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.
Hey
The Suicide Machines Lyrics
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Hey! What went wrong?
Hey! I don't know why?
Hey! I might as well try! Buy
Well, I looked around this crazy place and tried to make some sense of it?
Robbed a bank and stole a car and tried to put some dents in it
AND everybody is playing games
Don't play your stupid games you know I don't need all that fucked up shit
No one ever told me I was gonna get older
Turned 21 and I thought my life was over
Took a long time to get where I am now
And I'm not gonna sit around wondering how, no!
Well I listen to your fuckin' shit I can't make any sense of it
'Cause what goes in does not come out, you've gotta put two cents in it
You're just a blob of fuckin' jell you're brain is floating in space
And if your brain was worth a quarter I'd get twenty-six cents back in change!
No one told me that the grass would be greener
I've done a lot of things since the last time that I seen her
No one ever told me it would be this way
That's why you can't make any sense out of anything I say!
My world is crumbling and I don't know what to do
It's falling down around me 'cause I'm thinking of you
If we take a look at our world today
Are our morals on decline or have we all gone insane?
Hey! What's goin' on?
Hey! What went wrong?
Hey! I don't know why?
Hey! I might as well try!
In this song, Suicide Machines talks about the confusion and chaos that surrounds us in the world today. The singer expresses their frustration with the way things are and their desire to try and make sense of it all. The repeated "Hey!" serves as a call to attention, a means of getting people to stop and think about what's happening around them. The opening lines of the song, "Hey! What's goin' on? Hey! What went wrong?" suggest that there is something not quite right with the world we live in, yet they don't know what it is, only that they feel unsettled and uneasy.
The lyrics continue with the singer's attempts to understand and make sense of the world, which they liken to a "crazy place." They describe their frustrations with the way people play games and the nonsensical things they say and do. The line "you're just a blob of fuckin' jell, your brain is floating in space" suggests that people are not using their brains to their full potential, that they are drifting through life without purpose or direction. The lyrics are both critical and satirical, poking fun at the absurdities of modern life.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on their own struggles, including feeling lost and directionless after turning 21. They acknowledge that it has taken them a long time to get to where they are now, but they are determined not to give up or waste any more time wondering how or why things are the way they are. The final section of the song asks questions about the state of the world today, posing the idea that perhaps our morals are in decline or that we've all gone insane.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! What's goin' on?
Asking the question about the current state of the world and trying to understand it.
Hey! What went wrong?
Realizing something is not right in the world and seeking to understand the root cause of it.
Hey! I don't know why?
Expressing confusion and lack of understanding about the world and its problems.
Hey! I might as well try! Buy
Acknowledging the need to take action and try to make a difference, even if it seems daunting or difficult.
Well, I looked around this crazy place and tried to make some sense of it?
Attempting to understand the world and the chaos that can come with it.
Robbed a bank and stole a car and tried to put some dents in it
Acting out in frustration and attempting to disrupt the perceived order of society.
AND everybody is playing games
Observing the way people interact with each other and recognizing the superficiality of their actions.
I don't know what to make of it
Feeling overwhelmed and confused about the state of society and the world.
Don't play your stupid games you know I don't need all that fucked up shit
Rejecting the superficiality and insincerity of people's actions and words.
No one ever told me I was gonna get older
Reflecting on the inevitability of growing older and facing new challenges and responsibilities.
Turned 21 and I thought my life was over
Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about the future, despite reaching a major milestone like turning 21.
Took a long time to get where I am now
Recognizing the effort and time it took to reach a certain point in life.
And I'm not gonna sit around wondering how, no!
Expressing determination and a refusal to let uncertainty and doubt hold one back.
Well I listen to your fuckin' shit I can't make any sense of it
Reacting to the meaningless and confusing words of others.
'Cause what goes in does not come out, you've gotta put two cents in it
Recognizing the need for effort and contribution to make sense of the world and communicate effectively.
You're just a blob of fuckin' jell you're brain is floating in space
Dismissing the intelligence and thoughtfulness of others.
And if your brain was worth a quarter I'd get twenty-six cents back in change!
Insulting the stupidity of others and suggesting their brain is virtually worthless.
No one told me that the grass would be greener
Feeling disillusioned and disappointed that life has not lived up to expectations.
I've done a lot of things since the last time that I seen her
Reflecting on past experiences and changes that have occurred since a certain point in time.
No one ever told me it would be this way
Feeling like life and the world are not what they were expected to be.
That's why you can't make any sense out of anything I say!
Expressing frustration that others cannot understand one's perspective because of the confusion and chaos in the world.
My world is crumbling and I don't know what to do
Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about how to handle the problems and challenges in one's life.
It's falling down around me 'cause I'm thinking of you
Suggesting that personal problems and relationships are contributing to the sense of chaos and uncertainty in one's life.
If we take a look at our world today
Stepping back to consider the state of the world and its problems as a whole.
Are our morals on decline or have we all gone insane?
Questioning the state of morality and sanity in the world and how it has contributed to the problems at hand.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL JAY LUKACINSKY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind