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.
The Long Road
Tiger Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some walk alongside for awhile and then go
I think back on them as the days go by
The roads we took were different in this life
We once drank from the wine of youth
Then it was gone
And when a woman takes your heart
There are plenty of the bad times that i've had
Seemed to last so long while the good ones when so fast
But the best times i remember them most of all
They'll stay with me forever
There are some friends who've walked along with me
They'll be there till the end of the road
But in the middle of the night
When you're alone with the pain-
Sometimes its not enough and your on your own
Some of these moments
There's just one thing that saved my life
And as the sweet muse sent the music
I held on to my guitar all night
I've seen the morning break in Tokyo
The winter stars above the Wyoming snow
Everything in between, well it's been a long ride
Wouldn't trade anything under the sky
The lyrics of Tiger Army's song Long Road speak of the journey of the songwriter alone on the road of life. The song acknowledges that people come and go in life, that some people walk alongside us for a while, and then they are gone. He looks back on those people as the days go by, and realizes that the roads they took were different from his. The lyrics also acknowledge that when we are young, we drink from the wine of youth, but then it is gone. When a woman takes your heart, the only thing left is a song. Despite the bad times we may have had, the songwriter realizes that the best times he remembers the most, and they will stay with him forever.
The second verse of the song talks about the loneliness the songwriter feels in the face of pain. Even with friends who have walked alongside him, sometimes it is not enough, and he is left alone with his pain in the middle of the night. However, music has been his savior on more than one occasion. He says that "as the sweet muse sent the music, I held on to my guitar all night".
Overall, the song is a reflection on the journey of life and the importance of the memories and people we encounter. It acknowledges that life is not always easy, and there are times when we feel alone and can only rely on ourselves and the things that bring us comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've walked alone, I've walked down this long road
I've been on this journey by myself for a while now.
Some walk alongside for awhile and then go
Some people have been with me for parts of the journey, but they eventually leave.
I think back on them as the days go by
I reminisce about the people who've traveled with me before.
The roads we took were different in this life
My companions and I had different paths in life.
We once drank from the wine of youth
We used to experience life without restraint.
Then it was gone
But that time went away too fast.
And when a woman takes your heart
When you're in love with someone, it's all you can think about.
The only thing left is a song
That love and how it made you feel can only be expressed through music.
There are plenty of the bad times that I've had
I've had a lot of tough times in my life.
Seemed to last so long while the good ones went so fast
The bad times seemed like they'd never end while the good times were fleeting.
But the best times I remember them most of all
Despite the hardships, I cherish the happiest moments I've had.
They'll stay with me forever
Those memories will never be forgotten.
There are some friends who've walked along with me
I have some close friends who've been with me on this journey.
They'll be there till the end of the road
I know they'll be with me until the very end.
But in the middle of the night
When I'm alone and vulnerable,
When you're alone with the pain-
Feeling hurt and overwhelmed,
Sometimes it's not enough and you're on your own
Even with friends, sometimes you have to deal with hardships alone.
Some of these moments
Some difficult times in life
There's just one thing that saved my life
Music is the one thing that has helped me through everything.
And as the sweet muse sent the music
When inspiration hits and the music flows,
I held on to my guitar all night
I turn to my guitar to express my emotions.
I've seen the morning break in Tokyo
I've experienced beautiful sunrises in Tokyo.
The winter stars above the Wyoming snow
I've seen the stars twinkle in the Wyoming snow.
Everything in between, well it's been a long ride
Everything in between has been a journey full of ups and downs.
Wouldn't trade anything under the sky
Despite everything, I wouldn't change a thing about my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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