Tiger Army played their first show in 1996 at the Bay Area’s legendary punk collective, 924 Gilman Street, known as the venue where everyone from Green Day to Rancid got their start. The gig saw them opening for AFI, who lent Nick 13 their drummer, Adam Carson. Rancid’s Tim Armstrong took notice of Nick 13’s songs via a series of demos (later collected as The Early Years EP) and signed Tiger Army to his Hellcat Records imprint strictly on the strength of Nick’s songs and vision knowing full well he had yet to secure a steady lineup. The first Tiger Army album followed in late 1999.
The fledgling psychobilly scene in North America took flight shortly thereafter. Songs like “Nocturnal” and “True Romance” presaged the dark palette that would paint much of underground music in the coming year. Geoff Kresge (ex-AFI) came onboard on stand-up after the first album’s release. Now based in Los Angeles, Tiger Army embarked upon eighteen months of touring in support of II: Power of Moonlite, including trips to Europe and Japan and sharing stages with Dropkick Murphys, Reverend Horton Heat and The Damned.
Two sold-out record release shows at the House Of Blues on the Sunset Strip marked the June, 2004 arrival of III: Ghost Tigers Rise as the band took off for a month on the main stage of the Vans Warped Tour. After Warped, Jeff Roffredo (the former bass player for seminal West Coast psychos Cosmic Voodoo who had nearly joined Tiger Army before the first album) came into Tiger Army following Kresge’s amicable departure, along with drummer James Meza. 46 shows with Social Distortion followed.
The Dark Romance Tour came later, after which the band took some time off to prepare Music From Regions Beyond, pausing briefly for gigs with Morrissey and AFI as well as a headlining performance at Orange County's annual “Hootenanny” festival and a trip to the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver to support Social Distortion, among other shows. During this period Nick 13 made a cameo appearance in “Inland Empire,” the latest film from legendary director David Lynch (“Twin Peaks,” “Mulholland Drive”). The band played a “MySpace Secret Show” around the release, a sold-out release show at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas and returned to the Vans Warped Tour as a headliner shortly before starting their own “Razor’s Kiss” US tour, which culminated with two sold-out nights at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Standup bass player Geoff Kresge returned to Tiger Army at the start of 2008 as the band geared up for their busiest year yet, headlining tours all around the world. They launched the Octoberflame event as well, headlining five nights at the Grove of Anaheim in 2008, two night at the Grove and two at the Wiltern in Los Angeles in 2009, and will return for Octoberflame III.
Tiger Army remains Nick 13’s vision and mission, with the new material representing his most fully realized songwriting yet.
Calling
Tiger Army Lyrics
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Look at the place you live they say
Oh won't you join us in a world that's without pain?
Leave behind your misery
I cannot listen without longing
To let go of my burdens sounds so sweet
Reasons to hold on there are many -
I hear them calling from beyond
>From beyond oh no no...
Sometimes i feel i can't go on
I hear them calling from beyond
>From beyond oh no no...
Must find the strength to carry on
I need you with me
When i awake their call still resonates
In sadness from unremembered dreams
And in the prison of this longing
I'm waiting for parole, waiting to be free
I know that my time here has not yet come
There's still so much that's left to do and say
I know that my work here is not done
But I'll go to them someday
The song "Calling" by Tiger Army is a poignant expression of the conflict between the desire for release from earthly pain and the struggle to find hope and purpose in a difficult world. The opening lines of the song evoke a sense of longing and a desire to escape from the struggles of daily life. The singer is being called to join another world where there is no pain and suffering. The imagery of the sirens calling to the singer is a powerful one, suggesting both the allure of escape and the potential danger inherent in that desire.
However, despite the appeal of this other world, the singer recognizes that there are still reasons to hold on to life. While the call from beyond may be tempting, there is work to be done in this world and people who need him. The chorus of the song reflects this struggle, with the singer acknowledging the call from beyond but seeking the strength to carry on and find purpose in his current life.
The lyrics of "Calling" are deeply evocative and invite the listener to consider their own struggles with pain and purpose. The song leaves the question of what happens when death eventually comes unresolved, suggesting that this is a question that each individual must answer for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear them calling to me from another world
The singer hears a call to join them in a place far away from reality.
Look at the place you live they say
The singer is being told to see the flaws of their current world and compare it to the ideal world that the others are inviting them to.
Oh won't you join us in a world that's without pain?
They are inviting the singer to join them in a place where there is no suffering.
Leave behind your misery
The artist is being told to abandon their sadness and misfortune for a better life.
I cannot listen without longing
Despite understanding the consequences of leaving their current world, the artist is tempted to join the others.
To let go of my burdens sounds so sweet
The singer is excited by the idea of letting go of their burdens and embracing a life without issues.
Reasons to hold on there are many -
Though the singer is conflicted, they know there are reasons to continue living in their current world.
This i must remember when the sirens call to me
The artist must remind themselves of the reasons to stay put when the call from the others becomes irresistible.
I hear them calling from beyond
The artist hears the call of the others from a distant place.
>From beyond oh no no...
The others are calling from a world far removed from the artist's reality.
Sometimes I feel I can't go on
The singer is overwhelmed and feels like giving up.
Must find the strength to carry on
The artist knows they must find the courage to keep going despite the call from the others.
I need you with me
The singer seeks support and wants to have someone by their side on this journey.
When I awake their call still resonates
The singer still remembers the call of the others and is unable to forget it, even in their waking hours.
In sadness from unremembered dreams
The singer is depressed, and their dreams are filled with sorrow.
And in the prison of this longing
The artist feels trapped in their desire to be with the others.
I'm waiting for parole, waiting to be free
The artist wants to break free from their current world and escape to the other side.
I know that my time here has not yet come
The singer understands that it's not their time to leave their current world.
There's still so much that's left to do and say
The singer knows they still have many things they want to experience and express.
I know that my work here is not done
The artist is aware that they have more work to do before the end comes.
But I'll go to them someday
The artist acknowledges that eventually, they will leave their current world to join the others in their world of no pain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind