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.
How They Getcha
The Vandals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They prey on weakness from the seekers of a better f**king life and bleed them dry.
Promise and faith to f**king hook the bait till they got you where they want you
and pull your strings and taunt you every time.
I call shenanigans, it's Un-American lies, lies, lies.
Someone should do something, a day of reckoning.
It's a lie. That's how they get you.
and rich in time, stay on the line. I'm gifted and one of a kind.
Bullshit! And scammed, bamboozled, swindled, hoodwinked from a false
and phony psychic who has robbed me and dishonored me with a crime.
I want my money back from that clairvoyant hack.
I've seen the future and it's my foot in your ass.
It's a lie. That's how they get you.
It's a lie. That's how they get you.
The Vandals' song "How They Getcha" is a commentary on the ways in which people can be deceived and taken advantage of by those in positions of power. The lyrics suggest that these powerful individuals use tactics such as lying, propaganda, and preying on the vulnerabilities of others in order to achieve their own goals. The song paints a picture of a society where people are promised a better life, only to be ultimately let down and taken advantage of.
The lyrics suggest that these lies and deceptions are "Un-American," implying that they go against the core values of American society. The song then takes on a more personal tone, with the singer recounting their own experience of being scammed by a false psychic who promised them wealth and success. The singer calls out the psychic as a "hack," demanding their money back and threatening revenge.
Line by Line Meaning
Deception they lie and propaganda-ize.
They use deception and propaganda to manipulate people.
They prey on weakness from the seekers of a better f**king life and bleed them dry.
They target vulnerable people who are looking for a better life and exploit them until they have nothing left.
Promise and faith to f**king hook the bait till they got you where they want you and pull your strings and taunt you every time.
They make false promises and gain people's trust until they have complete control over them, then they manipulate and taunt them for their own amusement.
I call shenanigans, it's Un-American lies, lies, lies.
I see through their lies and recognize it as un-American behavior.
Someone should do something, a day of reckoning.
There needs to be consequences for their actions.
They said they knew my fate and I'd be great and fine, and rich in time, stay on the line. I'm gifted and one of a kind.
They claimed to have knowledge of my future and told me I'm special and will be successful if I follow their instructions.
Bullshit! And scammed, bamboozled, swindled, hoodwinked from a false and phony psychic who has robbed me and dishonored me with a crime.
It's all a lie and I've been conned, cheated, and tricked by a fake psychic who has committed a crime against me.
I want my money back from that clairvoyant hack. I've seen the future and it's my foot in your ass.
I demand a refund from the fraudulent psychic, and I will take matters into my own hands to make sure they never scam anyone again.
It's a lie. That's how they get you.
The whole thing is a lie, and that's how they manipulate and take advantage of people.
It's a lie. That's how they get you.
Once again, it's all a lie, and that's how they keep getting away with their deception.
Contributed by David D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.