Useless ID is a four-piece punk-rock band formed in Haifa, Israel in 1994.… Read Full Bio ↴Useless ID is a four-piece punk-rock band formed in Haifa, Israel in 1994. Like any other band, they started playing shows in their country. However, it wasn't until they started flying to California to play shows when they began to get international recognition. They created their own record label called Falafel Records, named after their favorite food. Eventually The Ataris came to hear of Useless ID's material. They liked it and offered to do a split EP under their previous record label, Kung Fu Records. Useless ID eventually got signed under Kung Fu Records themselves and have released three more subsequent records on that label. One of their songs, called "State of Fear", is featured in the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilation. In 2008, Suburban Home Records put out "The Lost Broken Bones", a solid 12 track album that hearkens back to the glory days of pop-punk, although it was darker, heavier and more aggressive than any of the band's previous efforts. Since 2011, the band has been signed to Fat Wreck Chords.

Band members:
* Yotam Ben Horin - Bass, Lead Vocals
* Ishay Berger - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
* Guy Carmel - Rhythm Guitar, Backup Vocals
* Yonatan Harpak - Drums, Percussion

What Are The Odds?
Useless ID Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Are you here to save the world?
The odds are running against you
Every day the same impression that something will change
Today I felt so sick when all the warnings got me down
All we are is a voice without a sound

Face the problem, lead the way to the solution
Raise your flag in victory

When you lost more than you had
It's all gone

Now, it's more than a dream and it's dying next to me
If we had so much more then what would we be fighting for?
Are days go by, we're killing time with so much in our way
But it's always the same
(Always the same.)

I remember when we were faces in the hall
Now what's left are memories, posters on the wall
We're getting by with no direction faster than we know
It feels like we've been winning all along
No more

Now, it's more than a dream and it's dying next to me
If we had so much more then what would we be fighting for?
Are days go by, we're killing time with so much in our way
But it's always the same

Let's turn it off (Let's turn it off) and walk away
I don't want to know what we were thinking
Let's turn it off (Let's turn it off) and walk away
No, I don't want to know at all. (No, I don't want to know...)

Now, it's more than a dream and it's dying next to me
If we had so much more then what would we be fighting for?
Are days go by, we're killing time with so much in our way

But it's always the same. (Always the same.)
Always the same. (Always the same.)

Overall Meaning

The song "What Are The Odds?" by Useless ID addresses the feeling of hopelessness in the face of the overwhelming issues we face as a global community. The lyrics pose the question, "Are you here to save the world?" but immediately follow it with a recognition that the odds of success are not in our favor. The singer of the song struggles with feeling sick from the constant barrage of warnings about the state of the world, yet he continues to speak out despite the feeling that his voice is useless, "All we are is a voice without a sound." The song suggests that it's easy to get weighed down by the immensity of the problems we face, but we must "face the problem, lead the way to the solution" if we hope to effect change.

The second verse of the song speaks to the disillusionment felt by the singer. He asks, "If we had so much more then what would we be fighting for?" suggesting that it's the lack of fulfillment that drives the need for change, rather than just the desire to make a difference. The chorus is the most relatable part of the song, with the line "But it's always the same" repeated multiple times. It's a feeling we all struggle with, that no matter how much we want things to change, we get stuck in the same cycle of inaction. The song ends with a plea to "let's turn it off and walk away" but also acknowledges that this isn't a real solution. We can't just walk away from the issues we face, even if they seem insurmountable.

Line by Line Meaning

Are you here to save the world?
Do you believe you have the power to save the entire world?

The odds are running against you
However, the probability of that happening is very low.

Every day the same impression that something will change
Every day you have the same feeling that something is going to change.

Today I felt so sick when all the warnings got me down
Today, all the warnings and negativity made me feel sick.

All we are is a voice without a sound
Despite everything, we don't really make a difference.

Face the problem, lead the way to the solution
We must acknowledge the issue and take steps to correct it.

Raise your flag in victory
When we succeed, it is important to celebrate our achievement.

When you lost more than you had
If you end up with less than you started with.

It's all gone
Everything is lost and there's nothing left.

Now, it's more than a dream and it's dying next to me
A precious dream is becoming more of a reality, but unfortunately, it's slipping away.

If we had so much more then what would we be fighting for?
If we already had everything we wanted, what would we be striving for?

Our days go by, we're killing time with so much in our way
Our days fly by, and we spend a lot of time dealing with our struggles.

But it's always the same
Despite all of this, we still find ourselves in a never-ending cycle.

I remember when we were faces in the hall
I have fond memories of an earlier time when we were just faces in a crowd.

Now what's left are memories, posters on the wall
Now all that's left are those posters as a reminder of the things we did.

We're getting by with no direction faster than we know
We're just getting through life without much guidance or direction, and before we know it, time has flown by.

It feels like we've been winning all along
Despite everything, it seems like we've somehow come out on top.

Let's turn it off (Let's turn it off) and walk away
We should give up the fight and walk away.

I don't want to know what we were thinking
I don't want to know what we were thinking or what our intentions were.

No, I don't want to know at all. (No, I don't want to know...)
I would rather not know anything about it, thank you.

Always the same. (Always the same.)
Everything is always the same, and nothing ever changes.

Writer(s): Berger Ishay, Carmel Guy, Ben Horin Yotam, Harpak Yehonatan

Contributed by Muhammad H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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