Voodoo Glow Skulls are an underground third-wave ska band. Their music is a… Read Full Bio ↴Voodoo Glow Skulls are an underground third-wave ska band. Their music is a mixture of old-style ska, punk and metal. The band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California by brothers Frank, Eddie and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill. The Voodoo Glow Skulls practiced for two years in a sweaty back bedroom/practice space until they forged a taut unit that performed with demonic intensity and a demented sense of humor. Backyard parties spread the gospel of Voodoo Glow Skulls; when Spanky's Cafe' opened they played now-legendary shows with the Angry Samoans, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and The Dickies.

Ghettoblaster
Voodoo Glow Skulls Lyrics

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"Come with Uncle and hear all proper,
Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones.
You are invited."

Out of my system, onto your streets.
We're bringin' a dose of reality.

Lower the chaos, set it free,

Isn't it the way it's supposed to be?
Many try to label me,
But there's no possibility.

Got to turn it up,
And we'll bring it down.
Got to turn it up.

Noise pollution is all I see,
Infected airwaves, they plague me.
Mass hysteria, no mass history.
What do we get? No quality.

Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)

Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey!

Buying and selling musical commodities.
Give them enough rope and they'd hang me.
Under the radar from your reality,
This one's for the people keeping ears to the street.

Got to turn it up,
Then we'll bring it down.
Got to turn it up.
And we'll bring it down.

Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)

Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Voodoo Glow Skulls' "Ghettoblaster" can be interpreted as a call to rebellion - an invitation to leave regular society and join in the chaos of their music. The idea of "angel trumpets" and "devil trombones" suggests a blending of heaven and hell, with the instruments mixed together to create something new and exciting. The singer makes it clear that this is a departure from their regular life, as they declare "Out of my system, onto your streets. We're bringin' a dose of reality." There's a sense of urgency here, as if the band is trying to wake people up from a coma of conformity.

The rest of the song continues this theme, with the band railing against "noise pollution" and "infected airwaves" - a nod to the mainstream music industry. The chorus "Blast the system" is a repeated mantra of destruction, with the implication that the band is trying to tear down the established order and replace it with something new. The line "Under the radar from your reality" suggests that the band is operating outside of the mainstream, rejecting the conventional music industry altogether. Overall, "Ghettoblaster" can be interpreted as a rallying cry for those who feel left out of the mainstream, encouraging them to join in the chaos and create something new together.

Line by Line Meaning

Come with Uncle and hear all proper,
Join us and listen to the truth.

Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones.
Hear both the good and the bad of society.

You are invited.
You're welcome to join us.

Out of my system, onto your streets.
We're bringing our message to your neighborhood.

We're bringin' a dose of reality.
We're exposing the truth.

Lower the chaos, set it free,
Reduce the confusion and let the truth be known.

Isn't it the way it's supposed to be?
Shouldn't this be the norm?

Many try to label me,
People try to categorize me,

But there's no possibility.
But they can't label me.

Got to turn it up,
We need to amplify our message.

And we'll bring it down.
And bring down the ignorance.

Noise pollution is all I see,
All I see are distractions and meaningless noise.

Infected airwaves, they plague me.
The media is filled with negative influences.

Mass hysteria, no mass history.
The masses are ill-informed and have no knowledge of history.

What do we get? No quality.
We're not getting quality information.

Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
We need to disrupt the system and spread the truth.

Buying and selling musical commodities.
The music industry is driven by profit.

Give them enough rope and they'd hang me.
The industry would destroy us if given the chance.

Under the radar from your reality,
We're not a part of mainstream culture.

This one's for the people keeping ears to the street.
Our message is for those who are aware of the problems.

Hey! Hey! Hey!
Our message is urgent and important.

Blast the system. (Ghettoblaster!)
We need to disrupt the system and spread the truth.

Lyrics © Another Victory Publishing
Written by: Edgardo G Casillas, Francisco Casillas, Jerry William O'Neill, Jorge Arturo Casillas

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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