Band members are as follows:
Vic Ruggiero - Keyboards, Vocals
Jay "Agent Jay" Nugent - Guitar
Dave Hillyard - Saxophone
Glen Pine - Trombone, Vocals
Marcus Geard - Bass
Ara Babajian - Drums
Former members and contributors:
Marq "Q-Maxx 4:20" Lyn - Vocals
TJ Scanlon - Guitar
Luis "Zulu" Zuluaga - Drums
Jeremy "Mush One" Mushlin - Trumpet, Vocals
Allen Teboul - Drums
Dunia Best- Vocals, Flute
Jeff "King Django" Baker - Trombone
Tobias Fields - Congas
Eric "E-ROC" Singer - Alto Saxophone
Victor Rice - Bass
Dave Hahn - lead guitar
Justin Redekop- Trumpet
The next album released was Redlight, on HellCat Records in 1997. This album solidified their sound and further fixed the line-up.
The band released its latest album, entitled Self Medication, in May of 2008.
What Went Wrong
The Slackers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long, long time since you been gone
I can still remember conversations we had
To bad that's all that now lingers on
So many times I nearly fooled myself that some...
Body like you could give a damn about me
But then one day you stepped into my life,
All my strife was a fleeting memory
(Chorus):
Over and over in my head at night (What went wrong...)
Didn't lose the battle, didn't give up the fight (What went wrong...)
To let you go then didn't make things right (What went wrong...)
Can't hide the tears from my eyes now that love's gone and passed me by...
Bearing my life I somehow steered you wrong
From the road once again was driving us away
I pushed aside the things that meant so much with hope
That you'd be happy some day
I wear regret now like the lines on my face
Not a day passes on when you don't cross my mind (You don't cross my mind...)
Couldn't raise the spirits of the broken hearted
Chance presents itself what'd you do in kind
(Chorus)
Can't hide the tears from my eyes now that love's gone and passed me...
But then one day I gathered up the nerve
To trek on all these ways I thought not to cross
In for this pain that flow deep down inside
That still has the dreams that always know loss
Upon the threshold I now made my ascent
Towards the door I sure closed on one careless day (On one careless day...)
Written on a ledger (?) revealed
That your name, long gone, it faded away
(Chorus):
Over and over in my head at night (What went wrong...)
Didn't lose the battle, didn't give up the fight (What went wrong...)
To let you go then didn't make things right (What went wrong...)
What went wrong...
Can't hide the tears from my eyes now that love's gone and passed me...
Love's gone
Love's gone
Love's gone
Now that love's gone and passed me by...
The Slackers' "What Went Wrong" is a melancholic song about lost love and missed opportunities. The opening lines suggest that the singer hasn't seen their lover in a long while, but memories of their conversations still linger. The chorus questions what caused their relationship to fail, and the regret the singer bears for not making things right. The second verse reveals that the singer pushed aside important aspects of their relationship, hoping their lover would find happiness elsewhere. As time passes, regret sets in, and the chorus is repeated with even more emotion. Finally, the singer gathers the courage to confront the past, but finds that the memory of their lover has faded away, leaving only pain and sadness.
The song's lyrics are straightforward, but the music is where The Slackers shine. The ska-influenced rhythm and driving horn section create a sense of urgency, while the soulful vocals add depth and passion. The juxtaposition of the lively music and somber lyrics creates a powerful emotional impact. The repeated chorus and bridge allow the listener to fully engage with the pain and regret expressed in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me a minute to compose myself, it's been
I need some time to collect myself, it's been a long time since you left.
Long, long time since you been gone
You've been gone for a very long time.
I can still remember conversations we had
I still remember the conversations we had.
To bad that's all that now lingers on
It's a shame that the memories are all that's left.
So many times I nearly fooled myself that some...
I often deluded myself into thinking that someone like you could care about me.
Body like you could give a damn about me
You never cared about me despite my beliefs.
But then one day you stepped into my life,
But then one day you came into my life,
All my strife was a fleeting memory
All my struggles disappeared briefly.
(Chorus):
Chorus
Over and over in my head at night (What went wrong...)
I keep asking myself what went wrong, over and over again at night.
Didn't lose the battle, didn't give up the fight (What went wrong...)
I didn't lose or give up, but I still wonder what went wrong.
To let you go then didn't make things right (What went wrong...)
Letting you go didn't bring closure to what went wrong between us.
Can't hide the tears from my eyes now that love's gone and passed me by...
I can't conceal the tears in my eyes now that love has left me behind.
Bearing my life I somehow steered you wrong
I feel responsible for pushing you away from our life together.
From the road once again was driving us away
Our path was taking us away from each other again.
I pushed aside the things that meant so much with hope
I ignored the things that were significant with the hope that you'd be happy someday.
That you'd be happy some day
That you would eventually find happiness.
I wear regret now like the lines on my face
Regret is etched on my face like lines are on it.
Not a day passes on when you don't cross my mind (You don't cross my mind...)
I think about you every day without fail.
Couldn't raise the spirits of the broken-hearted
I wasn't able to uplift the broken-hearted.
Chance presents itself what'd you do in kind
If an opportunity arose, would you do the same for me?
Can't hide the tears from my eyes now that love's gone and passed me...
I can't hide the tears now that love has left me behind...
But then one day I gathered up the nerve
One day, I mustered the courage.
To trek on all these ways I thought not to cross
To walk on the paths I never thought I would.
In for this pain that flow deep down inside
Risking the pain that runs deep inside me.
That still has the dreams that always know loss
The dreams that are always associated with loss still linger.
Upon the threshold I now made my ascent
I finally made it to the threshold.
Towards the door I sure closed on one careless day (On one careless day...)
Towards the door that I carelessly shut one day.
Written on a ledger (?) revealed
A ledger has revealed.
That your name, long gone, it faded away
That your name has faded away a long time ago.
(Chorus):
Chorus
What went wrong...
What went wrong...
Love's gone
Love is gone.
Love's gone
Love is gone.
Love's gone
Love is gone.
Now that love's gone and passed me by...
Now that love has left me behind...
Contributed by Victoria J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.