Skid Row - Slave To The Grind

Skid Row - Slave To The Grind - Meaning of the song

Skid Row wrote most of Slave to the Grind in a New Jersey studio and demoed the tracks with Michael Wagener, who produced their previous album. Recording began in late 1990 and took place at two studios: New River in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Scream in Studio City, California.

Slave to the Grind marked the band's move toward a heavier sound, with the title track verging on speed metal, but the album also includes power ballads and a few lighter tracks reminiscent of pop punk.

The lyrics were more complex, criticizing modern ways of life, authority, politics, drugs, and organized religion, among other topics. Wagener said the demoing and pre-production went well, and the title track was recorded and mixed in an hour, and was placed on the album without being remixed.

Vocalist Sebastian Bach revealed that the version of the title track included in the finished album is actually the original demo the band recorded during pre-production with producer Michael Wagener. The band recorded a proper version during the album sessions, but were unable to match the intensity of the demo, and therefore opted to use the latter instead.

Slave To The Grind - Lyrics

You got me forced to crack

my lids in two

I'm still stuck inside this rubber room

I gotta punch the clock that

leads the blind

I'm just another gear in the assembly

line - oh no

The noose gets tighter around

my throat

But I ain't at the end of my rope 'cause

I won't be the one left behind

Can't be king of the world

If you're slave to the grind

Tear down the rat racial slime

Can't be king of the world

If you're slave to the grind

Get it?

A routine injection, a lethal dose

But my day in the sun ain't even close

There's no need to waste

your prayers on me

You better mark my words

'cause I'm history

Yes indeed

You might beg for mercy to get by

But I'd rather tear this thorn

from my side

I won't be the one left behind

You can't be king of the world

If you're slave to the grind

Tear down the rat racial slime

Can't be king of the world

If you're slave to the grind

They swallowed thier daggers by

turning their trick

They tore my intentions apart

brick by brick

I'm sick of the jive

You talk verbal insecticide

They swallowed thier daggers by

turning their trick

They tore my intentions apart

brick by brick

I'm sick of the jive

You talk verbal insecticide

I won't be the one left behind

You can't be king of the world

If you're slave to the grind

Tear down the rat racial slime

You can't be king of the world

If you're slave to the grind

I said slave to the grind

Slave to the grind

Slave to the grind