DEAD END
v/a DC Demos LP Lyrics


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Spent a buck for every dime I earned
It's the story of my life
Down on my luck and now it's time I learned
Everything has it's price
But broken hearts and empty pockets
Don't determine wrong and right

When the thoughts that fill your head
Are the kind that make your eyeballs sweat at night

The view from the alley and the view from the valley
Are empty and surrounded by dead ends
The bridges that I burned and the lessons that I learned
Don't amount to a damn thing in the end

Been accused and called a criminal
But I've yet to speak my mind
I may lose but the damage is minimal
And I'll soon respond in kind
I need an angel or a patron to save me
I need a message or a sign




Kings and queens have set me on their assorted paths
But I'll find my way in time

Overall Meaning

The v/a DC Demos LP's song "Dead End" is a reflective track that chronicles the hardships and inner turmoil that lead a person to feel stuck and without direction. The singer acknowledges their own mistakes, spending more than they earned, indicating a lack of control and a sense of hopelessness. The concept of everything having a price is brought up, but the song emphasizes that true morality cannot be dictated by financial success or failure. The line "When the thoughts that fill your head are the kind that make your eyeballs sweat at night" is a powerful metaphor for the overwhelming anxiety and stress that can come from feeling trapped and without control.


The chorus of the song is especially poignant in its despair, claiming that both the view from the alley and the view from the valley are empty and surrounded by dead ends. The bridges that have been burned and the lessons that have been learned amount to nothing in the end. The singer is left feeling like they are lacking direction, despite having been tried and judged before. They express a need for guidance and direction, whether it be from an angel, patron, or message/sign. The final line of the song suggests that the singer is determined to find their own path, rather than follow those set by society's supposed kings and queens.


Overall, "Dead End" is a song that speaks to the desperation and confusion that can come from facing hardship and feeling like there is no clear way forward. The singer grapples with their own missteps but ultimately seeks to find their own way, even if it means going against the expectations of others.


Line by Line Meaning

Spent a buck for every dime I earned
I have made poor financial decisions my entire life and have very little to show for the work I have put in.


It's the story of my life
This pattern of poor decision-making and financial struggle is a recurring theme in my life.


Down on my luck and now it's time I learned
I have experienced a string of bad luck and now realize that I need to make changes in my life in order to improve my situation.


Everything has it's price
Every decision and action in life comes with consequences, whether positive or negative.


But broken hearts and empty pockets
Lack of money and emotional pain do not indicate whether a decision or action was right or wrong.


Don't determine wrong and right
The presence or absence of money and emotional pain should not be used to judge the moral value of a decision or action.


When the thoughts that fill your head
When your mind is consumed by troubling thoughts,


Are the kind that make your eyeballs sweat at night
Thoughts that cause physical discomfort and anxiety, even when you are trying to sleep.


The view from the alley and the view from the valley
Regardless of whether one is in poverty or prosperity,


Are empty and surrounded by dead ends
Both situations can feel lacking and directionless.


The bridges that I burned and the lessons that I learned
Mistakes I have made in the past and the knowledge I have gained from them,


Don't amount to a damn thing in the end
Will ultimately be irrelevant and have little impact on my future.


Been accused and called a criminal
I have been judged and labeled unfairly by others.


But I've yet to speak my mind
I have not had the opportunity to defend myself or share my side of the story.


I may lose but the damage is minimal
Even if I do not come out on top, the negative consequences will not be severe.


And I'll soon respond in kind
I plan to retaliate or defend myself soon.


I need an angel or a patron to save me
I am in a desperate situation and require outside help to improve my circumstances.


I need a message or a sign
I am looking for guidance or direction in life.


Kings and queens have set me on their assorted paths
Powerful and influential people have tried to guide me down various paths in life.


But I'll find my way in time
I am confident that I will ultimately find my own path in life.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

The Hardcore\Punk Archive

The following is some notes on each of the recordings used in this video:
-The Necros (From Maumee, OH) tracks are taken from some demos recorded around 1982. I feel like these probably would've been the recordings used.
-The Autistic Behavior (From Philly) tracks are taken from their Shattered Cattle album, recorded in 1982 and never officially released until 2014.
-GI tracks are taken from their Make An Effort EP, released in 1983 but recorded in Feb 1982.
-Skewbald (Also known as Grand Union) track is taken from the "2 Songs" 7", recorded in 1982 but not released until 1990. The track is titled "Skewbald" on the tracklisting and I'm not sure which Skewbald track that was intended to be. Here I decided to use "You're Not Fooling Me".
-Void tracks taken from the recording sessions for the Faith/Void split LP. "Black, Jewish and Poor" is a session outtake, presumably intended to be used on this comp.
-Faith tracks are taken from the Faith/Void split LP.
-The first chunk of Double-O tracks are taken from their 2nd demo session in 1981 and the second chunk are taken from their 4th demo session also in 1981. Double-O is the only band on the comp with two different sets of tracks - I'm not sure why that is but I'm not complaining.
-Misguided tracks are taken from their 2nd demo session.
-Kraut tracks are taken from the sessions for their An Adjustment To Society LP.
-After the Kraut tracks there were supposed to be three tracks by Peer Pressure, a short-lived and obscure DC Hardcore band with Tom Berrard and Danny Ingram. These tracks unfortunately never seem to have made it to the internet age.
-The Scream tracks were recorded at the 171A studio in 1982.
-The Crucial Truth (Also knows as Crucial T.) were also recorded at the 171A studio in 1982 and were taken from American Hardcore author Steven Blush's "24 Hours of Hardcore" playlist.
-The tracks by The Mob were also recorded at the 171A studio in 1982. Included here is "F.A.S.T.", taken from the 24 Hours of Hardcore playlist. Another song called "Overthrow" was also to be included on the comp but I couldn't find it to include here - c'est la vie.
-The Influence tracks were presumably also recorded at 171A. These tracks are taken from uploads by "SBTC" on YouTube - thanks!
-Bad Brains tracks are session outtakes from their self-titled debut album, recorded at 171A in 1981.
-Even Worse tracks recorded at 171A in Feb 1982 during the sessions for an LP, eventually released in 1996 as part of the You've Ruined Everything CD (With the session issued on vinyl in 2016). Three tracks were intended for use on the comp, two of which appear here. The missing track is titled "Distance".
-Bloodclot! tracks were recorded at 171A for use on the comp. The first song here was taken from the 24 Hours of Hardcore playlist. The other three songs in this video were taken from a live set recorded at CBGBs. I'm unsure of the title of the last song used but the name of the last Bloodclot! song on the comp is "Mechanical Evolution"; I'm unsure whether this is the name of the song used here or not.
-After this, there are supposed to be two tracks by UXA (from LA) taken from a live performance at 171A, as are the tracks by Angry Samoans (LA), DOA (Vancouver) and The Subhumans (Vancouver). I once had the sets by UXA and Angry Samoans downloaded but I can no longer seem to find them. The UXA tracks are not included in this video. The Angry Samoans tracks in this video come from a live performance at Mabuhuy Gardens in San Francisco in 1983. The DOA tracks included in this video come from their Hardcore '81 and Something Better Change LPs respectively. The first and third Subhumans tracks included in this video come from their Incorrect Thoughts LP and the second comes from their No Wishes, No Prayers LP.
-The final set of tracks were supposed to come from a band called The New Standard. I know nothing about this band and their tracks never made it to the internet age so they aren't included in this video.



All comments from YouTube:

The Hardcore\Punk Archive

The following is some notes on each of the recordings used in this video:
-The Necros (From Maumee, OH) tracks are taken from some demos recorded around 1982. I feel like these probably would've been the recordings used.
-The Autistic Behavior (From Philly) tracks are taken from their Shattered Cattle album, recorded in 1982 and never officially released until 2014.
-GI tracks are taken from their Make An Effort EP, released in 1983 but recorded in Feb 1982.
-Skewbald (Also known as Grand Union) track is taken from the "2 Songs" 7", recorded in 1982 but not released until 1990. The track is titled "Skewbald" on the tracklisting and I'm not sure which Skewbald track that was intended to be. Here I decided to use "You're Not Fooling Me".
-Void tracks taken from the recording sessions for the Faith/Void split LP. "Black, Jewish and Poor" is a session outtake, presumably intended to be used on this comp.
-Faith tracks are taken from the Faith/Void split LP.
-The first chunk of Double-O tracks are taken from their 2nd demo session in 1981 and the second chunk are taken from their 4th demo session also in 1981. Double-O is the only band on the comp with two different sets of tracks - I'm not sure why that is but I'm not complaining.
-Misguided tracks are taken from their 2nd demo session.
-Kraut tracks are taken from the sessions for their An Adjustment To Society LP.
-After the Kraut tracks there were supposed to be three tracks by Peer Pressure, a short-lived and obscure DC Hardcore band with Tom Berrard and Danny Ingram. These tracks unfortunately never seem to have made it to the internet age.
-The Scream tracks were recorded at the 171A studio in 1982.
-The Crucial Truth (Also knows as Crucial T.) were also recorded at the 171A studio in 1982 and were taken from American Hardcore author Steven Blush's "24 Hours of Hardcore" playlist.
-The tracks by The Mob were also recorded at the 171A studio in 1982. Included here is "F.A.S.T.", taken from the 24 Hours of Hardcore playlist. Another song called "Overthrow" was also to be included on the comp but I couldn't find it to include here - c'est la vie.
-The Influence tracks were presumably also recorded at 171A. These tracks are taken from uploads by "SBTC" on YouTube - thanks!
-Bad Brains tracks are session outtakes from their self-titled debut album, recorded at 171A in 1981.
-Even Worse tracks recorded at 171A in Feb 1982 during the sessions for an LP, eventually released in 1996 as part of the You've Ruined Everything CD (With the session issued on vinyl in 2016). Three tracks were intended for use on the comp, two of which appear here. The missing track is titled "Distance".
-Bloodclot! tracks were recorded at 171A for use on the comp. The first song here was taken from the 24 Hours of Hardcore playlist. The other three songs in this video were taken from a live set recorded at CBGBs. I'm unsure of the title of the last song used but the name of the last Bloodclot! song on the comp is "Mechanical Evolution"; I'm unsure whether this is the name of the song used here or not.
-After this, there are supposed to be two tracks by UXA (from LA) taken from a live performance at 171A, as are the tracks by Angry Samoans (LA), DOA (Vancouver) and The Subhumans (Vancouver). I once had the sets by UXA and Angry Samoans downloaded but I can no longer seem to find them. The UXA tracks are not included in this video. The Angry Samoans tracks in this video come from a live performance at Mabuhuy Gardens in San Francisco in 1983. The DOA tracks included in this video come from their Hardcore '81 and Something Better Change LPs respectively. The first and third Subhumans tracks included in this video come from their Incorrect Thoughts LP and the second comes from their No Wishes, No Prayers LP.
-The final set of tracks were supposed to come from a band called The New Standard. I know nothing about this band and their tracks never made it to the internet age so they aren't included in this video.

Jason Misfit

THANKS FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER... I TOO SHARE THIS KIND OF OBSESSION FOR OLD HARDCORE PUNK...nothing else compares

The Hardcore\Punk Archive

@MrSpyhere Nah, all this happened way before my time unfortunately

MrSpyhere

Yo thanks for the history lesson, big props for putting this together were u around back then?

TransitionDesert

Peer Pressure also had Toni Young (Red C, Dove) and David Byers (DC Necros, H.R./Human Rights)

Joe Doomsday Pio

Feels like being 15 again making mix tapes for friends

blackoperations

fantastic! you've did a great job putting this together!

Piszczel

so much great bands on there!

Jason Misfit

Such painstaking work putting all this together! AWESOME

Knightkow Productions

where could I download this comp?
this thing kickass

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