One of the first bands that Tim played in was Basic Radio. After Basic Radio disbanded, he performed in the ska punk band Operation Ivy under the nickname "Lint" from their beginning in 1987, until they disbanded in 1989. Soon thereafter, Armstrong helped found the Dance Hall Crashers, but left the band after a brief period of time. He was also in Downfall with Matt Freeman (Rancid). In 1991 Armstrong went on to greater fame with the very successful Rancid.
While still with Rancid, he also has a side-project, Transplants, which started with Armstrong, his friend "Skinhead Rob" Aston and a drum machine. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker later came on to replace the drum machine.
In addition to his projects, Armstrong has also been known to pop up on others' albums in various roles. He's contributed vocals, guitar, songwriting to tracks by bands including Box Car Racer, Cypress Hill, Bad Religion, Stubborn All-Stars, Head Automatica, The Specials, The Matches, Left Alone, NOFX, Fruit Cocktail, H2O, Dr. Israel, Agnostic Front, The Lordz, Time Again and Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, which is a side-project of his Rancid bandmate Lars Frederiksen.
He has collaborated with P!nk, the Aggrolites, Gwen Stefani, Buju Banton, Kelly Osbourne and Skye Sweetnam.
He has also produced several albums, including the debut albums by AFI, Answer That and Stay Fashionable (1995), The Gadjits, At Ease (1996), F-Minus, S/T (1999) and Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, S/T (2001).
Armstrong is still very active in the Berkeley scene that grew up around 924 Gilman Street. He has showcased his other artistic talents and created artwork for the INSAINTS logo. His artwork and photography are also to be seen on various cds of his own label HellCat, eg. Give 'em the Boot compilations, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards.
A new album by Rancid was set for an early 2007 release, but had been delayed as to the fall of 2008. As of recent the album has been set for a spring/summer 2009 release.
He has also done a solo album entitled A Poet's Life, which fans can download for free on the internet. He was releasing one song at a time, and has released a music video with each song.
Into Action
Tim Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
We take the 43 bus, we got no plans
The one with in high heeled boots is Sharon
And Karen is the one with the blond wig on
And with the bullet, man, we're going number one
And we don't need any money to have any fun
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
We take the trans-bay tube on the Richmond line
Leave at seven and at east bay by nine
We may run out of money tonight never out of time
Harmon street we kick, it going to Adeline
It's anybody's guess how late were gonna run
We go all night alright to midnight just begun
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
Girl that showed up on the scene, we tried to warn them
That your days were over and the ship was sunken
Respect to New York, respect to London
But we're from California and our stance is stronger
We're gonna dig dig dig in deep hold the sacred ground
When the music come playing then you jump up, jump down
If you hook up the speakers, man, we'll bring the sound
And the music will be heard from miles and miles around
We got songs of redemption, songs of war
We got songs like this that can pack the dance floor
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
The song, "Into Action" by Tim Armstrong, is an uplifting anthem that seeks to motivate people to pursue their dreams and desires. The song starts with a chorus that repeats "Let's get moving into action" and reminds the listeners that they need to find something that gives them satisfaction and attraction. Tim encourages his listeners to stop hesitating and get moving to achieve their goals. Tim wants to motivate people to take control of their lives and take action towards a fulfilling future.
The second verse describes Tim and his friends wandering around the city without any specific plans, and they meet various people. The objective is to show the fun and adventures that life can bring if we step out of our comfort zone, and we do not always need money to have a good time. The third verse acknowledges that California has a unique identity and respect to other cities but has the strength and power to stand on its own. The song concludes with Tim saying that music is a universal language that can transcend human differences and bring people together. They have songs that can inspire, songs that celebrate redemption, and songs that make people dance. The final chorus repeats the opening lyrics, "Let's get moving into action," emphasizing the need to take action to achieve our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's get moving into action
Let's start taking action and making things happen
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
If you feel like your life is boring or unfulfilling, you won't be satisfied
Find something out there, there's an attraction
There are exciting things to discover and explore out in the world
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
If you hold back or hesitate, you're taking something away from yourself
So, let's get moving girl into action
Let's start making things happen, and let's do it now
We take the 43 bus, we got no plans
We don't have a specific agenda, we're just taking a ride on the bus
The girl in the miniskirt, her name's Suzanne, right
There's a girl on the bus wearing a miniskirt, and her name is Suzanne (apparently)
The one with in high heeled boots is Sharon
Another person on the bus is a woman named Sharon, who is wearing high-heeled boots
And Karen is the one with the blond wig on
There's also a woman on the bus named Karen, who is wearing a blonde wig
And with the bullet, man, we're going number one
We're unstoppable and will rise to the top
And we don't need any money to have any fun
We can have a good time without spending money
We take the trans-bay tube on the Richmond line
We're taking the railway from Richmond to the East Bay in California
Leave at seven and at east bay by nine
We'll arrive in the East Bay by 9 PM if we leave Richmond at 7 PM
We may run out of money tonight never out of time
We might spend all our money tonight, but we won't run out of time to have fun
Harmon street we kick, it going to Adeline
We're heading from Harmon Street to Adeline in California
It's anybody's guess how late were gonna run
We don't know how long we'll stay out
We go all night alright to midnight just begun
We're going to party all night, and it's only the beginning at midnight
Girl that showed up on the scene, we tried to warn them
We tried to tell this girl something, but she didn't listen
That your days were over and the ship was sunken
We told her that her time was up and the situation was hopeless
Respect to New York, respect to London
We have respect for these cities
But we're from California and our stance is stronger
We're proud of where we're from and our beliefs and opinions are firm
We're gonna dig dig dig in deep hold the sacred ground
We're going to dig deep and stand firm on our beliefs
When the music come playing then you jump up, jump down
When the music starts playing, we'll start dancing and having a good time
If you hook up the speakers, man, we'll bring the sound
If you provide the artists, we'll provide the music
And the music will be heard from miles and miles around
Our music will be heard from far away
We got songs of redemption, songs of war
We have songs that deal with themes of redemption and war
We got songs like this that can pack the dance floor
We have upbeat songs like this one that will get people dancing
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SKYE SWEETNAM, TIM ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MayTheForceBeWith100
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
We take the 43 bus, we got no plans
The girl in the miniskirt, her name's Suzanne, right
The one with in high heeled boots is Sharon
And Karen is the one with the blond wig on
And with the bullet, man, we're going number one
And we don't need any money to have any fun
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
We take the trans-bay tube on the Richmond line
Leave at seven and at east bay by nine
We may run out of money tonight never out of time
Harmon street we kick, it going to Adeline
It's anybody's guess how late were gonna run
We go all night alright to midnight just begun
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
Girl that showed up on the scene, we tried to warn them
That your days were over and the ship was sunken
Respect to New York, respect to London
But we're from California and our stance is stronger
We're gonna dig dig dig in deep hold the sacred ground
When the music come playing then you jump up, jump down
If you hook up the speakers, man, we'll bring the sound
And the music will be heard from miles and miles around
We got songs of redemption, songs of war
We got songs like this that can pack the dance floor
Let's get moving into action
Let's get moving into action
If your life's too slow, no satisfaction
Find something out there, there's an attraction
If you hesitate now, that's a subtraction
So, let's get moving girl into action
Compositori: Skye Sweetnam / Tim Armstrong
Testo di Into Action © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
whowroteholden
At our local punk club, they always finish the night after the bands have finished by playing all of Tim's solo videos on their television, and I ALWAYS wait until this one comes on, usually dance with the bouncer and sing along with everyone before I'll call it a night. This song gets me so energized!!!!
Ed
Local punk clubs .... sigh ... the good ol' days
SINIŠA BOGDANOVIĆ
great message packaged as a feel-good, two-tone punk anthem!!! what's not to love about it???
Billy McBrearty
Absolutely brilliant Instantly puts me in a good mood
auto didakt
We got songs of redemption we got songs of war we got songs like this that can pack the dance floor love it <3
Hahazombie
A true tribute to cali punks and moonstompers. Tim you are a genius.
David Tillmann
Thank you Tim Timebomb, I'm a recovering meth addict. My dopamine levels are depleted. This song released endorphins for me. Love all your stuff.
Mike E
Snap!😀👍
Adam Henry Walker
@Mike E I recommend the meth over this song
Roland Deschain
@Adam Henry Walker THIS!