The band's best known lineup consisted of Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar), Bob Stinson (guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Chris Mars (drums). They were infamous for their abrasive, hard drinking lifestyles and their ragged stage performances, notorious for coming to some shows too drunk to play very well at all. Sometimes, they just performed entire sets of covers, their picks showing their debt to 70s hard rock outfits.
The sound of this band showed off what their many fans saw as the very best of independent rock n' roll. More than possibly any other band since The Rolling Stones and the the Ramones, the Replacements embodied the spirit of rock, from their raucous performances, drug addictions, charismatic and romantic frontman, and wild, sometimes basic and sometimes powerfully confessional songs. At any given time, almost any list of 'The Best Rock Albums Of All Time' will include either the album 'Let It Be' or 'Tim', sometimes both.
Their sound started off as a classic rock influenced shade of punk, mutating to a melodic hardcore sound reminiscent of local buddies Hüsker Dü. They also progressed into a relatively straightforward but heartfelt rock style, with a number of highly soulful ballads from the heart of Westerberg to round out the mix.
The band broke up in 1991. Bob Stinson, who was fired from the band in 1986 (and was subsequently replaced by Slim Dunlap), died in 1995. Westerberg and Mars both have solo careers, and Tommy Stinson formed several bands, like Perfect and Bash and Pop, and now plays bass for Guns and Roses and Soul Asylum.
In 2012, Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson reformed the Replacements and recorded an EP, "Songs for Slim" as a benefit for former member Slim Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke. The band played their first show since 1991 on August 24, 2013 at RiotFest in Toronto, and has since played at several festivals since. The band also currently includes Josh Freese on drums and Dave Minehan on guitar. The band played its final show in June 2015.
Within Your Reach
The Replacements Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can die without a clue
Sun keeps risin' in the west
I keep on wakin' fully confused
I never seen no mountain
Never swam no sea
City got me drownin'
I can't live without your touch [Repeat: x 2]
Cold without so much
Can die without a dream
Live without your touch
I'll die within your reach
Reach
Reach
I never seen no mountain
Never swam no sea
Drownin' in this city
Well, it's really up to me
I can't live without your touch [Repeat: x 3]
Die within your reach
Die within your reach
Die within your reach
Die within your reach
Reach
Die within your
Reach
Die within your
Reach
Reach... for the sky
The lyrics to The Replacements' song "Within Your Reach" offer a glimpse into a mind that seems lost and disoriented. The opening lines, "I could live without so much / I can die without a clue," suggest a sense of resignation and apathy towards life. The singer seems to be struggling with his identity and direction, as evidenced by the line "Sun keeps risin' in the west / I keep on wakin' fully confused." He is living in a city that is suffocating him, but acknowledges that "it's up to me" to change his circumstances.
The focus of the song shifts to a romantic relationship, as the singer declares "I can't live without your touch" repeatedly. He seems vulnerable and dependent on the other person, as he alternately describes himself as "cold without so much" and "drownin' in this city" without their touch. The repetition of the phrase "die within your reach" could be interpreted in a few different ways, but it suggests a desire to be close to the person and the fear of being separated from them.
Line by Line Meaning
I could live without so much
I don't need a lot to be content
I can die without a clue
I'm not too worried about what happens after I die
Sun keeps risin' in the west
Things that are supposed to be stable aren't always stable
I keep on wakin' fully confused
I feel lost and uncertain about where I'm headed
I never seen no mountain
I haven't experienced much of what the world has to offer
Never swam no sea
I haven't explored the depths of the unknown
City got me drownin'
Living in a big city is overwhelming and suffocating
I guess it's up to me
I'm responsible for my own happiness and direction in life
I can't live without your touch [Repeat: x 2]
My happiness is dependent on being close to someone I care about
Cold without so much
Without love, life is empty and cold
Can die without a dream
Without purpose or aspirations, life is meaningless
Live without your touch
My quality of life is enhanced when I'm with the person I love
I'll die within your reach
Being separated from the person I care for is unbearable
Reach
Striving towards something better
I never seen no mountain
I haven't done much exploring of the world around me
Never swam no sea
I haven't taken many risks or faced significant challenges
Drownin' in this city
The city is overwhelming and threatening to consume me
Well, it's really up to me
I am the only one who can make meaningful changes in my life
I can't live without your touch [Repeat: x 3]
Being close to the person I care about is essential to my happiness
Die within your reach
Being apart from someone I love is unbearably painful
Die within your reach
My life is only worth living if I'm with the person I love
Die within your reach
My world falls apart when I'm not with the person I care about
Die within your reach
Being separated from the one I love is unbearable
Reach
Striving towards something better
Die within your
The pain of not being with the one I love is intense and overwhelming
Reach
Striving towards something better
Die within your
I can only find happiness and fulfillment when I'm with the person I love
Reach
Striving towards something better
Reach... for the sky
Always strive for more, even when life is difficult
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL WESTERBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carys Raymond
I could live without so much
I can die without a clue
Sun keeps risin' in the west
I keep on wakin' fully confused
I never seen no mountain
Never swam no sea
City got me drownin'
I guess it's up to me
I can't live without your touch [Repeat: x 2]
Cold without so much
Can die without a dream
Live without your touch
I'll die within your reach
Reach
Reach
I never seen no mountain
Never swam no sea
Drownin' in this city
Well, it's really up to me
I can't live without your touch [Repeat: x 3]
Die within your reach
Die within your reach
Die within your reach
Die within your reach
Reach
Die within your
Reach
Die within your
Reach
Reach... for the sky
E Grant
I love this song 🎵 it definitely is about letting go. I was reading all the comments on here. I am called to say that just because someone is not emotionally available don’t blame yourself. We all have issues some people are deeper than others. Time heals all wounds.
jordanjmdjmd74
This is true, we blame ourselves too quickly
the I.T. Guy
For more than 20 years, this song has tested literally thousands of sound systems for me. The mix is genius.
Lawrence Salamone
That’s Paul for you! Wish they were still making music!
BLUES WAS THE CATALYST
The production on everything they did should of been so much better. They had some really good songs that were let down terribly by the lack of production.
sebastiano freccia
Agreed
sebastiano freccia
What a voice
Ramblin tinmez_ T
This song always gets me in a 'moving' mood. Makes me feel I'm waving goodbye with a smirk on my face to a past, and looking forward to whatever is over the horizon.
Night Owl Theater
exactly!
Ivan Ostrava
Westerberg's vocals have so much emotion on this one. Incredible song.