“Nickels and Dimes”… This tune expresses a substantial period of my lifetime, and Mike Ness built it just for me.
I don't believe there are many people out there that ever find a song representing or going as far as defining them. It can take a while, as should be expected, because you have to clock some serious time to be truly defined. Sometimes you may experience it years beyond the record’s arrival, then unknowingly crawl your way back to it to realize that BAM!... I am receiving some heavy life-affirming emotion from this. That was the case for me. "Nickels and Dimes" my friends. Social Distortion eventually landed an uppercut to the ear with that musical and suddenly biographical perfection.
My introduction to Social D occurred in 1990 with the self-titled album, including "Ball and Chain", "Ring of Fire" and "Story of My Life." I understand I would not be considered the supreme old schooler in the camp of Social D, but I get a few "I was into them kinda early" points. Just a few. No major stolen valor here, so keep your ego in check, it's still intact "Mommy's Little Monster" citizens. I did obtain all the records over time and dig all, as they jam in multiple flavors of punk, cowpunk, hard rock and roots. Following them over the majority of their career as they developed as a band, the one thing I have become enamored with, is the pure rock sound. Basically, that classic sound of Les Paul and Marshall stack to the moon... plug, play and crush. Let the guitars ring out for hours, if you'll have it. None of that make-it-pretty, safe and too perfect. You could always count on excellent noise on record and in the venue.
As an album, Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is a sweet listen. One could say it's like punk rock gone alternative country, outlaw country gone 80s metal or just classic rock gone Social D. Then there is "Nickels and Dimes". If this song is YOU, then you only have one choice if you're in your car, and it's presently in drive. Play games with the speed limit and flip the earth a tasty massive bird. "Nickels and Dimes" is now riding shotgun as my best friend with every single lyric. This tune expresses a substantial period of my lifetime, and Mike Ness built it just for me. I don't suck up, pander or virtue signal to get ahead in anything. Many do just that, expecting that they have to or maybe they actually have to... and they do get ahead. They tend to become more upwardly mobile. Acquire this and that over many years. Internally, I always sense that all these people and their earned fortune pass right by me, leaving me in some medium class of dust. I'm only working hard and paying bills. Is that all I am chasing anymore?
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeaaaaah, I'm chasing nickels and dimes. While the rest of the world passes me by." I am not sure everybody does feel like that at one point during his or her life. Either it's mindset or actual success, personally or professionally. Although it's how it looks or seems, some don't necessarily go on to greater happiness or land that far ahead (behind closed doors), but this 3 minutes and 5 seconds from Social Distortion completely pronounces the webs and flows of my ride. I'm pretty sure I've never scored life's touchdown... yet.