Back in the Day

When I was just a skinny lad on holiday by the sea
I met a girl in a Rancid shirt, and a tape she gave to me
With the Black Flag First Four Years and the Minor Threat Discography
And punk rock saved my life
Going down the Red Eye back in 1998
Hanging out with Household Names and staying out too late
This angry adolescent found an outlet for his hate
And punk rock saved my life

The vision wasn’t perfect and we knew it all along
We dressed like fucking idiots and got our facts all wrong
But everyone must needs be an extremist when they’re young
Fucking with your parents makes you grow up big and strong

Folding zines and record sleeves while sitting round at home
Flicking through the catalogues and distros at the shows
Circle pits and sing-a-longs, come on let’s fucking go
And punk rock saved my life

That little dream is over, it was never going to last
Everybody’s moved along and it’s all in the past
But when I was just 16 I pinned my colours to the mast
And punk rock’s in the ink that’s in my skin
The attitude in every song I sing
And we didn’t change the world, we didn’t win
We probably didn’t even save my life, it’s true
But I bet we had a better time than you