The Iron Roses Self Titled

Nathan Gray - Vocals

Becky Fontaine - Vocals

Phil Smith - Guitars, Vocals

Pedro Aida - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Michael Espinosa - Bass, Backing Vocals

David Tilove - Drums

Engineered and Mixed by Pedro Aida at Audio Verite in Richmond, VA.

Mastered by Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden Recording Studios

All songs written, performed, and produced by The Iron Roses

Artwork by Chris Hamer at urbnpop

Back cover photo: Allissa Williams (Modified by Chris Hamer)

Much love and many hugs to Brian McTernan for hanging out through the writing process, and helping us to stay focused on what’s important. Your guidance was a game changer!

The Iron Roses Choir:

Corry, Lily, and Ruby Bieschke, Allissa “Pickles” Williams, Justin Titus, Jan Pasewald, Dahlia Kaiser, Markus Bertling, Anna Fontaine Melton, Sophia and Aleksander Gray, Birgit Hasler, Jed Johnson, Chris and James Nidel, Carol Jones, Ray Jelinek, Scott Wasserman, Mina Schell, Benslav Mitic Dilitz, Silvia Pribbernow, Kimberly Watkins, Jeff Ruscitti, Kylie Deutscher, Dylan Corvidae, Evelyn Hass, Melanie Peper, Alan Smyth, Tyler Williams, Eric Fox, Risna Olthuis-Vierling, Tom Glennon, Mica Fiege, Terry Firehorse, Lisa Wohlfahrt, Julia Kabello, Paul McCarney, Peter Sendelbaugh and Karen Loda, Kat Lachermeier, Sebastian Klein

Screaming For A Change

the architects of misery call down from their battle rooms on high

they’re picking fights for you and I to gamble loss and set the price

but from the depths to the mountains we struggle for our lives

the pushback is controlled by the same routine that keeps us scattered inside

oh i don't know how to break it

but oh i'm trying harder every day

to rise up strike a match burn it down and walk away

i’m still screaming for a change

behind the walls they set the pace kick up their pawns to sell their games

they roll the dice so we can’t see the wool pulled down to misplace blame

lashing out for their come ups

lashing out for their lies

lashing out at each other

lashing out for their crimes

while you're waving the flags they are making deals in the back

riding out pointing fingers and blame at your neighbors in the struggle

while you're safe in your bubble building greed til there ain’t no escape

they say “you up” and you holler got you proud of the honor

to be blessed with this life on a chain

while the fear that’s inside you got you pent up with hate

ain’t you tired of living this way

Soldier of Fortune

your punk rock safety net has grown so obvious

your silence bought and spent I hope it pays the rent

cosplaying revolution fulfilling white illusions

sanitized and safe at your request

once upon a time in another life

the anger that rhymed has simply bought you time

now words are secondary and ethics all but buried

underneath desperate pantomime

so if it’s gonna be a fight I’ll be here every damn night

yeah I said what I said and I’ll say it again ‘cause you know I’m right

your words are nothing but lies cause when the music stops you go quiet

yeah I said what I said and i’ll say it again ‘cause you know i’m right

you’re a radical for a price

i won’t apologize for speaking up this time

i called you on your shit, walk it off and deal with it

i don’t need your shiny prizes nazis in hip disguises

dancing on the backs of my dear friends

you’re a soldier of fortune a well played distortion

the words your screaming have lost their meaning

you oughta be ashamed but you lost that virtue when you lost faith

in anything but getting yourself paid

so grab your check and walk the fuck away

Hearts of Fire

oh when the rats storm in and the saints go marching

can you hold your head up high because you know why you're fighting

lift up that banner torn and tattered set your sights on the horizon

cause a new day’s a-coming a new day’s a-rising

we bring ‘em down with that new sound rising from the sick and tired

light ‘em up set ‘em off shout it out from our soul desire

these hearts of fire

the system running wild got ‘ya dancing on that kill floor

with a boot on ‘ya neck to protect eternal class war

evoked so long ago that we forgot what we were fighting for

so the rich get richer off the backs of the working poor

so let it burn burn burn

let it all burn burn burn

we've had enough when will we learn

now let it all burn

Around & Round

you’re just another product in a game you never chose to play

they’ll give you a number and then quickly lose your name

set up, broke down, feel like giving up

lie to your face - hand you a gun

back to the wall now, nowhere to run

around & ‘round here we go again

war drives profits in a foreign land

rich set the price and the poor get spent

around & ‘round, ‘round again

“why lie” they said through teeth that never quite unclench

you better take warning, they’ll replace you when you’re dead

with another broke kid trying to make ends meet

lost & lonely - forever fighting to find some peace

boots on the ground cashing out for the press

bombs popping off time to reinvest

on the war machine pulling kids to their death

boots on the ground cashing out for the press

bombs popping off time to reinvest

cause their greed marches on till there’s nothing fucking left

Old Guard

young punks on the outskirts of boredom

tearing down what their parents taught them

life of the party dancing on your grave tonight

no sleep ‘till liberation

they ain't backing down without a fight

cause the kids are gonna be alright

they’re never gonna toe your line

if it's wrong they don't wanna be right

the old guard falls tonight

tell me tell me what you gonna do

cause aint nobody gonna listen to you

just another relic broken by your own decay

next stop annihilation

goin’ off in a world you can't contain

smash it up till there's nowhere left to hide

push back with the heart they left behind

give ‘em the boot, hit the ground running

they don't know what they’ve got coming

you got nothing to lose kid, with time on your side

you got time on your side!

Rebel Soul Sound

is everybody down let’s be clear & quick

there ain’t no future with these nazi pricks

shove back the fascists hold your head up

tell me now kid have you had enough

Love don’t mean a thing if you ain't ready to fight

lines are drawn in the sand tonight

for our future for our rights for our lives

we gotta rise up run ‘em all out this is our scene this is our town

kick ‘em all out till they don’t come round

break ‘em down with that rebel soul sound

yeah the system’s gonna crush us if we don’t unite

they got the boneheads kicking up the streets tonight

spreading anger spreading fear spreading lies

well Love don’t mean a thing if you ain't ready to fight

lines are drawn in the sand tonight

for our future for our rights for our lives

when they come for your neighbors will you throw yourself in the way

‘cause that pressure drop ain’t dropping if you ain’t got something to say

the world spins around

the game stays the same

the pawns keep marching whether you wanna play

so step up kick em we got something to say

kick ‘em out keep ‘em running come on stand your ground

kick ‘em out keep running on now kick ‘em out with that Rebel Soul Sound

Hit

sell my subscription to these bloodlines that will never flow through me

this queen ain’t bowing anymore to my eventual defeat

roll my eyes roll my eyes i ain't got no sympathy

for your lies for your lies you call it Love but it ain’t free

so what's that got to do with me

if it's true that we are running for our lives

let's make it clear that we are here to get it right

we’ve got one shot what have we got to show

dear father can you hear me now that i have finally broken free

i kept my quiet just for you so now i'm screaming out for me

hold that line hold that line i don’t need your sympathy

testify testify it ain’t Love if it ain’t free

so what’s that got to do with me

i’ve been hit but I keep standing

when i’m too much i’m not enough

i’m opting out i’m giving up

you passed down legacies of shame

wrapped up in your god’s holy name

Justify The Lies

with a gun, a badge, the state at his back

a cold blooded killer and a cowardly hack

they gave him power and now he’s set to attack

out of line, out of order, bleeding life into stats

the system continues so fuck what you saw

a black body drops there’s no justice or law

just excuses why they never take the fall

while good cops catching lock jaw

as they justify the lies...

life is never as it seems when you’re priv’d in the clampdown

it’s all too easy to get lost when you’re living in a white town

cause when the cops come ‘round your kids and disappearing anyhow

life is never as it seems when you’re priv’d in the clampdown

in their towers they hide while you’re left to decide

how to bury your sons, your daughters, your pride

cause if you rise up they’ll eat you alive

don’t kneel, don’t riot, don’t run, don’t fight

he said don’t worry don’t cry but I may not make it back home tonight

then as the sirens cut through the night...

“i Love you, Mama...goodbye”.

Raising Hell Raising Hope

we were wasting away on the company dime

we got sick and tired we got organized

now we’re raising hell and raising hope on that picket line

the profits went up our pay stayed the same

they tried to throw blame we were on to that game

now we’re raising hell and raising hope there ain’t no other way

can’t afford to get sick can’t afford to drive

can’t afford to dream about a better life

now we’re raising hell and raising hope on that picket line

the rent is up i can’t afford to pay

my neighbors moved out they can’t afford to stay

now we’re raising hell and raising hope there ain’t no other way

workers rise up corporations start to panic

they can’t exploit you when they can’t take you for granted

the systems set to funnel billions off you bound and gagged

it’s time to tear to the ground so we can take it back

standing in the ashes of our hateful past

the boss makes a dollar while i make a dime

he drives fancy cars while i’m just wasting my time

so we’re raising hell and raising hope on that picket line

i’m stealing to eat i’m begging to stay

while the man use us up and just throw us away

now we’re raising hell and raising hope there ain’t no other way

The Hustle

they leave that knife in your back to make sure you’re reminded

they leave that knife in your back and walk away

the armaments of deception & war

build the walls up high so we can’t climb no more

in our hearts in our minds in our souls corruption marches as they seek to control

an uprising from the roots of the lives that they stole

they got them guns so you gonna do what they say

when that push comes shove they steal your life away

in their laws in their words in their eyes we see the bully hiding deep down inside

they gonna leave you bleeding when you cross that line

it's all a setup for power discredit block and devour

no one sees you no one hears you minutes turn into hours

the hours fold into years of passed down bloodshed and tears

the script is written re-written ‘til all your left with is fear

of this weight crashing down ‘til you forget how to speak

the wolves they tear at you ‘til you don't know what you can believe

paralyzed dehumanized falling apart at the seams with your life on autopilot like a

fucking machine

Revolution Summer

revolution summer beating in the heart of me

1985 was just 13 with a heartful of need

all my shame and confusion found a place to hide away

behind all those power chords, blood, sweat, and poetry

revolution summer moments flash undeniable heat

the world had beat the living shit out of me, and I was ready to be free

for once my heart soared about the pain as every song’s refrain

called me back home and spoke my name

i’m not hiding anymore. if Love’s not enough, then brace for war

we can regain the dreams that once were lost

the fight that burned within us do you remember can you remember

all of the nights we screamed to stand our ground the walls we swore to tear down

do you remember can you remember

the only time we have is now

revolution summer the call grows stronger each day

from survival to purpose like a moth to the flame

so in a world that has given up and left us no choice

these songs of redemption will live on in my voice