Formed in 1984, the group endured several line-up changes and soul-searching before coalescing around vocalist Jani Lane, guitarist Erik Turner, guitarist Joey Allen, bassist Jerry Dixon, and drummer Steven Sweet. In January 1988, Warrant signed a contract with Columbia Records. They then released their debut album, which they titled 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich'. Although coming in at the tail end of the 80s pop metal boom, their tuneful rock brought them some critical and commercial acclaim, the album reaching the #10 slot on the Billboard 200 top albums chart.
The band's second record, 'Cherry Pie', was released in March 1990, and spawned the hits "Cherry Pie", "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and "I Saw Red". It reached the Top Ten in the United States, and went on to sell over three million copies. The group found the title song, written by the band under studio pressure with the lyrics literally composed on a pizza box, a 'throw-away' type tune, giving them a commercial breakthrough. Yet their other tracks showed a desire to branch out into diverse subject matter and styles. For example, their southern rock inspired track "Uncle Tom's Cabin" alludes to the famous 1852 novel on racial divisions and features lyrics discussing shocking, covered-up murders while power ballad "Bed of Roses" discusses a romance beset by poverty and struggles reminiscent of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer".
Through riding high after their multi-platinum success and passionate touring, the band found itself in the middle of the rise of alternative music in the early 90s. In 1992, Warrant released 'Dog Eat Dog'. The record, an attempt by the band to evolve in the face of changing musical trends, received some critical acclaim but achieved only moderate commercial success. Single "Machine Gun", the title alone showing the change in direction, still managed to reach the top 40 rock charts.
After this, the band would begin a long string of member changes, including even singer Jani Lane leaving the band briefly. Lane achieved some small success producing work without the group, doing some covers of other hard rock and metal bands. He would then return before the band released 'Ultraphobic' in 1995 and 'Belly to Belly, Vol. 1' in 1998. These were released on a smaller label and featured a new darker sound. Neither album would remotely come close to the success of the earlier albums. A live album and an album of re-recorded classic tracks as well as an all-covers disc, titled 'Under the Influence', followed these.
Jani Lane would once again leave the band in 2004. Ironically, all the other original members would return to the band the same year. Vocalist Jaime St. James, known for serving as the frontman of Black 'n Blue, would take over as singer. In 2006, Warrant released 'Born Again', which was their first album to not have Lane on vocals.
On March 4, 2008, Warrant announced that Lane had returned to the band. Lane toured with the band through 2008, but he left the band once again soon after. On August 11, 2011, Lane was found dead in a hotel room in Woodland Hills, California. He was 47, and condolences poured in from hard rock fans.
There is another band with the same name:
2) Warrant is, secondly, the name of an 80s-era Speed Metal band from Germany. This Warrant was formed in 1983 in Düsseldorf and has featured an aggressive heavy metal sound akin to contemporaries Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The band's original line-up was Jörg Juraschek (vocals and bass), Thomas Klein (guitar) and Lothar Wieners (drums). Oliver May (guitar) followed shortly afterwards.
In early 1985, Warrant released the EP 'First Strike', and they soon also released 'The Enforcer'. They went on tour with Warlock later that year. The band sadly split up not too long later, with Juraschek and May going on to form Punchline while Wieners formed Monroxe.
In 1999, the band (with Jörg and Oliver) briefly reunited and recorded two new songs. Both of Warrant's albums were reissued on a single disc in 2000, with those new tracks included. In 2010, 'First Strike' and 'The Enforcer' were re-released, this meaning new artwork as well as the inclusion of some some live recordings.
The band also notably performed several live shows with Necronomicon and starred in some music festivals. In August 2010, they signed a deal with PSR. Fans rejoiced as the group had new life breathed into it.
Letter To A Friend
Warrant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And don't we both deserve to be happy?
We realize we're not the same
So no one here should take the blame,
It's o.k. to walk away and live to love another day,
This is not a fairytale
This is life
And sometimes life fails
Just before you go
It's alright
Make your brand new start
But keep me in your heart and you'll be fine
That's reality
As water flows beneath the bridge
We're learning how to forgive,
As milk spreads out across the floor
We both agree it's not worth fighting for
Nothings perfect except for God
And a California sunset,
So we're not perfect it doesn't mean we're bad
There's a place in the sun for everyone
You've just got to find it
Good luck with yours
I have to go and find mine
The Warrant song "Letter to a Friend" is addressed to a friend who is moving on from a relationship. The lyrics suggest that the relationship has failed and it's time for the friend to move on and begin anew. The song acknowledges that life is not a fairytale and sometimes relationships end, but it's okay to walk away and live to love another day. The song suggests that forgiveness is key to moving on, and that while nothing is perfect, there is a place in the sun for everyone.
The lyrics show a level of maturity and insight that is not always present in love songs. The singer recognizes that sometimes relationships don't work out and that it's important to move on, but to keep the memory of the relationship in one's heart. The song suggests that forgiveness is key to healing from a broken relationship and that even though life fails sometimes, it's still worth living.
Overall, "Letter to a Friend" is a bittersweet and mature ode to the beauty and fragility of relationships. The song encapsulates the feeling that sometimes love doesn't work out, but that it's always worth trying again.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm alive and you're alive
We are both alive and we have the opportunity to be happy.
And don't we both deserve to be happy?
We both deserve to find happiness in our lives.
We realize we're not the same
We understand that we are different from one another.
So no one here should take the blame,
We should not blame one another for our differences.
It's o.k. to walk away and live to love another day,
It's okay to end a relationship and find love in the future.
This is not a fairytale
This is the reality of life.
This is life
This is how things are.
And sometimes life fails
Sometimes things don't work out as planned.
Thought I'd let you know
I wanted to tell you.
Just before you go
Before you move on.
It's alright
Everything is okay.
Make your brand new start
Begin your new life.
But keep me in your heart and you'll be fine
Remember me and you will be okay.
That's reality
That's how things really are.
As water flows beneath the bridge
Similar to how water flows under the bridge, we are learning to forgive.
We're learning how to forgive,
We are learning to let go of past hurts.
As milk spreads out across the floor
Like milk spreading across the floor, our problems are spreading and we need to address them.
We both agree it's not worth fighting for
We agree that it's not worth fighting over small things.
Nothings perfect except for God
Nothing is perfect except for God.
And a California sunset,
And a beautiful sunset in California.
So we're not perfect it doesn't mean we're bad
Just because we are not perfect, it doesn't make us bad people.
There's a place in the sun for everyone
There is a place for everyone to find happiness.
You've just got to find it
You just need to find that place.
Good luck with yours
I wish you the best of luck in finding your happiness.
I have to go and find mine
I need to go find my own happiness.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Baltzer
This man inspired me to write lyrics he was so telented known as a singer he was the ultimate frontman but overlooked as a musician, thanks for the music and the memories man still miss this guy big influence on me!
Laurie Lane
The man never wrote a bad song.... SO talented! He wrote from his soul and sang with all of his heart.
Jimmy Bell
god bless his talent, gone way too damn soon
Joao JP
Jani was very underated as a singer and songwriter he is missed ,wish he was still around talented muscians like him and not the crap music being made today! love this album one of there best should of been a huge comeback this album was as good as any alternative or grunge album of the 1990's after the late 1990's music died for me!
Matt Calise
The modern indie rock scene is also very good, new bands are good too! Give them a shot. For example, The Vaccines, The Strokes and The Shins are very good.
Nick CHAVEZ II
THIS ALBUM WAS ONE OF THEIR GREATEST WORKS!! RIP JANI :(
b foster
Jani at his best..Warhol, family picnic, bed of roses..poet
Shaun Rambaran
Bitter Pill.
Paris Charles
RIP Jani, Thank you for the memories and some of the music that helped to shape my life, this is an awesome song and it's fitting to think of you this way. PC
don horton
A great song from one of the greatest albums ever