Ever since their first album, Get Your Mind Right, the band hasn't failed to deliver a non-stop artillery of mean hardcore punk that definitely goes for the throat. Waste Management’s second album, Power Abuse, was also a great success, welcomed with open arms by all their loyal fans.
The band’s long-awaited third album, which is also their first ever full-length studio album, Tried and True, hit the shelves in 2018, 11 years after the band’s debut. The latest album stands alongside many other hardcore punk bands that define the modern Boston scene, such as No Tolerance and Boston Strangler. If you’re familiar with them and like what they do, then these guys will absolutely blow you away.
Watered Down
Waste Management Lyrics
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Watered down - sick of it
Dumb it down to appeal to the masses
Sell out venues to a bunch of deaf clowns
So sincere with your lyrics and speech
Another mainstream isn't what this world needs
In "Watered Down," Waste Management is criticizing the homogenization of music and the mainstream appeal that often leads to the "dumbing down" of lyrics to cater to the masses. They compare this to a "pile of shit" and express their frustration of being "sick of it." They accuse artists of selling out venues to a "bunch of deaf clowns," essentially saying that the audience doesn't truly appreciate the art, but rather consumes it mindlessly. The band challenges the notion that sincerity can be achieved by conforming to mainstream trends and asserts that the world needs something more original and authentic.
In a broader sense, "Watered Down" speaks to the issue of creative integrity in the entertainment industry. Waste Management is concerned with staying true to their vision and craft, even if it doesn't have mass appeal. By criticizing the "watering down" of music in order to sell units and appeal to the masses, they are taking a stand against the commodification of creative expression. The song is a call to arms for artists and listeners alike to demand something more than the commercialization of culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Watered down - pile of shit
The content presented to us is diluted and of poor quality.
Watered down - sick of it
I'm tired of accepting mediocre work and standards.
Dumb it down to appeal to the masses
Compromising complexity to cater to a wider audience who may not understand the nuances of the message conveyed.
Sell out venues to a bunch of deaf clowns
Attracting and satisfying an audience with no appreciation for the true art form- just settling for whatever is handed to them in the most exaggerated fashion possible.
So sincere with your lyrics and speech
Even if the music is mass-produced, the musician must be authentic and honest in their delivery, otherwise, it creates fraudulent music.
Another mainstream isn't what this world needs
A predominant idea that is acceptable to any morally conscious person cannot resonate in the minds of the majority in contrast to a diluted mainstream concept.
Contributed by Katherine B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.