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.
Keep It a Crime
The Suicide Machines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your fence and skate the pool skate the rail at
Your high school kick me out but I'll come back
Maybe next time with a baseball bat
[Chorus:]
Fuck security fuck the cops I'm gonna
Skate just where I want skatings a crime so lets
Do a smith grind I'll rip down your sign gonaa
Grind the benches at the mall kickflip the stairs
At city hall you give me a ticket I'll tear it up
Spit in your face and say "You Fucking Suck!"
[Chorus]
The Suicide Machines's song "Keep It a Crime" is a furious skate punk anthem that is all about rebelling against authority, particularly when it comes to skateboarding in public spaces. The lyrics make it clear that for the singer and presumably for many listeners, skateboarding is not just a hobby but a way of life, one that is constantly being threatened by the "laws" and "security" that seek to exclude and punish anyone who defies the norms of public behavior. In this context, skateboarding becomes a symbol of youthful rebellion and creativity, a way of asserting one's identity and pushing back against the forces of conformity and repression.
Throughout the song, the singer boasts about his skill and audacity as a skateboarder, describing various daring and subversive acts like hopping fences, grinding benches, and kickflipping stairs. He is clearly proud of his ability to "skate just where [he] want[s]" and to challenge the authority of those who would try to stop him. At the same time, he acknowledges the risks and dangers of this lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of keeping skateboarding a "crime" in order to preserve its thrill and intensity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ride free or die your laws don't apply gonna hop
I will ride freely and disregard your laws, as I do not believe they apply to me. I will even hop over your fence to do so.
Your fence and skate the pool skate the rail at
I will skate wherever I please, even if it means jumping your fence to skate in your pool or grinding the rail at your high school.
Your high school kick me out but I'll come back
Even if you kick me out of your high school for skating, I will return to skate again.
Maybe next time with a baseball bat
Next time, I may even bring a baseball bat to show my anger and frustration towards your actions.
[Chorus:]
Chorus repeats the message throughout the song.
Fuck security fuck the cops I'm gonna
I do not respect security or the police, and I will continue to skate wherever I want.
Skate just where I want skatings a crime so lets
Skating is considered a crime to society, but I will continue to skate wherever I please, as it is my passion.
Keep it that way just wanna sk8 sk8
I want skating to remain a crime, as I do not want to conform to society's norms and rules. All I want to do is skate.
Do a smith grind I'll rip down your sign gonaa
I will do a smith grind and even tear down your sign to show my disregard for your rules and regulations.
Grind the benches at the mall kickflip the stairs
I will grind the benches at the mall and do a kickflip down the stairs, even if it is against the rules.
At city hall you give me a ticket I'll tear it up
Even if you give me a ticket for my actions at city hall, I will rip it up in defiance and continue to skate.
Spit in your face and say "You Fucking Suck!"
I will spit in your face and insult you, as I do not respect your authority or actions towards my skating.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats the message throughout the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
IHaveAids 420
That bass tone omg
TeamLameDetroit
Dude! This session at Simplicity was so much fun! Cold as a Michigan winter in there, but so much fun and so much love in that building.
Victor Vega
miss this. thank goodness for the suicide machines.
Bernat Batlle
awesome drumming
ffeff
I really appreciate that they made a one minute video for this porovivious song.
DannyBoyo68
Classic punk song.
soulsbourg
i miss the old ska they used to play
Daniel Alvarez
Oh fuck!!! this is a real hardcore band!!!!
DannyBoyo68
Their bassist rules...
nahid falsename
It's just hardcore -.- mister genious