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.
S.O.S.
The Suicide Machines Lyrics
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A bunch of people who don't know shit about unity
I see right through your skin, you say you see through mine
Then please explain to me why we fight all the time
I can't take it anymore, this is bothering me
Got people killing each other
Why does this have to be?
I wish I knew, I really wish I knew
It's a bomb with a short fuse
And I know it seems like no use
The tensions building a reaction
This is a call to action
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
Mans inhumanity towards another man
It's man's insanity and ignorance again
And now the time had come to stop whats going on
The hatreds building up, exploding like a bomb
It's a bomb with a short fuse
And I know it seems like no use
The tensions building a reaction
This is a call to action
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
The bomb is gotta stop, the bomb is gonna pop
The bomb is gotta stop, the bomb is gonna pop
The bomb is gotta stop, the bomb is gonna pop
The bomb is gotta stop, the bomb is gonna pop
It's a bomb, it's a bomb
It's a bomb with a short fuse
And I know it seems like no use
The tensions building a reaction
This is a call to action
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
S.O.S. we need help
Drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop
The lyrics of The Suicide Machines' "S.O.S." are a call for unity and an end to violence and hate among people. The lead singer describes the frustration he feels when he looks at the world around him and sees people fighting with each other. He asks why people can't see that there's no real difference between them and that they should be united instead of divided. He then describes the situation as a bomb with a short fuse, implying that if we don't act quickly to change things, it will explode.
The chorus of the song is a plea for help. The lead singer is asking for help to stop the bomb from exploding. He emphasizes that we need help, that we can't do it alone. The song ends with a repetition of "drop," which could be interpreted as the release of the bomb, but could also be seen as a call for people to drop their anger and hatred and work towards unity.
Overall, the lyrics of "S.O.S." are powerful and thought-provoking, urging listeners to think about the state of the world and their own actions. The song is a call to action, reminding us that we have the power to make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
I take a look around, I don't like what I see
The singer looks around and sees a lack of unity and is upset by it.
A bunch of people who don't know shit about unity
There are groups of people who lack understanding and cooperation.
I see right through your skin, you say you see through mine
The singer is able to perceive other people's diversity, unlike those who claim to do so.
Then please explain to me why we fight all the time
The artist is confused as to why differences in people cause conflict instead of collaboration.
I can't take it anymore, this is bothering me
The lack of unity and constant conflict is causing the artist emotional distress.
Got people killing each other
The singer notes that violence and killing are happening as a result of this lack of unity.
Why does this have to be?
The singer questions why violence and conflict must be the norm instead of cooperation.
I wish I knew, I really wish I knew
The artist laments not knowing why humans cannot live in harmony and must resort to violence.
How people can see there's no real difference between me and you
The artist notes that there is no real difference between human beings, yet people seem to ignore this fact.
It's a bomb with a short fuse
The situation is tense and dangerous, like a bomb that could explode at any moment.
And I know it seems like no use
The singer acknowledges that it may seem hopeless to change the situation.
The tensions building a reaction
Tensions and conflict are building and will lead to an eventual reaction.
This is a call to action
The singer is calling for people to take action to prevent further violence and promote unity.
S.O.S. we need help
An urgent plea for help is made, as the situation is becoming dire.
Mans inhumanity towards another man
Humans can be cruel and inhumane to one another.
It's man's insanity and ignorance again
The artist attributes the cause of violence to humanity's stupidity and lack of understanding.
And now the time had come to stop whats going on
The artist believes that it is time to stop the violence and conflict.
The hatreds building up, exploding like a bomb
Hatred is growing and will eventually explode like a bomb.
The bomb is gotta stop, the bomb is gonna pop
The violence and hatred must cease before it reaches a critical point and explodes like a bomb.
Drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop
The repetition of this word is likely meant to convey the sound of bombs dropping or explosions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SYDNEY ROY CROOKS, RUDOLPH DONALD GRANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind