The Used - 'Thriving On Friction'

Until recently, I'd heard of The Used, and listened to a few of their songs here and there ... but I'd never gone out of my way to look into them as a band, to really discover the depths of their music. Now that I have, I'm sure glad I did, and I'm excited to share what I've discovered with the readers of this blog.
From the few songs I'd heard by The Used, I was instantly impressed with the unique sound of Bert McCracken's voice; he could sing a song clear and precise, or he could put an edgy spin on the vocals, giving the track an entirely different feel. Either way, the proper effect was acheived. Plenty of screaming is included to add even more to the songs.
The instrumentals are also noteable. Crashing symbols are present in a lot of The Used songs. Jeph Howard delivers a strong, supportive bass line and Quinn Allman supplies plenty of catchy guitar riffs and solos. Finally, the lyrics, often metaphorical and always a little out-there, deliver the message or story in the song flawlessly.
When all the pieces come together, The Used gives you songs you can't help but enjoy.


So far, my collection of The Used songs consists of the following tracks;

The Used (2002)

- The Taste Of Ink
- Blue And Yellow

In Love And Death (2004)

- Take It Away
- I Caught Fire
- All That I've Got

Lies For The Liars (2007)

-The Bird And The Worm

Collaborations:
- The Used & My Chemical Romance:

- Under Pressure (2005)

Throughout the course of their career, The Used has presented fans with catchy and original tracks time and time again. I look forward to discovering even more songs by this talented group, and I encourage you to learn more about The Used as well.

The Used's website offers plenty of information on the band.

If you're interested in looking up lyrics, this website has the lyrics to all the songs on all three of the band's studio released albums, as well as bonus tracks and other songs by The Used.

You can also check out the posts I've made previously on music.is.life featuring The Used's song The Bird And The Worm and their collaboration with My Chemical Romance in recording Under Pressure.

To get you started, here's the lyrics and music video for what is probably my favorite The Used song to date; The Taste Of Ink. The lyrics speak such a strong message about making the most of your life, no matter what.
Enjoy!

The Used - The Taste Of Ink Official Music Video

The Taste Of Ink
The Used

Is it worth the can you even hear me
Standing with your spotlight on me
Not enough to feed the hungry
I'm tired and I felt it for awhile now
In this sea of lonely
The taste of ink is getting old
It's four o' clock in the f***ing morning
Each day gets more and more like the last day
Still I can see it coming
While I'm standing in the river drowning
This could be my chance to break out
This could be my chance to say goodbye
At last it's finally over
Couldn't take this town much longer
Being half dead wasn't what I planned to be
Now I'm ready to be free

So here I am, it's in my hands
And I'll savor every moment of this
So here I am, alive at last
And I'll savor every moment of this

Won't you think I'm pretty
When I'm standing 'top the bright-lit city
And I'll take your hand and pick you up
And keep you there so you can see it
As long as you're alive and care
I promise I will take you there
We'll drink and dance the night away
We'll drink and dance the night away

So here I am, it's in my hands
And I'll savor every moment of this
So here I am, alive at last
And I'll savor every moment of this
Savor every moment of this

(As long as you're alive, here I am...)

As long as you're alive
Here I am
I promise I will take you there

As long as you're alive
Here I am
I promise I will take you there

Won't you think I'm pretty
When I'm standing 'top the bright-lit city
And I'll take your hand and pick you up
And keep you there so you can see it
So long as you're alive and care
I promise I will take you there
So long as you're alive and care
I promise I will take you there

So here I am, it's in my hands
And I'll savor every moment of this
So here I am, alive at last
And I'll savor every moment of this
Savor every moment of this
Savor every moment of this