Abraham was intent on not falling and started the band as a way to cope and ultimately rising up from hardship. “Jacksonville is a poor and ignorant city,” Abraham continues, “many people who live there have never been anywhere else so I feel to rise up out of that takes a special kind of person.”
After several years on the road, honing their chops nationwide with the likes of Rancid, Bad Brains, Bouncing Souls, Gym Class Heroes, Wu-Tang Clan, Suicidal Tendencies and others, it’s safe to say the band has risen from their humble beginnings in the Southeast. They’ve performed to thousands at major festivals including Coachella, Bamboozle and Warped Tour but they never forget their roots. The band reps their home turf hard no matter what part of the country they may be in at any given time. Aaron shrugs it off with gratitude, “many bands and rappers pay homage to their hometown because it’s what they know and it’s where they got their courage so I have to thank my town and people for that because their aren’t many voices in our town that come with credibility.”
Credibility is something Whole Wheat Bread has earned on both sides of the musical fence – the punk and rap worlds. The game’s elite is down with WWB and whether that’s Lil Jon on the rap side or Tim Armstrong for punk, the band has connected with the artists that have influenced them and now, remarkably view the band as peers. Rancid has invited the band on the road while Lil Jon invited them to play on his upcoming album. “They can see the authenticity of our sound plus Lil Jon loves punk and Tim Armstrong loves rap,” says Aaron, “me and him were talking about T.I. and Lil Jon would talk to me about Bad Brains.”
The band’s unique guitar-charged punk rock mixed with southern hip-hop is perfectly constructed for the iPod-on-shuffle generation who enjoys their music rap, punk, reggae, rock, all mixed together and all points in between. “We can play a show of punk songs and someone from Jamaica will come up to me after the show and ask me, are one of y’all from the Caribbean?” says Aaron, “the different influences have always been there so I see more songs coming that are exactly that and less songs that are simply a punk song.”
Hearts of Hoodlums is the band's new album. It was produced by Travis Huff (Yellowcard, Armor For Sleep) with guest appearances by rapper Murs and punk rocker Mike McColgan of Street Dogs. Hearts of Hoodlums showcases the band’s versatility from the balls-out metal of “I Can’t Think” to the epic “Staying True” starting with acoustic guitars and string flourishes only to end with the band rocking out in full-unabashed glory. The album’s opener “Bombs Away” shines with vocal contributions from Mike McColgan of Street Dogs and a lyrical message that hits home. According to Abraham the song is about “the war, the effect of the economy, immigration and so on”. He continues, “it all seems so senseless and all that happens in the end is a loss.”
The catchy “Girlfriend Like This” has a reggae backbeat and features samples that would sound at home on a Lee Scratch Perry album. The band’s homage to repping your home turf “Throw Your Sets Up” features southern rap with distorted guitars sounding somewhat like a hybrid of Outkast and N.E.R.D.
Fans of the band’s punk edge won’t be disappointed as while the album is versatile, there’s plenty to mosh to like “Lower Class Man” or “New Age Southern Baptist N*gga From Da Hood” of which Aaron simply says, “hallelujah my n*gga.”
Whole Wheat Bread will perform on March 19 at SXSW in Austin, TX. They are planning a UK trip this April.
206
Whole Wheat Bread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Best get drunk and belligerent
Maybe then I'll consider it
Once I'm stripped of my innocence
From the duo of parking lot
To riverside where the water stops
Yo we're gonna lose all we've got
And never resolve this all with pot
It's nothing like before
There's no signs of hope here
I'm letting myself go
And you don't care
She says she wants something different
Someone who holds her interest
And if homegirl gets into it
She'll make a move and get intimate
From the bottom and on the top
Now the backseat is scorching hot
And the neighborhood's forced to watch
Unless somebody calls the cops
It's nothing like before
There's no signs of hope here
I'm letting myself go
Pretending that I don't care
It's nothing like before
There's no signs of hope here
I'm letting myself go
And you don't care
You don't care
You don't care
You don't care
It's nothing like before
There's no signs of hope here
I'm letting myself go
Pretending that I don't care
It's nothing like before
There's no signs of hope here
I'm letting myself go
And you don't care
The song '206' by Whole Wheat Bread tells the story of two individuals who have lost their way in life and are struggling to find their place in the world. The opening lines of the song invite listeners to light up a cigarette and get drunk because life has taken away their innocence. The duo is driving through a parking lot to reach the riverside where they are sure to lose all that they have built. They sense a feeling of hopelessness as they smoke pot to feel better about their lives. As they lose themselves in the high, their problems don’t seem to go away.
The song describes how the two individuals find themselves in a situation where they are looking for something different. They find themselves in a backseat that is scorching hot and incites the neighborhood to watch their intimate moments. They are lost and hopeless, pretending not to care, but in reality, they do. The chorus repeats how there is no hope and they are letting themselves go, and the person they are with doesn't even seem to care. It conveys the sentiment that the once-loveable and caring person has become indifferent to the situation and is no longer invested in the relationship.
In short, the song’s story revolves around two people who have lost their way in life and are struggling to find something better. They smoke and drink in an attempt to find some solace in life, but nothing seems to help them. They find themselves in a compromising position with no one to turn to. The song portrays a sense of hopelessness and despair, with the two people involved seemingly on their own in the fight for survival.
Line by Line Meaning
Go ahead and light up your cigarette
Encouraging someone to indulge in a habit that harms them
Best get drunk and belligerent
Promoting irresponsible behavior by suggesting that being drunk and aggressive is desirable
Maybe then I'll consider it
Suggesting that someone needs to be under the influence in order to be appealing or worth considering
Once I'm stripped of my innocence
Referring to the loss of purity or naivety, indicating a desire to engage in risky or questionable behavior
From the duo of parking lot
Referring to a location commonly associated with low-grade activities such as loitering and illicit behavior
To riverside where the water stops
Moving from one undesirable or problematic location to another
Yo we're gonna lose all we've got
Anticipating failure or negative consequences as a result of the behavior and actions being portrayed
And never resolve this all with pot
Suggesting that drug use cannot solve the underlying issues or problems in the situation
She says she wants something different
Referring to a desire for change or novelty in a relationship
Someone who holds her interest
Indicating that the artist may not be able to fulfill the other person's needs or expectations
And if homegirl gets into it
Anticipating the possibility of sexual activity or intimate behavior
She'll make a move and get intimate
Describing a potential scenario where someone takes the initiative to engage in physical intimacy
From the bottom and on the top
Describing different positions during sexual activity
Now the backseat is scorching hot
Suggesting a sexual encounter is taking place in a car, which could be seen as dangerous or inappropriate
And the neighborhood's forced to watch
Implying that the behavior is being displayed publicly, which may cause discomfort or concern for others nearby
Unless somebody calls the cops
Recognizing that the actions are potentially illegal and could result in police involvement
Pretending that I don't care
Attempting to mask emotions or feelings in order to maintain a facade, potentially to avoid addressing underlying issues or problems
And you don't care
Suggesting a lack of concern or empathy from someone else in the situation
It's nothing like before
Emphasizing the significant change or degradation of the situation
There's no signs of hope here
Implying a sense of hopelessness or despair in the current circumstances
I'm letting myself go
Indicating a lack of control or a giving in to temptation or negative behaviors
Contributed by Adeline S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.