The Virus formed in February 1998, with Mike Virus on vocals, Chris on lead guitar, Fat Dave on guitar, Jarrod on drums, and Geoff on bass. The band played their first concert a month later. During the band's first six months, they performed several concerts, including one in Philadelphia with the band Special Duties, and a another at the now-closed Coney Island High in New York City.
In July 1998, they recorded two songs for a split CD with New York band The Manix (with members of The Devotchkas and The Casualties). Only 130 copies of the CD were made, and they sold out quickly. Shortly thereafter, original bass player Geoff was asked to leave the band. After trying out several bass players, it was decided that Fat Dave’s longtime friend Paul would join.
In February 1999, the band recorded five songs for their first 7", called Global Crisis, and for the Punx Unite 2 compilation on Charged Records. The 7" sold out fairly quickly, and they started getting a lot more gig offers. In May, lead guitar player Chris and the band had a falling out, with Chris leaving the band. The band continued to perform regularly all over the east coast United States as a quartet.
In September, the band added a new member, Mike Authority of local Philadelphia band, No Authority. In March 2000, the band recorded 12 songs for their first full-length CD/LP, Still Fighting For A Future, on Charged Records. After the album was recorded, singer Mike Virus left the band and Paul took over vocals. The band then recruited Tim from the Jersey band the Oi Scouts.
In June, the band left for a six-week USA tour with The Casualties, Endless Struggle, Antidote and Funeral Dress. After returning from the tour, Tim informed the band that the road life wasn’t for him, but he agreed to help out until the band replaced him. In December the band brought in Josh, who was a fan of the band. In March 2001, the band recorded four new songs for a limited picture disc 7" to be released on Charged Records. Punk Core Records bought the rights to release the picture disc from Charged Records, and released the 7" in October 2001, along with a Singles & Rarities CD .
In June 2000, the band played the Promote Chaos festival in Atlanta, Georgia alongside bands like: Anti-Nowhere League, The Crack, and Peter and the Test Tube Babies. A month later they went to to Morecambe, England to play at the Holidays In The Sun festival alongside bands like The Exploited, The Partisans, GBH, UK Subs, Resistance 77, Threats and Cock Sparrer.
Late August saw the band on a short East Coast US tour with Antidote from Holland. After the tour, the band took five months off to write and record their second 12-song CD/LP titled Nowhere To Hide on Punk Core Records. During those five months, Fat Dave left the band. In February 2002, the band recorded their second full-length album. Drew joined the band on bass, and Josh moved to guitar On February 15, the band played in Philadelphia with Slaughter & The Dogs.
After that, they were back to playing regular weekend gigs all over the American east coast. In April, the Nowhere To Hide CD & LP was released. In July, the band again played at the Holidays In The Sun festival in England. They then went on a short west coast US tour with The Riffs from Portland. Then the band played the HITS fest in Asbury Park, New Jersey in early September. A highlight of the festival for the band was having Wattie Buchan of the Exploited join the band onstage to sing The Exploited song I Believe In Anarchy. The band returned to California at the end of the year to play three concerts in Hollywood, Pomona and San Diego with the Riffs & The Voids. Shortly thereafter, however, the band split up entirely.
system failure
The Virus Lyrics
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Yellow tape is everywhere
No voice - no rights - No leaders are wise
No child is safe - A country at waste
More guns - more war
For you to die for
We got a system failure, what kind of system?
Failure
There's no chance to open up your eyes
There's no chance to make it right
We need a plague. Reset the stage
No change without a loss of life.
More guns - more war
For which we die for.
We got a system failure, what kind of system?
The Virus's song System Failure is an insightful commentary on the current state of the government and the society. The song opens with flashing lights that keep the singer up at night and yellow tape that can be seen everywhere. The lyrics suggest a world that has become unsafe and the people have lost their voice and their rights. The leaders are no longer wise and do not care about the well-being of their citizens. The situation has become critical, and no child is safe in this country that can be described as nothing less than a waste.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful. The artist suggests that the answer to the problems faced by society is not more war or guns. The society is in the middle of a system failure, and the question that remains is what kind of system has failed. The verses of the song suggest that there is a need for a drastic change. There's no chance to open up the eyes or to make it right, and to bring about a change in society, a plague and a resetting of the stage is needed. The artist suggests that there cannot be any change without a loss of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Flashing lights they keep me up at night
The constant chaos and danger of society keeps the singer awake and alert, unable to relax.
Yellow tape is everywhere
The imagery of yellow tape represents the constant crime and tragedy in the world, as it is often used to mark off areas of investigation by law enforcement.
No voice - no rights - No leaders are wise
The lack of effective leadership and a system that fails to listen to the people it serves has left individuals feeling powerless and unheard.
No child is safe - A country at waste
The world is plagued by violence and danger, with even the most innocent and vulnerable members of society at risk.
More guns - more war
For you to die for
The cycle of violence perpetuated by weaponization only leads to more conflict and more loss of life, serving no purpose other than to maintain the power of those in charge.
We got a system failure, what kind of system?
The singer questions the very foundations of the societal systems that are meant to provide order and safety, recognizing that something is deeply flawed.
Failure
The repetition of this word emphasizes the sense of despair and hopelessness that accompanies a realization of the failed system.
There's no chance to open up your eyes
The overwhelming nature of the societal problems make it hard for individuals to fully comprehend the reality of the world around them.
There's no chance to make it right
Despite recognition of the issues facing society, it seems impossible to imagine a path towards true change and progress.
We need a plague. Reset the stage
No change without a loss of life.
The artist advocates for a radical shift in societal norms, represented by a plague that would effectively 'reset' the world. However, the recognition that this would come at great cost in terms of human life is a sobering reminder of the complexity of these issues.
More guns - more war
For which we die for.
The repetition of this line emphasizes the futility of the actions taken by those in power to maintain control, as the cycle of violence simply results in even more death.
Contributed by Arianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.