Formed in Los Angeles in 1995, The Tories have generated an international f… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in Los Angeles in 1995, The Tories have generated an international following through extensive touring, top ten video exposure on M2, numerous local and national television appearances (Entertainment Tonight, MTV, VH-1, WB, FOX, USA, E!, ESPN) and by composing and performing "Time For You," the theme song from NBC's hit television series "Jesse" starring Christina Applegate.
The Tories debut album "Wonderful Life" establishes the band's trademark power pop sound, and features some of their most memorable music.
The Tories are:
Steve Bertrand - Vocals, guitar
JJ Farris - Guitar, vocals
James Guffee - Bass, vocals
Brent Klopp - Drums
Album - The Upside of Down
The Tories have been to the other side and back. Steve Bertrand (vocals/guitar), James Guffee (bass/vocals) and J.J. Farris (guitar/vocals) have faced many changes and upheavals that would have shattered even the strongest of bands. From the parting of a member to the loss of family, The Tories have overcome their adversity to create the beautifully haunting The Upside of Down, the follow up release to their 1997 debut Wonderful Life.
Exploring a darker sound that retains elements of hope and humor on this sophomore effort, The Upside of Down encapsulates the spirit of this band. "It's sort of a starting over for us and that's what we really want to celebrate," says Bertrand. "It's been an incredibly difficult time, but it's a new day. The core of the band is still together, and we're very proud of the record we have made." Bryan Head (Black Lab) on drums rounds out this quartet and brings to the band a driving energy that is a mighty addition to their live shows.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1995, The Tories quickly found themselves in the middle of record/publishing offers after only six months of playing together. It was only when legendary producer Phil Ramone entered the picture that their dreams were realized. After signing with Ramone's own N2K Records, The Tories soon found themselves on the road tirelessly touring and promoting their debut album. "Gladys Kravitz," the first single and video from Wonderful Life, went top ten on M2. Billboard Magazine called the record "pure pop heaven." The band spent the summer of 1998 on the road with the VH-1 Rock Across America Tour as well as appearing on Entertainment Tonight, The Magic Johnson Show, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, E! Entertainment, ESPN, Viva Variety, USA Network and many other television programs. The tour also included dates in Europe. "We would see people in the audience in Spain or France, who could not even speak English but would be singing the lyrics to our songs," says Bertrand. "That's when it hit me how powerful music is. I'm always blown away when someone approaches me to tell me how much one of our songs has meant to them. Music is such a powerful medium and communicates so much."
After a whirlwind year of touring, it was at a hometown show that producer Gavin MacKillop (Toad the Wet Sprocket) approached the band to write and record the theme song for the NBC sitcom Jesse starring Christina Applegate. "We were so on that night", says Farris. "After being on the road so long, we were like a machine!" They went on to write the theme song "Time for You" as well as perform the underscore for the entire show. After two successful seasons in the top ten, The Tories were rewarded with the 1999 and 2000 ASCAP Film and Television Awards.
The Upside of Down was produced by The Tories and multi-talented Stuart Brawley (Foo Fighters, Don Henley, Michael Jackson.) "We couldn¹t have made this record without him," says Guffee. "It was a labor of love, and we're very grateful for his talent and contribution to the album." Brawley and renowned mix engineers James "Jimbo" Barton, Gavin MacKillop and Joe Chiccarelli deftly handled the mixing duties. Recorded almost entirely at home and rehearsal, this record is a fierce 11-song collection that still embraces the trademark Tories sound, but reflects a more seasoned approach. "Point of View" speaks of the splintering of friendships as the band found success early on. "The End" raises the sarcastic question, "What am I doing with my life?" to the beat of a marching band.
From the longing opening chords of "Would You Notice," to the transparent candor of "All The World's For Sale," The Tories plant new seeds in familiar soil. The result is the powerful The Upside of Down, a contemplative and confident record that's sure to please those who loved Wonderful Life as well as open the door to countless new fans.
The Tories debut album "Wonderful Life" establishes the band's trademark power pop sound, and features some of their most memorable music.
The Tories are:
Steve Bertrand - Vocals, guitar
JJ Farris - Guitar, vocals
James Guffee - Bass, vocals
Brent Klopp - Drums
Album - The Upside of Down
The Tories have been to the other side and back. Steve Bertrand (vocals/guitar), James Guffee (bass/vocals) and J.J. Farris (guitar/vocals) have faced many changes and upheavals that would have shattered even the strongest of bands. From the parting of a member to the loss of family, The Tories have overcome their adversity to create the beautifully haunting The Upside of Down, the follow up release to their 1997 debut Wonderful Life.
Exploring a darker sound that retains elements of hope and humor on this sophomore effort, The Upside of Down encapsulates the spirit of this band. "It's sort of a starting over for us and that's what we really want to celebrate," says Bertrand. "It's been an incredibly difficult time, but it's a new day. The core of the band is still together, and we're very proud of the record we have made." Bryan Head (Black Lab) on drums rounds out this quartet and brings to the band a driving energy that is a mighty addition to their live shows.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1995, The Tories quickly found themselves in the middle of record/publishing offers after only six months of playing together. It was only when legendary producer Phil Ramone entered the picture that their dreams were realized. After signing with Ramone's own N2K Records, The Tories soon found themselves on the road tirelessly touring and promoting their debut album. "Gladys Kravitz," the first single and video from Wonderful Life, went top ten on M2. Billboard Magazine called the record "pure pop heaven." The band spent the summer of 1998 on the road with the VH-1 Rock Across America Tour as well as appearing on Entertainment Tonight, The Magic Johnson Show, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, E! Entertainment, ESPN, Viva Variety, USA Network and many other television programs. The tour also included dates in Europe. "We would see people in the audience in Spain or France, who could not even speak English but would be singing the lyrics to our songs," says Bertrand. "That's when it hit me how powerful music is. I'm always blown away when someone approaches me to tell me how much one of our songs has meant to them. Music is such a powerful medium and communicates so much."
After a whirlwind year of touring, it was at a hometown show that producer Gavin MacKillop (Toad the Wet Sprocket) approached the band to write and record the theme song for the NBC sitcom Jesse starring Christina Applegate. "We were so on that night", says Farris. "After being on the road so long, we were like a machine!" They went on to write the theme song "Time for You" as well as perform the underscore for the entire show. After two successful seasons in the top ten, The Tories were rewarded with the 1999 and 2000 ASCAP Film and Television Awards.
The Upside of Down was produced by The Tories and multi-talented Stuart Brawley (Foo Fighters, Don Henley, Michael Jackson.) "We couldn¹t have made this record without him," says Guffee. "It was a labor of love, and we're very grateful for his talent and contribution to the album." Brawley and renowned mix engineers James "Jimbo" Barton, Gavin MacKillop and Joe Chiccarelli deftly handled the mixing duties. Recorded almost entirely at home and rehearsal, this record is a fierce 11-song collection that still embraces the trademark Tories sound, but reflects a more seasoned approach. "Point of View" speaks of the splintering of friendships as the band found success early on. "The End" raises the sarcastic question, "What am I doing with my life?" to the beat of a marching band.
From the longing opening chords of "Would You Notice," to the transparent candor of "All The World's For Sale," The Tories plant new seeds in familiar soil. The result is the powerful The Upside of Down, a contemplative and confident record that's sure to please those who loved Wonderful Life as well as open the door to countless new fans.
Free
The Tories Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
(I love you)
(For so many reasons)
Just some shit to vent to
Damn, Mizzy Mauri got beats
Uh
All my smokers roll your weed up, uh
Uh
All my drinkers get your liq' right, yeah
Word to Jada, I'm smokin' fire
Yeah, uh
Look, look, uh, yeah
I look at it funny, a whole lot of money
I'm juggin' it for me, ridiculous
I look at it funny when niggas that's gettin' belligerent know what the business is
All of my niggas indigenous
Nigga, take a second, please consider this
Weed, was trimmin' it
Product, was sellin' it, dream, we livin' it
Thinkin' of scammin' and schemes was givin' in
Used to be like, "Niggas over bitches"
Then my bitches kept it over real than niggas
I can feel it in my feelings
Realest shit my heart done ever said was not to chill with niggas
Now I'm backseat, I'm like Malcolm on the black street
With the album, I'm an athlete
The way I be makin' the track meet on the rap sheet (ayy)
Look how they did our nigga from Atlanta for not bein' born in Atlanta
The government so underhanded
They handed that shit off to someone who basically scammin'
And fuckin' and duckin' the Challenger full of police
And you know you a champion out here for thuggin' it
I found a loophole that niggas ain't want me to dig in
But, fuck it, I dug in it
All of the water that sit on my neck
It just couldn't amount to the oil that I struck in it
I used to sit in the kitchen so hungry
The oodles o' noodles are boilin', bubblin', bubblin'
Mama workin' shift and doublin'
Wasn't 'til late in the night I was comin' in
I was in high school, no curfew, fuckin' hoes like come again
Look at the way that they made it, the people that hated
The divas I dated, the beef and the bullets got fired
The niggas that died, the problems the reaper created
We started with nothin' and made it to somethin'
The duckin' the bullets and keepin' the blade
Love for my dawg, don't wanna be him 'cause he in the cage
I'm deep in the maze
He look at me as I'm rappin' 'bout life in the street and the reason why he in the cage
Only thing different, we both talked about it, but life didn't give back an even exchange
Speakin' of life, my nigga Ike, he doin' three of them thangs
All he ever really wanted was to feed his daughter and get her the key to the Range
Almost stacked himself a milli' in cash, I'm tryna show you niggas he wasn't playin'
He was that nigga you had to go see when you needed a re-up for thangs
I beat up and bang
Pull up the block on the side with the opps and then cleaned up a stain for me and the gang
Shout out my baby 'cause she was the same, give me the brain, Caribbean thing
She willin' and ready and ready for my Willie, just like she Vivian Banks, shit is insane
That just went over your head like, "Oh, it's a bird, no, oh, no shit, it's a plane"
I did it again
Pull up to the party, tell all the women to get in the Range
All of the women inside the party wanna get in, but they couldn't fit in the thing
Go on the 'Gram, scroll on the page, look at the shit that I happened to see
Look at what happened to 21 Savage, I'm knowin' that shit could've happened to me
How they gon' cut our nigga from the country for simply rappin' on beats
That happened to reach his goals, touchin' the souls
Of niggas that happened to be out trappin' the trees?
Or packin' they nines, a Gat in their spine, it's that or the back of the seat
I saw a video of his lil' daughter this mornin', it made me so happy to see
Happy her daddy was on the television, acceptin' awards and actually free
Let's keep it real, we ain't finna lie, I think everybody laughed at the memes
And then I realized that that shit is mean
You can't be jokin' 'bout somebody freedom
Most of these people don't know the severity of a situation, know where they hearin' it
All of the blogs that filter the good and cater the bad, man, we need some clearer shit
I'm on a mission to find me some clarity
I'm on a mission to find me some clarity, nigga, yeah
I, I, I think the biggest misconception about me is, uh
Somehow niggas think I'm arrogant, you know, when I say shit, you know
The media try to build this, you know
This thing around me where it's like, oh this is a lil' arrogant nigga
You know
When I say shit like, like I'm the best rapper alive and the best artist out
I don't say that shit to be cocky
You know, I say that shit to show the kids
To show the younger niggas, the younger girls of the generation
You know, the youth, there's no limitation
By the way, you know, free my nigga 21 as well, you know
Lot of y'all niggas don't know what that over the border shit be like, that shit's a hassle, nigga
That shit's the worst shit you can think of
Uh
One Umbrella, shit
I'm back on my swavey shit, y'all niggas know exactly what time it is, nigga
Canada!
(Peace and love)
(From the north, goin' up)
(We gon' go so big that they gon' know it's us)
(If you from the gang, you gon' throw it up)
(Peace and love, peace and love)
(For so many reasons)
Just some shit to vent to
Damn, Mizzy Mauri got beats
Uh
All my smokers roll your weed up, uh
Uh
All my drinkers get your liq' right, yeah
Yeah, uh
Look, look, uh, yeah
I look at it funny, a whole lot of money
I'm juggin' it for me, ridiculous
I look at it funny when niggas that's gettin' belligerent know what the business is
All of my niggas indigenous
Nigga, take a second, please consider this
Weed, was trimmin' it
Product, was sellin' it, dream, we livin' it
Thinkin' of scammin' and schemes was givin' in
Used to be like, "Niggas over bitches"
Then my bitches kept it over real than niggas
I can feel it in my feelings
Realest shit my heart done ever said was not to chill with niggas
Now I'm backseat, I'm like Malcolm on the black street
With the album, I'm an athlete
The way I be makin' the track meet on the rap sheet (ayy)
Look how they did our nigga from Atlanta for not bein' born in Atlanta
The government so underhanded
They handed that shit off to someone who basically scammin'
And fuckin' and duckin' the Challenger full of police
And you know you a champion out here for thuggin' it
I found a loophole that niggas ain't want me to dig in
But, fuck it, I dug in it
All of the water that sit on my neck
It just couldn't amount to the oil that I struck in it
I used to sit in the kitchen so hungry
The oodles o' noodles are boilin', bubblin', bubblin'
Mama workin' shift and doublin'
Wasn't 'til late in the night I was comin' in
I was in high school, no curfew, fuckin' hoes like come again
Look at the way that they made it, the people that hated
The divas I dated, the beef and the bullets got fired
The niggas that died, the problems the reaper created
We started with nothin' and made it to somethin'
The duckin' the bullets and keepin' the blade
Love for my dawg, don't wanna be him 'cause he in the cage
I'm deep in the maze
He look at me as I'm rappin' 'bout life in the street and the reason why he in the cage
Only thing different, we both talked about it, but life didn't give back an even exchange
Speakin' of life, my nigga Ike, he doin' three of them thangs
All he ever really wanted was to feed his daughter and get her the key to the Range
Almost stacked himself a milli' in cash, I'm tryna show you niggas he wasn't playin'
He was that nigga you had to go see when you needed a re-up for thangs
I beat up and bang
Pull up the block on the side with the opps and then cleaned up a stain for me and the gang
Shout out my baby 'cause she was the same, give me the brain, Caribbean thing
She willin' and ready and ready for my Willie, just like she Vivian Banks, shit is insane
That just went over your head like, "Oh, it's a bird, no, oh, no shit, it's a plane"
I did it again
Pull up to the party, tell all the women to get in the Range
All of the women inside the party wanna get in, but they couldn't fit in the thing
Go on the 'Gram, scroll on the page, look at the shit that I happened to see
Look at what happened to 21 Savage, I'm knowin' that shit could've happened to me
How they gon' cut our nigga from the country for simply rappin' on beats
That happened to reach his goals, touchin' the souls
Of niggas that happened to be out trappin' the trees?
Or packin' they nines, a Gat in their spine, it's that or the back of the seat
I saw a video of his lil' daughter this mornin', it made me so happy to see
Happy her daddy was on the television, acceptin' awards and actually free
Let's keep it real, we ain't finna lie, I think everybody laughed at the memes
And then I realized that that shit is mean
You can't be jokin' 'bout somebody freedom
Most of these people don't know the severity of a situation, know where they hearin' it
All of the blogs that filter the good and cater the bad, man, we need some clearer shit
I'm on a mission to find me some clarity
I'm on a mission to find me some clarity, nigga, yeah
I, I, I think the biggest misconception about me is, uh
Somehow niggas think I'm arrogant, you know, when I say shit, you know
The media try to build this, you know
This thing around me where it's like, oh this is a lil' arrogant nigga
You know
When I say shit like, like I'm the best rapper alive and the best artist out
I don't say that shit to be cocky
You know, I say that shit to show the kids
To show the younger niggas, the younger girls of the generation
You know, the youth, there's no limitation
By the way, you know, free my nigga 21 as well, you know
Lot of y'all niggas don't know what that over the border shit be like, that shit's a hassle, nigga
That shit's the worst shit you can think of
Uh
One Umbrella, shit
I'm back on my swavey shit, y'all niggas know exactly what time it is, nigga
Canada!
(Peace and love)
(From the north, goin' up)
(We gon' go so big that they gon' know it's us)
(If you from the gang, you gon' throw it up)
(Peace and love, peace and love)
The lyrics to The Tories's song "Free" touch on various themes and experiences. The first few lines express appreciation and love for someone ("I love you for so many reasons"). It seems like the artist wanted to vent or express their thoughts and emotions through this song.
The following lines reference specific individuals and activities, such as smoking weed and drinking alcohol. They also mention Mizzy Mauri, a producer who is credited with creating the beats for the song. The lyrics pay homage to Jada, likely referring to rapper Jadakiss, and mention smoking fire, possibly referring to high-quality marijuana.
The next paragraph delves into deeper themes such as struggles with money, indigenous identity, and the challenges faced by marginalized communities. The lyrics emphasize the importance of considering these issues and highlight the artist's own experiences, including selling drugs and living a difficult life. They also touch on the dynamics of relationships, with the artist acknowledging the value of their female companions who have remained loyal and real, unlike some male friends.
The lyrics then shift to discussing broader societal issues, such as government corruption and the mistreatment of individuals. They mention a champion for "thuggin'" and how systemic biases can affect people's lives. The artist expresses their frustration with the injustice and plays with the idea of finding a loophole to overcome these challenges.
The final paragraph reflects on personal experiences, including struggling with hunger and poverty, maneuvering through dangerous situations, and the incarceration of friends. The artist also discusses their own success, such as acquiring wealth and recognition, but remains aware of the obstacles faced by others. They mention 21 Savage's detainment by US immigration authorities and highlight the importance of taking the severity of such situations seriously, rather than making light of them.
The concluding lines address the misconception that the artist is arrogant and emphasize their intentions behind claiming to be the best rapper. They explain that their confidence is not meant to be conceited but rather to motivate and inspire the younger generation. The lyrics also acknowledge the difficulties of crossing borders and express pride in their Canadian roots, ending with a message of peace and love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Daystar Peterson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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