1) - The Stryder… Read Full Bio ↴Not to be confused with Stryder, from South Africa.
1) - The Stryder was a band hailing from Long Island, NY. The Band was formed by Peter Toh and Scottie Redix (aka Cassonova Brown) in 1999 after their previous project, Yearly, disbanded following the departure of bassist Eben D'amico who left to join Saves the Day. They added a vocalist and bassist, John Johansen and Nick Wendel (Respectively). They released a 7" on Elkion Records titled "The Hits Just Keep on Comin" and shortly after signed a deal to Equal Vision Records and released their debut album "Masquerade in the Key of Crime" in the summer of 2000. The band toured extensively and began writing new material in 2001. They added former Glassjaw drummer Durijah Lang, and moved Scottie Redix up to Guitar and backing vocals. In the summer of 2001 the band parted ways with vocalist John Johansen. 2002 saw the release of "Jungle City Twitch". Debuting a new sound, The Stryder continued to tour the country in support of the new release before disbanding in February of 2003. In 2003/2004, Elkion Records released "Savor The Danger" which contained a collection of old demos and the 2 songs from the 7" previously released on the label. Peter released his first solo EP "Cleopatra" in 2004 on Elkion Records. Durijah moved on to become the drummer of Classic Case and has also returned to Glassjaw. Scottie is now doing a solo project under the name Cassonova Brown. In 2006, Peter then went on to start his own record label, Hidden Track Music Group, and released a solo EP titled "Shoes of a Beast". Hidden Track is currently being run by Peter, along with friends Adam Schleichkorn, and James Catusco, and are currently working on Peter's first full-length album, titled "Wildlife".
2)] - Formed in Dublin, Ireland, Stryder were together as band from 1977 to 1982. The band also considered part of the NWOBHM movement that took part in 1978-1982. They have a storied history of live performances, musical arrangements, and studio recordings. Their sole 7'' single is among the rarest singles and holy grails to collectors. For the first time in 40 years the single song plus 6 unreleased songs will be featured in the bands cd Darkened Days featuring original line up:
Alan Quigley - Vocals
Joe Wearen - guitar
Ger Kennedy - guitar
Brian Whelan - bass guitar
Eugene Giblin - drums
3) - Female fronted Melodic Hard Rock / AOR from Utah. Laurie Welker's strong distinctive vocals, killer harmonies, top notch dual guitar work with blazing solos from Gilbert Rodriguez (who later formed BAD BOYS). STRYDER later changed names and became the band Essex..
STYDER is ...
Laurie Welker - Lead Vocals
Gilbert Rodriguez - Guitar, Keyboars
Chris Clary - Guitar, Vocals
Ron Jensen - Bass Guitar
Kevin Freebairn - Drums
Key of Crime
The Stryder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's crowded.
It's loud as hell in here.
My mission to kill her.
Incision. It will hurt.
I'm staring, stop staring.
She's wearing my favorite shirt.
Go for, go for it.
But she's got that sweater on.
The leaves like feathers are falling from the trees.
And I don't want to kiss you anyway.
She's got those eyes that I've been looking for.
Who is that guy?
Seems to be guarding her.
Up in that tier.
The chandelier is going to fall on her, if he takes his eyes off her.
I've got the shot. I know I should.
But it's so hard, you look so good.
Go for, go for it.
Before she kills me.
But she's got that sweater on.
Confetti feathers are falling on fake trees.
And I don't want to kiss you anyway.
She's stunning in that elegant costume.
I'm on her tail. I'll break a sweat.
I wasn't supposed to have regrets.
I'll pinch him, pinch her, and then I'm standing under the tier that he's on.
To pull the hammer with my thumb.
And the masquerade is scattering.
I'm making sure I stay behind her.
She's the one with braids.
I'm catching up. I'm getting close.
Making sure she's dead from her head down to her toes.
Run for, run for it.
If she cries then I'm not giving in.
What if I choke?
What if I don't?
What if my cigarettes won't smoke?
What if she says that she's in love with me?
What if I choke?
What if I don't?
What if my cigarettes won't smoke?
What if she says that she's in love with me?
But she's got that sweater on.
She stops and turns around.
Falling to the ground.
She asks me not to kill her.
I'm leaning down to kiss her.
She's asking me to hold her.
How did she pull my trigger?
Falling to the ground.
I didn't want to kiss you anyway, anyway.
She's running. I'm bleeding.
Her costume is tearing.
I finally stopped staring.
The lyrics of The Stryders' song Key of Crime appear to tell a dark story of someone with a mission to kill a woman in a crowded and loud place. The person seems to be battling their urge to commit this heinous act and struggling with conflicting emotions. The line "I didn't want to kiss you anyway" seems to suggest that the motive behind the planned killing might have been a romantic rejection or jealousy, and that the writer was trying to convince themselves that they didn't really care. There is a moment of ambiguity where it seems that the singer has pulled the trigger and killed the woman, only for her to then pull his own trigger and seemingly kill him instead. This ambiguity adds to the sinister undertones of the song and could suggest that the singer's ultimate downfall was as much a product of their internal struggle as external circumstances.
The lyrics of Key of Crime are poetic and cryptic, leaving a lot of room for interpretation. The story is full of vivid imagery and emotionally charged moments, making it a compelling listen. The chorus is especially haunting, with the repetition of "what if I choke? What if I don't? What if my cigarettes won't smoke?" adding a sense of desperation and panic to the lyrics. Overall, the song is a complex and thought-provoking exploration of themes such as obsession and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
It's freezing outside now.
The weather is very cold outside.
It's crowded.
The place is full of people.
It's loud as hell in here.
The environment is very noisy.
My mission to kill her.
The artist's plan is to murder someone.
Incision. It will hurt.
The act of cutting someone will cause pain.
I'm staring, stop staring.
The singer keeps looking at someone but tries to stop himself.
She's wearing my favorite shirt.
The person being watched is wearing an outfit that the singer adores.
Go for, go for it.
The artist urges himself to take action.
Before she sees me.
The artist wants to take action before the target notices them.
But she's got that sweater on.
The person being watched is wearing a specific sweater.
The leaves like feathers are falling from the trees.
The tree's leaves are falling and resembling feathers.
And I don't want to kiss you anyway.
The artist does not have any interest in a romantic relationship.
She's got those eyes that I've been looking for.
The singer admires the person's eyes that they have been searching for.
Who is that guy?
The singer is curious about a person who is near the target.
Seems to be guarding her.
The person near the target appears to be protecting her.
Up in that tier.
The target and protector are on a higher level or platform.
The chandelier is going to fall on her if he takes his eyes off her.
If the protector is distracted, the chandelier may fall on the target.
I've got the shot. I know I should.
The singer has an opportunity to take action and knows they should take it.
But it's so hard, you look so good.
The singer is finding it difficult to follow through with their plan because the target looks appealing.
Go for, go for it.
The artist encourages themselves to act.
Before she kills me.
The artist is afraid the target will harm them if they do not take action.
Confetti feathers are falling on fake trees.
Decorative objects that resemble feathers fall from artificial trees.
She's stunning in that elegant costume.
The singer regards the target as beautiful while wearing a fancy outfit.
I'm on her tail. I'll break a sweat.
The artist is trailing the target, and it requires effort.
I wasn't supposed to have regrets.
The singer had not planned on feeling bad about their actions, but they do.
I'll pinch him, pinch her, and then I'm standing under the tier that he's on.
The singer's plan is to distract the protector by pinching both the target and him, then sneak under the elevated platform.
To pull the hammer with my thumb.
The singer prepares their weapon to attack.
And the masquerade is scattering.
The masked celebration that was happening is now breaking apart due to the artist's intervention.
I'm making sure I stay behind her.
The artist needs to be careful to trail the target without being noticed.
She's the one with braids.
The target has a hairstyle involving braids.
I'm catching up. I'm getting close.
The singer is closing the distance between themself and the target.
Making sure she's dead from her head down to her toes.
The artist plans on killing the target thoroughly.
Run for, run for it. If she cries, then I'm not giving in.
The artist is urging themselves to run away and not be swayed by the target's pleas.
What if I choke? What if I don't? What if my cigarettes won't smoke?
The artist has many worries and anxieties regarding the situation.
What if she says that she's in love with me?
The singer fears that the target might confess their feelings.
But she's got that sweater on.
The target is still wearing the same sweater.
She stops and turns around.
The target notices the singer.
Falling to the ground.
The singer falls down.
She asks me not to kill her.
The target begs the singer not to murder them.
I'm leaning down to kiss her.
The artist is starting to act affectionately towards the target.
She's asking me to hold her.
The target is requesting physical comfort from the artist.
How did she pull my trigger?
The singer is surprised that the target was able to get them to show mercy.
Falling to the ground.
The singer falls down again.
I didn't want to kiss you anyway, anyway.
The artist remains conflicted about their feelings towards the target.
She's running. I'm bleeding. Her costume is tearing.
The artist is injured, and the target is escaping while their outfit rips.
I finally stopped staring.
The artist is no longer fixated on the target.
Contributed by Jordyn J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.