They have produced 4 albums.
Their debut album No Love Lost was released on 17 July 2006 which peaked at #26 in the UK charts. Their highest charting single is Repeated Offender which reached #26.
They released their second album entitled Great Escape on 26th January 2009 (originally scheduled for 13th October 2008 release), which peaked at #27 in the UK charts and reached the number 2 slot in the UK indie charts. The first single from the album Fall To Sorrow was also released that day.
Robert Pyne and Grant Marsh(drums) left the band on 17 October 2010.
Long time friends Lee Burgess and Kenton Shinn from the band Garda were added to The Rifles early in 2011. Their 3rd album Freedom Run was released on 19th September 2011. This reached #37
In May 2013, the band announced that the four original members, including Marsh and Pyne, had reunited and were working on a fourth album. The new album, None the Wiser, was released on 20 January 2014. This peaked at #21 in the UK charts.
The band's current line-up is as follows:
Joel Stoker (vocals, guitar)
Lucas Crowther (vocals, guitar)
Robert Pyne (bass guitar)
Grant Marsh (drums)
Toe Rag
The Rifles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cold wind in my eyes runs a tear down my cheek
Not a soul to be heard so no point to complain
At least the sound of the birds compensates for the rain
Hit the queue for the bus and then join the line
Same faces for the last ten years of my life
See them more than my friends I couldn't tell you their names
Shattered glass on the floor the kids have run out of games
And I don't see that's ever gonna change
One hour passes till I'm back on my feet
A stone's throw I will be walking till I'm off the street
Hang my coat to dry, settle down with the herd
Some I really don't mind, some just get on my nerves
Turn my back to the clock cause it slows the time
Take out a cigarette and hear the match strike
Turn the radio on to drown the sound of the rain
Same bands same songs play again and again
And I don't see that's ever gonna change
Tell me I'm not right say what you like I'm miles away
And expect nothing changing except for the name of the day.
From my place of work I move away in haste
Time there moves slow but rushes when I'm away
Pass a girl from my school the conversation's brief
Gotta catch that train, get myself some relief
I meet up with friends and they knock off at six
I pull at five and walk about for a bit
Watch the world go by through an empty glass
And I know that won't be the last 'so'
Tell me I'm not right say what you like I'm miles away
And expect nothing changing except for the name of the day.
Creep back into bed and I pull up the sheet
High over my head and undercover my feet
Till the room goes dark and i'm miles away
Jump to the alarm and start another day!
The Rifles' song Toe Rag is a melancholic and introspective look at the monotony and repetition of daily life. The singer of the song is resigned to the fact that nothing ever seems to change, as he walks to work, takes the same bus with the same people, and listens to the same bands on the radio. He finds solace in small things, like the sound of the birds and meeting up with friends at the end of the day. However, he cannot escape the feeling that he's stuck in a rut, and even his dreams provide little respite from the routine. The song's message is clear: life can be tedious and uneventful, but we must soldier on and find meaning in the little things.
The lyrics are notable for their stark realism and relatable subject matter. The everyday experiences of the singer are so mundane that they become universal, and the contrast between his dreams and his reality is poignant. The song's title, Toe Rag, is a colloquialism for a person who is considered inferior or dirty, and it adds to the sense of despair that permeates the track. However, there is also a sense of resilience and perseverance in the lyrics. Even though the singer is resigned to the fact that nothing will change, he still faces each day with stoicism and a sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk out of the door and make my way up the street
Leaving home and walking down the road
Cold wind in my eyes runs a tear down my cheek
Wind causing tears
Not a soul to be heard so no point to complain
No one around to hear any complaints
At least the sound of the birds compensates for the rain
The sound of birds makes up for the sound of the rain
Hit the queue for the bus and then join the line
Getting in line for the bus
Same faces for the last ten years of my life
Seeing the same people for 10 years
See them more than my friends I couldn't tell you their names
Seeing these people more often than friends, but not knowing their names
Shattered glass on the floor the kids have run out of games
Kids breaking things because they're bored
And I don't see that's ever gonna change
Not expecting anything to change
One hour passes till I'm back on my feet
Waiting for an hour before being able to leave
A stone's throw I will be walking till I'm off the street
Walking down the street
Hang my coat to dry, settle down with the herd
Putting coat to dry and joining others
Some I really don't mind, some just get on my nerves
Being annoyed by some people
Turn my back to the clock cause it slows the time
Ignoring the clock to make time pass faster
Take out a cigarette and hear the match strike
Lighting a cigarette
Turn the radio on to drown the sound of the rain
Playing music to mask the sound of the rain
Same bands same songs play again and again
Hearing the same songs repeatedly
Tell me I'm not right say what you like I'm miles away
Distant from others and not wanting to hear their opinions
And expect nothing changing except for the name of the day.
Not expecting anything to change except for the day of the week
From my place of work I move away in haste
Leaving work quickly
Time there moves slow but rushes when I'm away
Time at work feels slow, but goes by quickly when not there
Pass a girl from my school the conversation's brief
Briefly speaking to someone from school
Gotta catch that train, get myself some relief
Needing to catch a train to escape
I meet up with friends and they knock off at six
Meeting up with friends after work
I pull at five and walk about for a bit
Leaving work at five
Watch the world go by through an empty glass
Looking at the world through an empty glass
And I know that won't be the last 'so'
Knowing that this won't be the last time doing this
Creep back into bed and I pull up the sheet
Getting back in bed and covering up
High over my head and undercover my feet
Covering up with blanket
Till the room goes dark and i'm miles away
Darkening room until being far away
Jump to the alarm and start another day!
Waking up to alarm and starting a new day
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LUKE CROWTHER, GRANT MARSH, ROBERT PYNE, JOEL STOKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind