A real breakthrough in the history of the American punk band The Offspring was the song Come Out and Play, which was released as the first single from the Smash album. She hooked young listeners with a driving melody and the topic of violence close to them in educational institutions.
The author of the article has not been to American schools, so he does not undertake to comment on how significant this problem is. Dextre Holland, frontman of The Offspring, considered her serious enough to dedicate a song to her. In the title Come Out and Play, he refers to the famous phrase “Warriors, come out to play” from the cult movie “The Warriors” about New York street gangs.
The history of the song Come Out and Play – The Offspring
“Come Out and Play” is often referred to as “Gotta Keep ’em Separated” after the line it begins with. It appeared thanks to the experiments that the master of molecular biology Holland conducted in the laboratory. He noticed that the bacteria reacted to individuals in neighboring test tubes. This behavior somehow bothered him, and he thought that they should be kept away from each other. Thus the phrase was born.
The Arabic-inspired guitar riff on Come Out and Play was written by Dexter after a trip to the Middle East. In 1994, he was accused of copying it from the Bloodstains song by the punk band Agent Orange. Holland acknowledged that the work of this team had a great influence on him, but did not agree with the accusations of plagiarism.
The song Come Out and Play climbed to the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks alternative and modern rock chart.
Clip Come Out and Play – The Offspring
Let’s watch the online music video for the song.
Interesting Facts
- The song Come Out and Play is often played during hockey games when a fight breaks out between athletes on the ice.
- The composition under the same name is in the repertoire of the metal band Twisted Sister.
- Under the song Come Out and Play, the famous wrestler Raven (Raven) went to fights.
Come Out and Play Lyrics
You gotta keep ’em separated
Like the latest fashion
Like a spreading disease
The kids are strappin’ on their way to the classroom
Getting weapons with the greatest of ease
The gangs stake their own campus locales
And if they catch you slippin’ then it’s all over, pal
If one guy’s colors and the other’s don’t mix
They’re gonna bash it up
chorus:
Hey man you talkin’ back to me?
take him out
You gotta keep ’em separated
Hey man are you disrespecting me?
take him out
You gotta keep ’em separated
Hey they don’t pay no mind
If you’re under 18 you won’t be doing any time
Hey come out and play
By the time you hear the siren
It’s already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other to jail
One guy’s wasted and the other’s a waste
Come Out and Play Lyrics
They need to be kept separate.
Like the latest fashion
Like a spreading infection
Young people sort things out on the way to school,
Just pulling out a weapon
Gangs have their hangouts in the schoolyards
And if you fall into their clutches, you’re done, boy
If the guy is not the same color as the others,
He will get the first
Chorus:
Hey man, did you say something?
Take him to the street
They need to be kept separate.
Hey man, don’t you respect me?
Take him to the street
They need to be kept separate.
Hey they don’t care
If you’re under eighteen, you won’t be jailed
Hey come out to play
By the time you hear the siren
It’s already too late
One goes to the morgue and the other goes to jail
One was robbed of his life, and the life of another was ruined
