The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were… Read Full Bio ↴The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were active through 1996. They are peers with Screeching Weasel, The Queers and other bands from the era, they are also heavily-influenced by the Ramones. Joey Vindicitive's characteristic nasal melodies often told the story of alienation, psychosis, social-ills, and contiunally rejected rules of politeness. The lyrics are often intelligent outrages communicated through intentionally immature self defeating soliloquies.

They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Billy Blastoff (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), P.J. Parti (drums) and Erik Elsewhere (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 albums until July of 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on. Luckily for him, he overcame his ailments to re-form the band in 2000, cutting a new album and overseeing the re-release of a significant part of their catalog. Dr. Bob died in 2003 due to a heroin overdose. Their song "The Invisible Man" was featured in the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs, where it attracted attention to restart the band once more in 2013, releasing a new EP titled Mono-Flexi, and to remaster most of their previous songs as Songbooks coming in volumes starting from I to III.

The Vindictives' website is currently down indefinitely.

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Bang Shang A Lang
The Vindictives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I recall just walking down the street
Trying to escape the city heat
I saw her from the corner of my eye, eye, eye
Yes she looked so good I thought I'd die
My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang

Something said I shouldn't waste no time
If I'm ever gonna make her mine
I walked right up and say how do you do, do, do
She said I bet I do as good as you
My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang

I remember when I held her tight
Felt like holding dynamite now
What's that ringing in my ear
Tell me ain't those bells I hear
Bang, bang, shang a lang
Bang, bang, shang a lang
Bang, bang, bang
Shang a lang lang
Bang, bang, bang
Shang a lang, lang

Now she's gonna spend her life with me
Then we'll be as happy as can be
Because I love her more than I can tell, tell, tell
Sunday afternoon we'll hear the bells
And they'll go bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
And they'll go bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang

Overall Meaning

The Vindictives's song Bang Shang A Lang depicts a young man who falls in love with a girl he spots while walking down the streets trying to get away from the city heat. He's so infatuated by her looks that his heart literally goes "bang shang a lang," a euphemism for the heart racing at the sight of someone attractive. Following his intuition, the young man musters up the courage to approach this woman, initially making small talk before ultimately asking her to be with him. Despite his doubts, it turns out that they feel the same way about each other, and they end up happily together, marked by the wedding bells that they hear on Sundays.

The song captures the innocence and spontaneity of young love, where sometimes just a glance across the street can spark something truly magical. It echoes some of the common themes found in early rock and roll music, such as giddy adolescent crushes and the excitement of falling for someone new. The upbeat tempo and catchy melody help to emphasize the joy and excitement of such an experience.

Line by Line Meaning

I recall just walking down the street
I remember aimlessly wandering through the city

Trying to escape the city heat
Trying to get away from the hot and crowded city

I saw her from the corner of my eye, eye, eye
I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye

Yes she looked so good I thought I'd die
She looked incredibly attractive

My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
I felt a rush of excitement and attraction to her

Something said I shouldn't waste no time
I felt a sense of urgency to pursue her

If I'm ever gonna make her mine
If I want to have a chance at being with her

I walked right up and say how do you do, do, do
I confidently approached her and greeted her

She said I bet I do as good as you
She responded flirtatiously

I remember when I held her tight
I recall the feeling of holding her in my arms

Felt like holding dynamite now
It felt like holding something explosive

What's that ringing in my ear
I hear a loud and persistent sound

Tell me ain't those bells I hear
Could it be that I hear wedding bells?

Now she's gonna spend her life with me
We are going to spend our lives together

Then we'll be as happy as can be
We will be incredibly happy

Because I love her more than I can tell, tell, tell
I love her deeply and beyond words

Sunday afternoon we'll hear the bells
We will hear the church bells on our wedding day

And they'll go bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
The bells will ring joyously

Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
With an energetic and celebratory sound

And they'll go bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
The bells will continue to ring joyously

Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
With the same energetic and celebratory sound

Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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@alf1e280

1y↑8

My brother in christ thank you
Edit:
0:00 rubber bullets
2:35 wonderful world
4:15 space man
6:24 no rules in love
8:45 ain't got no home
9:57 laugh your troubles away
11:31 robot man
14:01 money changes everything
16:56 you may be right
18:21 if you knew what she wants
19:59 heartbeat
21:37 turning Japanese
24:15 chewy chewy
25:50 yesterday man
27:26 strychnine
28:45 heartbeat (the other one)
30:43 how much more?
32:30 radio radio
34:46 teen riot structure
36:39 little Willie
38:42 magic moments
40:49 bike
42:10 highschool
44:13 magic
46:07 bang shang a lang