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.

Steady As She Goes
Voodoo Glow Skulls Lyrics

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We're the ones that had to sail the course
The course of friendship and trust, of course
Always heading for the eye of the storm
Getting stuck in one way, shape or form

Like an army we followed your lead
We cried with you and we watched you bleed
Loyalty at its ultimate

We paid our dues and this is what we get?

There was a time when we were family
We looked after you, and you looked after we
We flew your flag and defended it
But like a blind man you just ignored it

Through heavy rain
Through all the pain
Through heavy winds
Through all our sins
We hold her steady!
We hold her steady!
We hold her steady!

Steady as she goes

We've stood our time, and only time will tell
For awhile you had us under a spell
Now it's broken, and you can go to hell
We're tired of you pissing in our wishing well

Friendship comes and friendship goes
Where it stops nobody knows

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Voodoo Glow Skulls' song Steady As She Goes tell the story of the singer's loyalty and dedication to a friend or leader who, in the end, did not reciprocate that loyalty. The opening lines describe the challenging course of maintaining a friendship built on trust, with the metaphor of sailing through an eye of a storm. The singer and their group followed the lead of their friend despite any obstacles they encountered, standing by them through tough times.

However, the loyalty was not mutual, and the friend ended up ignoring their efforts and their flag. The tone of the song turns from admiration to frustration and ultimately anger as the singer declares they're tired of being taken for granted and disrespected by someone they once considered family. The song ends on the bittersweet note that friendships can come and go, and sometimes it's impossible to predict where they'll end up.

Overall, the lyrics convey the complex emotions of loyalty, disappointment, and ultimately the desire to move on from a friendship that has run its course. The stormy metaphor throughout the song helps to paint a vivid picture of the tumultuous dynamics of this relationship, where the singer and their group held steady against all odds, only to be let down in the end.

Line by Line Meaning

We're the ones that had to sail the course
We had to go through the ups and downs of maintaining our friendship

The course of friendship and trust, of course
The journey being referred to is one that involves building and maintaining trust in a friendship

Always heading for the eye of the storm
Despite the challenges, we kept pushing towards the goal of preserving our friendship

Getting stuck in one way, shape or form
There were times when things weren't going well and we were forced to face those issues head-on

Like an army we followed your lead
We trusted in you to lead us through difficult times in our friendship

We cried with you and we watched you bleed
We were there for you during your tough times and supported you through them

Loyalty at its ultimate
We were fiercely loyal to you, through thick and thin

We paid our dues and this is what we get?
After all we've done to maintain this friendship, is this how things end up?

There was a time when we were family
At one point, our friendship was like family and we looked out for each other

We looked after you, and you looked after we
Our friendship was a two-way street, with both sides looking after and supporting each other

We flew your flag and defended it
We proudly supported and stood up for our friendship with you

But like a blind man you just ignored it
You stopped valuing our friendship and ignored the effort we put into maintaining it

Through heavy rain
We persevered through tough times, even when things looked bleak

Through all the pain
We endured hardships together and supported each other through them

Through heavy winds
We faced obstacles and challenges that threatened our friendship, but we didn't give up

Through all our sins
Even when we made mistakes and hurt each other, we still tried to repair the damage and move on

We hold her steady!
We're determined to maintain our friendship no matter what happens

Steady as she goes
Our friendship may have gone through ups and downs, but we're committed to keeping it on track

We've stood our time, and only time will tell
We've invested a lot of time and effort into this friendship, and only time will reveal its true worth

For awhile you had us under a spell
At times, we were blinded by our loyalty to you and couldn't see the issues in our friendship

Now it's broken, and you can go to hell
Now that our friendship has fallen apart, we no longer care about your well-being

We're tired of you pissing in our wishing well
We're fed up with you ruining the good things we had in our friendship

Friendship comes and friendship goes
Friendships can be fleeting and not everyone is meant to be in our lives forever

Where it stops nobody knows
We never know when a friendship might end or what the future holds for those we hold dear

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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