The whole thing started in the small westcoastal town of Falkenberg, Sweden.
Daniel "Dana" Johansson (bass), Johan "Bengan" Bengtsson (vocals/guitar), Mattias "Talle" Toldbod (drums), & Stefan Stenslund (guitar)
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Scratch
Venerea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the right time
For the big one
There is no doubt were through
Playing for weeks
For crowds of ton
We've lost good money on this band
But now we're back at scratch again
A foreign label, a full length CD
But we're the same guys
In the same clothes
Though one guy left us
Fortunately
We're six years on
Though rearranged, is it that strange
That we have changed ?
It's no big deal but this time we get paid
How does that make you feel ?
Cut some slack
Scratch your backs
We've started from scratch
Do you grudge us
One-roomers of our own ?
Paying rehearsal space ?
The band van loan ?
Is it "not punk"
Having food to eat ?
Would our songs be better
If we lived out on the street
Now it's time for the CD to sell
But if it'll happen
Ain't no tongue can tell
And it doesn't do well
We're the stuck-up gits
We always were
After all
We've said and done
We're still in it
For the fun
I't weird how the years pass on
It feels like we've just begun
From scratch
The opening lines of Venerea's song Scratch seem to suggest a shift from playing punk music purely for the love of it, to the desire to make a commercial success out of it. The band is acknowledging that after spending six years touring and playing for crowds, they have lost money, which begs the question - how long can they keep going without making some sort of profit? The main theme of the song seems to be the notion of "selling out" - the idea that bands who prioritize profit and commercial success over maintaining an authentic punk ethos are seen as less genuine or even "sellouts."
Venerea is vocal about the struggles of trying to make it as a punk band in the late 90s through the lyrics of Scratch. The band speaks on being broke, living in shared spaces, and not having enough food to eat. They address the criticism they've faced - being referred to as "not punk" for having basic necessities, such as food and shelter. Ultimately, the band decides that it's time to try a new strategy, to get signed to a foreign record label, and release a full-length CD. The song ends on a hopeful note that even if the album doesn't sell well, they're still in it for the fun and excitement of performing.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it's time to finally sell out
We've decided to give up our principles and commercialize our music.
It's the right time
The timing is perfect.
For the big one
To become wildly successful.
There is no doubt were through
We're finished playing small gigs.
Playing for weeks
We've been playing a lot of shows.
For crowds of ton
For large audiences.
We've lost good money on this band
We've invested a lot of money into this band without much success.
But now we're back at scratch again
We're starting over from the beginning.
Now's the time to sell our souls
We're willing to make compromises and act against our principles.
A foreign label, a full length CD
We've signed with a non-local record label and released a full-length album.
But we're the same guys
We haven't changed as people.
In the same clothes
We still dress the same.
Though one guy left us
One band member has left.
Fortunately
Thankfully, it hasn't impacted our music.
We're six years on
We've been active as a band for six years.
Though rearranged, is it that strange
We've made some changes to our lineup, but is that really so strange?
That we have changed ?
We've evolved as a band.
It's no big deal but this time we get paid
We're not making a huge fuss about it, but we're finally getting paid.
How does that make you feel ?
What are your thoughts on this?
Cut some slack
Be more lenient.
Scratch your backs
We've supported you, now support us.
We've started from scratch
We're starting over.
Do you grudge us
Are you resentful towards us?
One-roomers of our own ?
Do we not deserve a dedicated practice space?
Paying rehearsal space ?
Should we not have to pay for a place to practice?
The band van loan ?
Should we not have to repay the loan we took to buy our van?
Is it "not punk"
Is it not punk to have some degree of financial stability?
Having food to eat ?
Is it not punk to have enough money to buy food?
Would our songs be better
Would our music be improved?
If we lived out on the street
If we were homeless?
Now it's time for the CD to sell
We hope our album will be successful.
But if it'll happen
If it does happen.
Ain't no tongue can tell
No one can predict the future.
And it doesn't do well
If our album doesn't sell.
We're the stuck-up gits
We'll be seen as arrogant.
We always were
We've always been this way.
After all
Despite everything.
We've said and done
We've done a lot.
We're still in it
We're still committed to our music.
For the fun
We started this for the love of it.
I't weird how the years pass on
It's strange how quickly time has gone by.
It feels like we've just begun
We still feel like we're just starting out.
From scratch
Starting from the beginning.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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