked up a guitar.
@notyoursavior78
Yeah I don't care if they ripped off their favorite bands of the time they did a damn good job at it. My favorite album is Ignition because that was all them. I do like newer stuff too though after CO1 I stopped following them as much.
@miserychickadee
"here is no Offspring album quite like this one."
Ignition comes closest, IMO, but it lacks much of the raw anger.
@kurzackd
...except that this album predated Napster by like a decade...
wondering... which is the song about heartbreak here? Which one do you have in mind?