The band's lineup fluctuated significantly over their first nine years, though founding members Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen, guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann, and first consistent drummer Joe Escalante remained regular fixtures. Of the original members only Escalante has remained through all incarnations of the band. The current lineup of Escalante, Dave Quackenbush, Warren Fitzgerald, and Josh Freese has remained intact since 1990 and is considered by most fans to be far removed from the band's early 1980s incarnation. Since 2002 Escalante has released all of the band's albums through his Kung Fu Records label, with Fitzgerald generally producing.
Dig A Hole
The Vandals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Let the 'tards eat twinkies" is the mantra of our time.
F**k no it isn't who you are, you're only what you've bought.
With Teletubbies teaching toddlers take it down a notch.
The glory of misinformed who never leave the couch.
Crying when their favorite guy is voted from the house.
The future can't be better but the childeren they won't mind,
just give them shiny objects and tell them never try. Never try.
You think it's stupid now?
You'll see, we're only borderline retarded compared to where we'll be.
The future generation has their work cut out for them.
Keep lowering the bar and dig a hole to put it in.
Dig a hole. Dig a hole.
The dumbing down of dummies in a shameful, spinning spiral.
With puppet masters mastering with plausible denial.
They give us what we want, but make f**k sure we're addicted.
To sugar coated fluffy air and guilty pleasure sickness.
We're fat and lazy mongoloids on pink electric scooters.
With chaffing thighs we supersize and only later realize-
we're cattle for the slaughter and laughing on the way.
Deal with it tommorow not today, not today.
You think it's stupid now?
You'll see, we're only borderline retarded compared to where we'll be.
The future generation has their work cut out for them.
Keep lowering the bar and dig a hole to put it in.
Dig a hole. Dig a hole.
Take a pill it disapears, while loafing through our golden years.
And pass the torch and let them sort the shit we left piled past their ears.
Our children's children's children in the tradition of our lives
will deal with it tommorow and never try, never try.
You think it's stupid now?
You'll see, we're only borderline retarded compared to where we'll be.
The future generation has their work cut out for them.
Keep lowering the bar and dig a hole to put it in.
Dig a hole. Dig a hole.
The Vandals song "Dig a Hole" is a scathing critique of society's obsession with consumerism and the resulting dumbing down of people. The lyrics suggest that people have become passive consumers, taught to value shiny objects more than critical thinking. The song suggests that the future generation has a tough task ahead of them, as we are leaving a world in which the bar has been lowered so far that they will have to dig a hole to put it in.
The lyrics of the song are full of imagery and sarcastic humor. "Let the 'tards eat Twinkies" is a line that mocks our tendency to indulge in junk food while neglecting our health, while references to "Teletubbies" and reality TV show voting demonstrate our tendency to be easily entertained and distracted.
The theme of the song is not just about mocking society, but also about imploring people to take control of their own futures. The repeated line "Never try" suggests that people have been taught not to challenge authority or take risks, and that this attitude will be detrimental to future generations.
Overall, The Vandals have created a scathing social commentary with their song "Dig a Hole," exposing the dangers of complacency in today's society and highlighting the need for critical thinking and independent decision-making.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a sacrilege to question and thinking is a crime,
In today's society, questioning and critical thinking are frowned upon and seen as taboo.
"Let the 'tards eat twinkies" is the mantra of our time.
The current attitude is to let people indulge in unhealthy habits without any regard for their well-being.
F**k no it isn't who you are, you're only what you've bought.
People are defined by their possessions and material wealth, rather than their intrinsic value.
With Teletubbies teaching toddlers take it down a notch.
Children are being taught to be passive and not strive for anything more than the bare minimum.
The glory of misinformed who never leave the couch.
People who are content with their ignorance and refuse to learn anything new are praised and rewarded.
Crying when their favorite guy is voted from the house.
People are deeply invested in meaningless reality TV shows instead of issues that actually matter.
The future can't be better but the childeren they won't mind,
People are resigned to a bleak future, but children are too young and innocent to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation.
just give them shiny objects and tell them never try. Never try.
Children are placated with meaningless distractions, and encouraged not to challenge themselves or take risks.
You think it's stupid now?
The current state of affairs might seem ridiculous, but it's only going to get worse.
You'll see, we're only borderline retarded compared to where we'll be.
Things are going to get much worse in the future, to the point where we will look back on the present as a time of relative intelligence and reason.
The future generation has their work cut out for them.
The next generation will have to deal with the consequences of our apathy and stupidity.
Keep lowering the bar and dig a hole to put it in.
We are constantly lowering the standards for ourselves and for society as a whole, and eventually we will reach a point of no return.
Dig a hole. Dig a hole.
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the author's sense of hopelessness and pessimism.
The dumbing down of dummies in a shameful, spinning spiral.
People are becoming increasingly ignorant and uneducated, and this process is only getting worse with time.
With puppet masters mastering with plausible denial.
Those in power manipulate the masses while still maintaining an appearance of plausible deniability.
They give us what we want, but make f**k sure we're addicted.
Those in power provide us with the distractions and comforts we crave, but ensure we become dependent on them.
To sugar coated fluffy air and guilty pleasure sickness.
The distractions we indulge in are superficial and ultimately harmful to our well-being.
We're fat and lazy mongoloids on pink electric scooters.
We have become physically and mentally lazy, and have resorted to using scooters instead of walking or using other forms of transportation.
With chaffing thighs we supersize and only later realize-
Our unhealthy habits catch up with us eventually, leaving us with regret and health issues.
we're cattle for the slaughter and laughing on the way.
Despite our awareness of the negative consequences of our actions, we continue to behave recklessly and carelessly.
Deal with it tommorow not today, not today.
We procrastinate and put off dealing with our problems, choosing to live in the moment rather than face the reality of our situation.
Take a pill it disapears, while loafing through our golden years.
We use medication to numb ourselves to the harsh reality of our lives, and spend our later years without any real purpose or fulfillment.
And pass the torch and let them sort the shit we left piled past their ears.
We pass on our problems and shortcomings to future generations, refusing to take responsibility for our actions.
Our children's children's children in the tradition of our lives
Our descendants will inherit the world we have created for them, and are likely to continue the same patterns that we have established.
will deal with it tommorow and never try, never try.
Future generations are likely to continue the same cycle of apathy and inaction that we have perpetuated, never attempting to make meaningful changes or improvements.
Contributed by Aria C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.