Standfast Armageddon Justice Fighter
(these aren't in order, nor are they perfectly proof-read, but damn are they fun to read!)

ADVICE TO D'ARTAGNAN
These lyrics were inspired after reading The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. The song is not written about a specific person. And though Artos's advice might seem sound, a life without the "beautiful, poetic and amorous," is one probably not worth living.

Loser in love
survivor on the battle front
of wounded hearts
and chances lost

don't give your heart away
unless you're seeking pain
I should've followed the advice
of Artos to d'Artagnan

"tender hearts are
made to be broken
love is a lottery
and the price is death

"the losers are lucky
misfortune's a joke
so cure yourself
of the beautiful, poetic and amorous"

Don't give it away!
Don't give it away!
Don't give it away!
Don't give it away!

And as d'Artagnan wept
Artos drank
and I thought
of a saintly demoness

CRUCIAL SESSION
This song is dedicated to those hardcore kids who either used to skate, still do, or are just starting. Most importantly, it's dedicated to the thrashers in CRUCIAL SECTION from Japan for inspiring us!

Let's go way back to when wheels were big
and boards were fat

back to the Grim Ramp
Hunter's Point, the dish and EMB

to Spoiled Children, Team Creeper and CMP
and taking public transportation to the city

wall rides -- on bus sides
launch ramps -- long grinds

when Dogtown, Skull Skates and Zorlac
were on top of the scene
and every crucial session had a sound track
of Skate Rock Volume 3

back to the days of Hosoi, Cab,
Roskopp and Hawk
and when Thrasher was king
before Puszone was chopped

TO DEFINE NOT DIVIDE
I have always believed in going against the grain of uniformity and conformity. I try my best to adhere to and convey a tolerant mindset and positive attitude, an open-mindedness that includes everyone. This X on my hand shouldn't be seen as a threat to anyone. I've made my own choices. You can make your own. Either way, we're still all in this together.

For several years I wore the X
for several years I ignored the X
but I never changed my beliefs
or who I am

now I've taken it back
a X on the back of my hand
a simple profound statement that
helps define just who I am

it's a positive decision
nothing to do with ostracism
there's nothing contradictory
about unity and diversity

you made your choice
I made mine
we can still stand together
side by side

to define
not divide
a mere reflection of some beliefs
that I hold inside

LOSING MY INNOCENCE, RETAINING MY YOUTH
This song was inspired by the beliefs of Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888). His philosophy was one in which we come into this world close to perfection as children, and then become corrupt with age since we exist within a competitive industrialized society. He felt that by maintaining a healthy vegan diet, sleeping, exercising and bathing regularly, one could regain their original purity. However, even by following this ethic I can not regain the innocence as seen through a child's eyes. I have witnessed and lived though hardening experiences, but I have learned from them and refuse to let them grind down my enthusiasm for life.

I can't go back in time
or erase the things I've seen
I came into this world pure and innocent
I'll leave this world wiser and kicking

Who says I gotta act my age
I don't recognize the relevance
I'll never equate the cyclical
with the down right cynical

old is just a state of mind
to which I don't aspire
I plan on staying young
until the day that I expire

WELCOME TO THE CONTINUING SAGA OF MY LIFE OF SHIT
My life might be a lot easier if I had made some different decisions along the way. However, my life also would probably also not be so enjoyable. Doing what you love often proves more difficult and time consuming than you could ever imagine. You become trapped by the very world you created. The only way to change your situation is to figure out methods in which to approach your goals in a more efficient and dedicated manner; thus trapping yourself even more with the hopes that you will eventually gain your freedom. Welcome to the continuing saga of my life of shit.

I willingly stepped into the quick sand
chose to suffocate myself with the plastic bag
now all I can do is slowly struggle
and hope I can pull myself free

I'm drowning, suffocating
I can feel myself dying
but as long as I can struggle
I will never cease trying

I got myself into this
now it's time to get out
yet if I attain safety
then why not success?

POWER CORRUPTS
"Civilization has proved a harsh task master. With no inherent limit to the drive toward power-maximization, the demands of civilization for human labor to do its work are also unlimited. As long as power is a function of human productivity, civilization will tend to regard the free spirit as a wastrel and the dedicated drudge as a virtuous man. The selection for power places man under the yoke." Andrew Bard Schmookler from The Parable of the Tribes: The Problem of Power in Social Evolution.
This song was inspired by reading such works as the Parable of the Tribes, The Warrior's Honour: Ethnic War and the Modern Conscience by Michael Ignatieff and The Unabomber Manifesto.

Absolute power
breeds absolute contempt
for the powerless
without repent

when life is too easy
decadence prevails
the end result
of demoralization

living should be
our occupation
survival of our species
and perpetuation

power an
unnatural purpose
displacement of humanity
in nature's service

Bellum Hostile
and Bellum Romanum
how can one
differentiate?

it's all based on hate
but slaughtering innocents
is excused
when it's not done face to face

STAND FAST ARMAGEDDON JUSTICE FIGHTER
Life is continuous war. Every day is an ongoing battle. The odds are against us, but the world we live in is all we have, and the beliefs we carry are worth holding.

It's trench warfare 24-7
in this best of all possible worlds
taking and losing ground
as friends fall to collateral damage

we wage a war we may never win
against genocide, corruption, and rape
we live in a world were heaven and hell co-exist
and conflict is second nature

our convictions keep us strong
we have no desire for martyrdom
yet stand firm in our beliefs
and sometimes they're all we have

we fight for justice
and die in unmarked graves
if we're marked to perish let's make a stand
a Camerone a Dien Pien Phu

and if we win
we will know the true taste of freedom
and there will be beauty in the ruins
as a new born child's cry wakes the sun

FREEDOM!!!

Stand Fast Armageddon Justice Fighter
Hold True Children of the New World

MULTIPLE TASKING WITH A ONE TRACK MIND
I am constantly biting off more than I can chew. Yet the tasks I have chosen are the things I love. I can not complain, I can not ask for more time, I can only continue forward.

For every step forward there are three steps back
for every major victory there are several small defeats
come watch the carnival, observe the freak show
as a simple man tries to carry more than just his load

He's not an ant, not part of an army
yet he throws himself into a melee every day

bombarded with tasks,
there's no first, there's no last
a constant onslaught of items to battle
that impede freedom's path

SAISHOKU SHUGI SHA
Vegetarianism and veganism are a pretty foreign concept in contemporary Japan, yet historically, the concept was not foreign at all. It wasn't until the 50's that beef production and consumption even became commonplace in Japan. I find myself explaining my beliefs often, so this song is an easy way to clarify my position.(Song title and concept by Devon Morf, lyrics and translation by Dawn Ishii)

Ore wa saishoku shugisha
doubutsu seihin kuwanai
dobutsu seihin iranei
hentai demo kichigai demo nei

jindo teki na ikikata wo shinjiru
minna jibun katte sugiru
doubustsu wa hito no tame ni iru?
ningen zankokusa o naze kanjinai?

Nihon no rekishi o miro
Kobe beef nanate zutto nei yo
kenko to kankyo o motto kangae yo

daredemo ishi ga areba dekiru
kyoiku o ukete jibun ni kibishiku

watashitachi wa
saishoku shugi sha

watshitachi wa
saishoku shugi sha

TO FLY THE FLAG LIBERTALIA
Since I was a child, I've always been fascinated by pirates. As I got older I read more about pirates and learned that many had a code of ethics more admirable than mere criminality. I, and several others I've met, have individually come to the conclusion that pirates bear many similarities to hardcore punks. And when I read about the semi-mythical colony of Libertalia, a socialist, humanitarian and revolutionary group of misfits and freed slaves, founded in Madagascar by Captain Misson and Father Caraccioli, I was inspired to someday follow in their footsteps.

Some day I'll walk away
and leave this all behind
free to roam the world
no longer trapped, penned in, confined

rid myself of being
possessed by possessions
set my goals
on a new direction

a life of liberty
comradeship above leadership
rejection of nation states
no distinction of differences

I'll claim my natural right
to a share of the earth
as piracy's self preservation
against death culture capitalism

ISN'T IT IRONIC (IS THIS ME)?
I was looking at one of our records recently and was surprised at myself. The words and images portrayed are a reflection of myself, but a fraction of the whole. The photos are mere instances captured on film. The words chosen and sculptured over time. Though both are parts of myself, they don't represent my entire entity. When the band plays live, it is only for 20-30 minutes once a month. Yet, to people who haven't met me, the image they have of me is of an athletic and literate person. It was foreign because I know who I am, and I have to live with myself 24 hours a day. Looking at the record, it seems that the person I see leads a much more exciting and together life than I really do. Yet I know the truth, the awkwardness and boredom of being human. And so though it's a limited part of my existence, those 20-30 minutes a month make life all the more worth living.

A moment of clarity
a millisecond of captured energy
what do I really see?
can it be? is this me?

a perception based upon
a record sleeve
only a small percentage
of the full reality

Isn't it Ironic (Is this Me?)
Isn't it Ironic (Is this Me?)

where is all the drudgery
where is all the monotony
the stumbling for words
the idiocy

Isn't it Ironic (Is this Me)?

COEXISTENCE OVER CONQUEST
This song is about how some hardcore/punk bands we've recently encountered started setting their sites on touring the globe. A noble and worthy effort, but sometimes their motivations seemed questionable. We feel that one should not tour a country to be "the first one there." This holds too much in common with Columbus's "discovery" of America. America was already here, as were indigenous people. Other countries already exist and have the respective punk/music scenes. By touring a foreign country you're not necessarily bringing something new to the masses, you're not a punk rock missionary or hardcore conquistador. Punk and hardcore are about equality, communication and co-operation. Let's not repeat history let's create a new future.

It's not first or last, win, lose or draw
this isn't about power, ego or money

it's how we exist to reject the "game"
not conquest and claim new terrain

We're in this all together
Let's leave the outside world behind

you claim to be an alternative
yet you're playing by the old world rules
you claim to be something different
but you've fallen right in line

I thought it was all about co-operation
not rehashing colonialism

THE HUMOUR IN BLASPHEMY
There's a shirt in the store I work at with an image of Jesus being crucified to the cross while several wholesome looking American kids point their fingers and laugh. It took me a while to figure out why I too found the image humorous. So many people who take their religion so seriously don't seem to listen to their own words. Good will towards humankind is possible without a religious belief system being used as a crutch. I will not deny there are several religious leaders or institutions that work for good in the world. However, the plethora of people over the centuries that have twisted "holy" words to justify their own agenda, resulting in corruption, vice and wholesale bloodshed, seems to outnumber those working for good.

My opinions anger you
yet you sell cheap images of your sacred icon
for pennies and you defile any reverence
by casting it in neon plastic

you glorify an image
while ignoring the words
and I shudder at the things
you do behind closed doors

you justify your actions
with words that aren't your own
and you can never live up to
you are not righteous, you're evil

so I have no qualms as to pointing
at an image of your god and laughing
I can respect culture and tradition
but not your revisionism, manipulation and lies

you're a tool
and you've
made your god
into a clown

you're a fucking joke

The humour in blasphemy
The joy in sacrilege

HARD RICE & MOLTEN RAIN
This song is about the CIA's involvement in Laos in the 60's and 70's. A war hidden from the American public yet funded by their taxes.

From the belly of the beast
of a bird of prey
comes a torrential delivery
of hard rice and molten rain

Air America over the Plain of Jars
not bringing relief but further pain

we pay our taxes
to drop more ordinance
than Berlin received
during the course of WWII

a dirty secret war
of covert operations
illicit activities
cruel betrayal and sacrifice

VIOLENT EXPRESSION, SEXUAL REPRESSION
Violent images are rampant in our society. We are raised watching it on television, movies, video games, etc. Yet still there is more public outcry when children witness nudity or sex over people being shot and killed. We seem to present a message that violence is okay and the human body is to be banned.

Violent expression
sexual repression
a reflection of the
society we live in

raised witness
to slaughter
and living beings
are chattel

we teach our children war
but treat it like a game
told that sexual activity is wrong
and one should abstain

THOSE WHO OWN THE STREETS OWN THE CITY
The streets of many cities are plagued with the warfare between police and crime. Crime is often the result of the failing points of industrialized society. Those who are not part of a criminal element are portrayed as such. Graffiti is seen as vandalism, not art (though the two are not always synonymous). Police blame women for being raped because they "brought it upon themselves by dressing suggestively like a streetwalker." I have no criminal record or activities to worry about when interacting with the police, yet my few experiences with them, and the experiences of several of my neighbors, leave me more concerned and frightened by the police than the gang members that hang out half a block away. In fact, the police seem to behave more like the gangs they claim to work against. This is about standing up for yourself and your community, be it cops or a bad element infringing on something special. We shouldn't rely on anyone but ourselves to maintain a community.

Let's take it back from the fucking pigs
the army of the rich
and the filthy predators
that prey on innocence

I'm tired of listening to their rules
let's make some of our own
it's time to take back the night and day
and show them just who we are

they say skateboarding's a crime
we say their wrong
they cover up our graffiti
but their efforts won't last for long

REVOLUTION INSIDE
Many people talk about a coming revolution. I think the revolution begins with the individual. I'm not waiting for a mass uprising, I'm fighting for my freedom now. If it becomes a collective effort, so be it. In the mean time I will strive to make changes in myself, and the world around me. I will challenge and re-invent my beliefs as need be. Change is constant we cannot become stagnant.

If you think you can handle freedom
then liberate your mind
search deep within yourself
and perhaps answers you may find

I'm not waiting for a time or place
because there's a revolution going on inside

there's no such thing as black and white
it's rarely as easy as wrong and right

question everything you hear
and then re-analyze

keep a revolution running riot in your mind
keep the Molotov wick burning all the time

INTERCONTINENTAL BANDANA UNION
This is merely a song dedicated to a new wave of international hard core bands that carry such an intense amount of energy, emotion, thought, conviction and fun into their music that we couldn't help but write a song about them to sing in their praise.

Razor's Edge, Crucial Section, Flash Gordon and Lie
Life's Halt, Discarga, the 80's club and D.R.Y.

Tokyo!
Nagoya!
Osaka!
Yokohama!

INTERCONTINENTAL BANDANA UNION
INTERNATIONAL THRASH CONTINGENT

Don't forget San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo too
all part of the underground skateboard, mosh and thrash crew

I.B.U.
I.T.C.

REFLECTION AND RESOURCEFULNESS
We live in a society of catch phrases and pre-fabricated belief systems. So many people accept concepts and ideas without entirely thinking them out. They believe advertisements and consume products not for their function but because of the manner in which they are presented. It is easier to accept the system that others have created than for one to create a better world. There is a wealth of knowledge and resources surrounding each and every one of use, yet we opt for a lifestyle of convenience. We are surrounded by excess and waste, yet it seems it should be quite easy to design and live a life free of work, rent and stress while still enjoying the "comforts" of "society". Anything is possible in this world yet it requires thought before action.

To read allows the
luxury of reflection
yet why think when someone else
can dictate your actions

everything is marketable
and everyone's a mark

we exist like captive veal
confined in the dark

it's the only life we know
we never think of getting out

we have everything at our fingertips
yet allow ourselves to be blinded

reflection and resourcefulness

IN THE SPACE OF SEVEN BREATHS
The title of this song comes from the allotted amount of time I've heard that Samurai used to have to decide whether or not to hurl themselves headlong into a melee or opt for another course of action.

In the space of seven breaths
we will decide our action