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.
Reasons
The Suicide Machines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't care just kill
losing our minds
free thoughts bled dry
ethnic cleansing
blood is spilling
this world's sickening
words do nothing Buy
screaming for nothing
you're screaming for change
screaming for you
to not look the other way
screaming for nothing
you're screaming for change
screaming for you
to not look the other way
matthew shepard
there's no justice
nothing changes
this world's heartless
clinic bombings
people starving
human failure
feed us cancer
screaming for nothing
you're screaming for change
screaming for you
to not look the other way
screaming for nothing
you're screaming for change
screaming for you
to not look the other way
and I hope its not too late yeah
can't live this fucking way
can't call ourselves human
its all over now
can't call ourselves human
its all over now
we can't call ourselves human
its all over now
we can't call ourselves human
its all over now
its all over now
The lyrics of The Suicide Machines’ song “Reasons” express a deep sense of frustration towards the state of the world, where toxic landfills, ethnic cleansing, and human failure dominate. The lines “this world’s sickening, words do nothing” express the feeling of helplessness in the face of these issues, as awareness-raising and dialogue seem to do nothing to create real change. The song highlights several specific issues, such as the unjust murder of Matthew Shepard, clinic bombings, and people starving, underscoring the urgent need for change.
The chorus of the song repeatedly calls for action, urging listeners to not look the other way and to scream for change. The repetition of “screaming for nothing” emphasizes the feeling of futility, as though the band is shouting into an empty void. However, the final lines of the song express a glimmer of hope, with the singer stating that it is not too late and that we cannot continue living in this way if we wish to call ourselves human.
Overall, the lyrics of “Reasons” are a powerful call to action, urging listeners to confront the world's problems head-on and to not allow apathy and inaction to dominate.
Line by Line Meaning
toxic
The world is polluted and dangerous.
landfill
The world is an overflowing wasteland.
don't care
People are indifferent to the destruction happening around them.
just kill
Instead of caring, some people would rather end it all.
losing
People are going insane and losing their grip on reality.
our minds
Our thoughts and emotions are spiraling out of control.
free thoughts
We used to have the freedom to think and express ourselves, but that is disappearing.
bled dry
Those freedoms have been taken away, leaving us drained and desperate.
ethnic
Different cultures and races are being targeted.
cleansing
There is an attempt to rid the world of certain groups of people.
blood is
Violence and death are rampant.
spilling
People are dying unnecessarily.
this world's
The state of the world is appalling and unacceptable.
sickening
It's making people physically ill.
words do
Talking about these issues doesn't seem to make a difference.
nothing
There is little action being taken to address the problems.
screaming for nothing
Individuals are trying to draw attention to the issues, but it feels like no one is listening.
you're screaming for change
People are begging for things to be different, to be better.
to not look the other way
They are imploring others to pay attention and take action too.
matthew
Referencing a young man who was brutally murdered because of his sexuality.
shepard
Referring to Matthew Shepard.
there's no
The legal system is failing to provide justice for victims.
justice
Perpetrators are getting away with their crimes.
clinic
Bombings are a reference to anti-abortion violence.
bombings
There are extremists willing to go to violent lengths to make their point.
people
Millions of individuals around the world are struggling to get by and stay alive.
starving
Malnourishment and hunger are significant problems.
human
We are failing each other as a species.
failure
We are not living up to our potential for kindness and compassion.
feed us
The systems in place are actively harming us and making us sick.
cancer
Referencing a physical manifestation of the toxicity of society.
and I hope its not too late yeah
Despite all this, there is a glimmer of optimism and a desire for change.
can't live this fucking way
We cannot continue to let things go on as they are.
can't call ourselves human
We are failing so significantly that we no longer deserve the title of 'human'.
its all over now
The world as we knew it is gone, and something new must emerge to take its place.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Max
The one punk song on the whole album (I still like the album btw)