The Suicide Machines were a band formed in 1991 in Detroit, Michigan under … Read Full Bio ↴The Suicide Machines were a band formed in 1991 in Detroit, Michigan under the original name Jack Kevorkian and the Suicide Machines. The band's original lineup consisted of Jason Navarro on vocals, Dan Lukacinsky on guitar, Jason Brake on bass, and Stefan Rairigh on drums. This lineup lasted a year until Bill Jennings replaced Rairigh, but he was himself soon replaced by Derek Grant. They recorded the band's first demos The Essential Kevorkian and Green World in 1993 and 1994, both released through their own label Sluggo's Old Skool Records. They also released the "Vans Song" 7" single on Youth Rendition Records. Brake left the group in 1994 and was briefly replaced by Dave Smith until Royce Nunley joined as the new permanent bass player. The lineup of Navarro, Lukacinsky, Nunley, and Grant would last for the next four years. This lineup reduced the band's name to The Suicide Machines and recorded the Skank for Brains split album with The Rudiments.

1996-2001: Hollywood Records years

In 1995 the band signed to Hollywood Records, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. 1996 saw the release of their first album, Destruction by Definition. Its blend of punk rock and ska brought the national attention in the midst of the mid-1990s punk rock mainstream revival. The single "No Face" became a minor hit on modern rock radio stations and the album was supported through extensive touring across the United States. They released a follow-up in 1998 entitled Battle Hymns, which continued their ska punk style while incorporating more aggressive elements of hardcore punk, with nearly all of its songs lasting under two minutes in length.

Following the release of Battle Hymns Grant left the band. He went on to play with numerous groups including Thoughts of Ionesco, The Vandals, face to face, and Telegraph before finding a permanent position in the Alkaline Trio. He was replaced by Erin Pitman for some touring before new permanent drummer Ryan Vandeberghe joined. In 2000 this lineup released The Suicide Machines, a more pop rock oriented effort that moved away from the ska influences of their earlier releases. They received some radio and video play for the single "Sometimes I Don't Mind" and performed on the Warped Tour that Summer. In 2001 they released Steal This Record, which continued their exploration of pop punk style while mixing in elements of their earlier ska punk and hardcore albums.

2002-2005: Side One Dummy years

Following touring in support of Steal This Record bassist Nunley left The Suicide Machines to start his own band, Blueprint 76, and was replaced by Rich Tschirhart. The band also ended their contract with Hollywood Records, fulfilling their contractual obligations by releasing the compilation album The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines. They then moved to the independent label Side One Dummy Records. Their next album A Match and Some Gasoline, released in 2003, found the band abandoning the pop experimentations of their previous two albums and returning more to the ska punk and hardcore styles of their earlier years. They also began to explore sociopolitical themes in songs such as "Did You Ever Get a Feeling of Dread?" and "Your Silence," which were critical of President George W. Bush's administration, its response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They toured internationally in support of the album and again performed on the Warped Tour.

In 2005 the band released the album War Profiteering is Killing Us All, which continued their political themes by openly attacking the Bush White House, the continuation of the Iraq War, and conservative Republicanism. Navarro also launched his own record label, Noise Riot Records, and released On the Eve of Destruction: 1991-1995, a compilation of the band's early EPs, singles, and demos.

2006: Breakup and post-Suicide Machines activity

In 2006, while touring in support of War Profiteering is Killing Us All, the band abruptly broke up. Explanations given by the band members for this included Vandeberghe's desire to take a break from touring, which he did while friend Steve McCrumb filled for a performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on May 11. A tour of Mexico had been planned to follow this, and Navarro had suggested that the band perform its final shows that Christmas. However, interpersonal tensions came to a head after the Troubadour show when Lukacinsky refused to finish the tour. Lukacinsky himself further elaborated that the band had been planning to break up for some time.

Following the band's breakup, Navarro and Vandeberghe continued working with Left in Ruin, a band they had started as a Suicide Machines side project and had worked on and off with for almost 6 years. Vandeberghe also joined the new band Hifi Handgrenades. Lukacinsky, meanwhile, started his own band Bayonetting the Wounded. Navarro is currently fronting Hellmouth. Tschirhart is in The A-Gang.

Bonkers
The Suicide Machines Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't have a lot to say because I lose my mind each day
So lock me in a padded room, straight up, straight out
Straight jacket doom
Goin' nuts, insane you see this padded room so leave me be
This padded room here all the time. cause you see
I lost my mind

I bust a nut an lost a bolt, now you know my life's on hold

Cause all these doctors think I'm crazy, but all this shit it doesn't please me
Oh yeah , I'm gonna lose it now, can't stop me no way , no how
There's a word, I think it's zonkers, all these people think I'm bonkers

Society is smothering me, this place is where people fuck quietly
And they have bland orgasms, suburbia is so beautiful
Expansive green lawns for expensive white people
And that mailman he smiles and says hello
(I just want to roll his ass)
You want to know why?
Cause now are the days you've got to be crazed
You've gotta live your life your own way

I'd really like to run away, go out and have some fun and play
But I'm still locked in this padded room
With this world's fucked up, shitty gloom
Competition sucks, you see this padded room is killing me
This padded room, I'm here to die. just tripped out
No reason why
I pound a spike and lose a screw
My brains scrambled
Nothing you can do
Be great to play while someone pays me, not called bonkers its called lazy
I'll stand up and take a bow what do you think of me now?
There's a word I think its zonkers,

All these clones they say I'm
Bonkers!

Overall Meaning

The Suicide Machines's song Bonkers is a fast-paced punk rock tune that explores the idea of losing one's sanity due to the pressure of society. The lyrics reflect a sense of desperation in the singer's voice as he talks about being locked up in a padded room and losing his mind each day. The singer complains about being misunderstood by society, stating that people think he's crazy and bonkers. He also critiques the superficiality of suburban life, where people have boring sex lives and live in expensive houses with perfectly manicured lawns.

The lyrics touch upon themes of mental health, societal pressure to conform, and the need to break free from the norms of society. The song reflects the frustration of young people who feel trapped by expectations placed on them by society and feel like they are not understood or appreciated for who they are. The sense of alienation and rebellion is reflected in the fast-paced beat and aggressive vocals, which encourage the listeners to tap into their own frustrations and find an outlet in punk rock music.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't have a lot to say because I lose my mind each day
I am unable to express myself due to my mental condition that worsens every day

So lock me in a padded room, straight up, straight out
The only way to contain me is to lock me in a padded room

Straight jacket doom
The straight jacket is a symbol of the misery that I am going through

Goin' nuts, insane you see this padded room so leave me be
I am going crazy and the padded room is a constant reminder of my mental state, so please leave me alone

This padded room here all the time. cause you see
I am stuck in this padded room continuously and it's affecting me badly

I lost my mind
I have completely lost my sanity

I bust a nut an lost a bolt, now you know my life's on hold
My life has been put on hold due to my deteriorating mental health

Cause all these doctors think I'm crazy, but all this shit it doesn't please me
Although the doctors have labeled me as insane, it doesn't give me any pleasure

Oh yeah , I'm gonna lose it now, can't stop me no way , no how
I am on the verge of completely losing it and there's no stopping me

There's a word, I think it's zonkers, all these people think I'm bonkers
People think I am insane and use different words like 'zonkers' and 'bonkers' to describe me

Society is smothering me, this place is where people fuck quietly
Society is suffocating me and this place is where people have mundane sex without passion

And they have bland orgasms, suburbia is so beautiful
The people in suburbia have unexciting experiences and yet, it is a beautiful place

Expansive green lawns for expensive white people
Large green lawns are typical of wealthy, white people living in suburbia

And that mailman he smiles and says hello
Even the mailman greets me with a smile, but that doesn't mean I am not hated by society

(I just want to roll his ass)
I just want to attack him because of his insincerity

You want to know why?
I am going to tell you why

Cause now are the days you've got to be crazed
These are the times when you need to be insane to survive

You've gotta live your life your own way
You need to live your life according to your own values

I'd really like to run away, go out and have some fun and play
I wish to escape this reality and have some fun

But I'm still locked in this padded room
However, I am still trapped in this padded room

With this world's fucked up, shitty gloom
The world is messed up and depressing

Competition sucks, you see this padded room is killing me
The competitive nature of society is making me feel worse and the padded room is making it worse

This padded room, I'm here to die. just tripped out
I feel that I am going to die in this padded room as a result of my mental breakdown

No reason why
There's no logical explanation for my insanity

I pound a spike and lose a screw
I take drugs to cope and it only makes things worse

My brains scrambled
My mind is chaotic and scattered

Nothing you can do
Nobody is able to help me or solve my problems

Be great to play while someone pays me, not called bonkers its called lazy
I wish to play music and get paid for it without being judged as crazy, but as being lazy

I'll stand up and take a bow what do you think of me now?
I will take pride in my music and want to be acknowledged and appreciated for it

There's a word I think its zonkers, all these clones they say I'm bonkers
People who are conformist in nature call me crazy, using typical terms like 'zonkers' and 'bonkers'

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: ALBERT L OLSON, ARTHUR KEMPEL, B ROSS, CARL SWANDER JOHNSON, CHARLES TRONE FERNANDEZ, DONALD ROMAIN DAVIS, ERIC SCHMIDT, GAVIN GOODWIN, HARVEY R COHEN, HOWARD ROSENBAUM JOEL, J GRANT JEROME, JAMES WESLEY STEMPLE, JEROME J GRANT, JOEL HOWARD ROSENBAUM, JOH

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