The Rods' third album, released 1983, was entitled In the Raw. In 1984 Canedy and Bordonaro played on Jack Starr's album Out of the Darkness with Rhett Forrester of Riot and Gary Driscoll of Rainbow. Then in 1984 the Rods released their fourth studio album Let Them Eat Metal and recorded the album The Rods Live. Their album Heavier Than Thou was originally released in 1986. An album was also released the same year, entitled Hollywood under the name Canedy, Feinstein, Bordonaro & Caudle (all of the band members). Rick Caudle handled lead vocals on that album, with Feinstein only playing guitar. Following poor sales of their final two albums the group split up.
Canedy is also a producer of heavy metal bands, and his credits include Anthrax's Armed and Dangerous and Spreading the Disease, Exciter's Violence & Force, Overkill's Feel the Fire, Possessed's Beyond the Gates and Roxx Gang's Love 'Em and Leave 'Em.
In 2008 the Rods announced that they were reuniting with the line-up of Feinstein, Bordonaro and Canedy, and in August 2008 they played at the Metal Rock Fest in Lillehammer, Norway. The album Vengeance was released in 2011 to positive reviews, and The Brotherhood of Metal was released in 2019.
Discography
Rock Hard (1980), reissued as The Rods (1981)
Full Throttle (EP) (1981)
Wild Dogs (1982)
In the Raw (1983)
The Rods Live (1983)
Let Them Eat Metal (1984)
Hollywood (1986) – released under the name Canedy, Feinstein, Bordonaro & Caudle
Heavier Than Thou (1986)
Vengeance (2011)
Brotherhood of Metal (2019)
Rattle The Cage (2024)
Crossfire
The Rods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have you been trying for years?
Accommodation, adjustment, those do seem to be in the order of things, don't they?
Don't try to put me in the same class with you.
No, no, of course not. I mean things are simpler for you. You marry a woman because she's all blown up, where as I, in my old-fashioned way.
There was more to it than that.
Sure, sure. I bet she has money, too.
Give you everything money could buy
Gave you my heart and soul
But you didn't even try
Caught in the
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, no, I can't take it and I can't make it alone
Times are hard, things look bad
You play it cool, never show your hand
You're not giving all that you can
Because I give it all that I have
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, no, I can't take it and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, I can't make it alone
Every day I work so hard
Give you everything money could buy
Gave you my heart and soul
But you didn't even try
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, no, I can't take it and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, no, I can't take it and I can't make it alone
The lyrics to The Rods' song "Crossfire" speak to the struggle of trying to make a relationship work when one person is giving their all and the other is not reciprocating. The singer has been trying for years to clean up the mess he made and make things work, but it seems that his efforts are in vain. The discussion between the two characters in the beginning of the song highlights the singer's frustration with the other person's lack of effort and understanding.
The chorus of the song, "Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone," emphasizes the feeling of being caught in the middle of something that is not working. The singer has given everything he has, including his heart and soul, but it seems that his efforts have been in vain. He is caught in a crossfire, unable to live with the other person but also unable to make it alone.
The overall theme of the song is the struggle of trying to make a relationship work when one person is not putting in the same effort as the other. Despite the singer's best efforts, he cannot make things work alone and is caught in a crossfire of emotions and turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been trying for years to clean up the mess I made.
Have you been trying for years?
Accommodation, adjustment, those do seem to be in the order of things, don't they?
Don't try to put me in the same class with you.
No, no, of course not. I mean things are simpler for you. You marry a woman because she's all blown up, where as I, in my old-fashioned way.
There was more to it than that. Sure, sure. I bet she has money, too.
Every day I work so hard
I give you everything money could buy
Give you everything money could buy
I gave you my heart and soul
Gave you my heart and soul
But you didn't even try
Caught in the
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Times are hard, things look bad
You play it cool, never show your hand
You're not giving all that you can
Because I give it all that I have
Every day I work so hard
I give you everything money could buy
Crossfire, no, I can't take it and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, I can't make it alone
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, no, I can't take it and I can't make it alone
Crossfire, I can't live with you and I can't make it alone
Contributed by Jasmine R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.