Following the album's release, the Screaming Jets went to the UK where they based themselves for over two years, touring there and throughout Europe with a variety of hard rock and heavy metal bands. During a series of shows with Ugly Kid Joe, Heaney was fired and replaced for the rest of the tour by one-time Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland.
The band's next album Tear of Thought, which featured Heaney's drumming, was initially slow to gain acceptance until a cover of Boys Next Door's "Shivers" saw the Screaming Jets back in the charts. Heaney was permanently replaced in the line-up by former BB Steal drummer Craig Rosevear and after a US tour with Def Leppard Lara was replaced by Melbourne musician Jimi "The Human" Hocking, who had previously fronted his own band, Jimi Human and Spectre 7, that released an album and two singles at the turn of the decade.
While the Screaming Jets remained only moderately successful overseas, in Australia they were one of the top-drawing live bands of the early-mid 1990s and perhaps the last remaining example of the pub rock acts that had ruled the country's live scene in the late 1970s - mid 1980s. While their single releases rarely scored high on the charts, they won significant airplay on rock radio and the band's tours were wildly successful. In 1995 the Screaming Jets' self-titled album made history when it became the first CD launched via live Webcast.
By the late 90s the Screaming Jets were touring less often and had not released an album of new material since 1996. Hocking had left in 1997 to be replaced by former Judge Mercy guitarist Izzy Osmanovich and after an extensive Australian tour in 2000, Rosevear left to be replaced by Col Hatchman. Although no longer the force they had once been, the Screaming Jets could still draw large crowds and in 2001 were selected to tour with Kiss and Alice Cooper; at the end of that year the band announced an extended break from all touring and recording, playing a final series of shows.
In December 2002, the Screaming Jets did another brief tour in support of a self-financed live album that had been recorded the previous year, but then did not play live again until mid-2004. Since then have continued to record and tour, though more sporadically than during the early 1990s and have also signed a record publishing deal with Universal Records.
Bloodshed
The Screaming Jets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All you gotta do is watch the news.
I'm a stranger so full of doubt and I just can't seem to work it out.
I don't try to get involved but I can't ignore
All the things I'm told.
Grieving faces tell me the score its a body
Count in another war.
All around is bloodshed and people just want to be free.
Leave it all up to me.
Your just another boot leggin' bomber boy
Trying to make me see but all I see is bloodshed.
You never know who makes the rules
Lying deceiving and following fools
Is this a plot without a clue.
Who's gonna give it up and who's
Gotta choose.
What in the world is their reason or cause
what's your excuse and the point of it all.
You say your answer is bigger than my question.
A ballot box for my suggestion.
All around is bloodshed and people just want to be free
Well we've got free misrepresentation
Leave it all up to me.
You're just another boot leggin' bomber boy.
Trying to make me see but all I see is
Bloodshed runnin' down runnin' down yeah.
The system switched to overload and now it's fading from my screen.
The system has a standard and now
It's going to extremes.
All around is bloodshed and people just want to be free.
We've got free misrepresentation
Just leave everything up to me.
You're just a boot leggin' bomber boy
Tryin' to make me see but all I see is
Bloodshed in the name of peace.
The lyrics of "Bloodshed" by The Screaming Jets express a deep sense of frustration towards the never-ending cycle of violence and the lack of freedom in society. The song opens with the lines "To fill your mind up full of views, all you gotta do is watch the news". This indicates that the media only delivers negative news and scandals, giving rise to feelings of hopelessness and doubt, as the singer can't seem to find a way out of this pessimism. Despite not wanting to get involved, the singer can't ignore the constant messages of violence and war that surround him, as he observes the grieving faces of those who have lost loved ones in yet another war.
As the song progresses, the lyrics reveal the frustrations about the higher powers that hold the reins and who make the rules. The line "Lying deceiving and following fools, is this a plot without a clue" suggests that the people in power are not to be trusted and are making decisions without truly understanding their impact. The singer questions their intentions and their reasons for causing bloodshed in the name of peace. The chorus "All around is bloodshed, and people just want to be free" emphasizes the overall idea of the song that humans desire the freedom to live without fear or violence.
Overall, the lyrics of "Bloodshed" convey a sense of cynicism towards those in power, the media and the constant stream of violence that defines current society. The song seems to be a call to action for individuals to question authority, demand transparency, and seek freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
To fill your mind up full of views
All it takes to influence your thoughts is watching the news.
I'm a stranger so full of doubt and I just can't seem to work it out.
I'm skeptical and confused, even though I don't have a personal stake in this conflict.
I don't try to get involved but I can't ignore all the things I'm told.
I don't actively participate, but I can't help being confronted with the reports.
Grieving faces tell me the score its a body count in another war.
The number of casualties continues to rise, and I see the human toll in the faces of those who lost loved ones.
All around is bloodshed and people just want to be free.
There is conflict and loss of life, and people are fighting for their own freedoms.
Well we've got free misrepresentation. Leave it all up to me.
We are given biased and misleading information, and I'll decide for myself.
Your just another boot leggin' bomber boy trying to make me see but all I see is bloodshed.
You are attempting to convince me, but all I can see is the violence and death.
You never know who makes the rules lying deceiving and following fools
It's difficult to discern who is in power, and those in charge are dishonest and foolish.
Is this a plot without a clue. Who's gonna give it up and who's gotta choose.
Is this a scheme with no end goal or direction? Who will concede and who will decide?
What in the world is their reason or cause what's your excuse and the point of it all.
What is the rationale behind this conflict and what is your justification for participating? What is the ultimate goal?
You say your answer is bigger than my question. A ballot box for my suggestion.
You claim to have greater knowledge and solutions than me. All I can do is vote and voice my opinion.
Bloodshed runnin' down runnin' down yeah.
Blood is being spilled continuously.
The system switched to overload and now it's fading from my screen.
The situation has become overwhelming and is being pushed to the back of my mind.
The system has a standard and now it's going to extremes.
There are societal norms in place, but they are being taken to the extreme.
Bloodshed in the name of peace.
There is violence and loss of life in the pursuit of peace.
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