Coming up during the rising tide of both third-wave ska and Christian rock, Five Iron Frenzy was the band that was going to bridge the gap between the secular and sacred. With beginnings in Denver in 1994 and finally disbanding in 2003, FiF was unfairly stripped from the limelight of the secular music world by breaking just after the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and No Doubt, and then abandoned by the Christian music world by refusing to apologize for their biting, sometimes sarcastic and always sharp views on Christian hypocrisy, the abuses of citizens at the hands of the government and the refusal to become self-aware by most of their casual fans.
Releasing five full-length albums during their career and charting on the Billboard heatseekers for four of them, most fans are at a loss as to why this band never achieved the success that other genre artists achieved. Below are my ten favorite songs by this band.
10) ‘Where the Zero Meets the Fifteen’ – Recounting an experience where riding the bus proves to be too much humanity for one man to swallow, I find that this song still resonates with me today. Sometimes I wonder if I put too much faith in my humanity, or not enough in others and feel guilty. This reminds me that I’m not alone in these thoughts, and to keep moving forward because even the smallest amount can still be reflected in my life.
9) ‘Superpowers’ – Primarily a song about the bands relentless touring schedule at the time of the ‘Quantity is Job 1′ EP, their dissatisfaction at the less than first-class treatment afforded to many artists at the time is relayed in this song. The first two verses are tongue-in-cheek examples of the touring lifestyle, but then breaks into a heartfelt bridge where the wish to be famous is taken back for something more simple – just wanting to tell people where their hear lies and how they’ve gotten peace in their lives.
8) ‘Oh Canada’ – One of the more fun songs and a universal favorite among the Five Iron fan base, this song praises the Great White North. I have fond memories of singing this song at the top of my lungs with my friends in the car and at concerts and they always come back whenever this pops up on my playlist.
7) ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ – A song that reminds me of those that I encounter in my life that will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Just another way for me to remember that in this instance I’m not alone in having to realize that there are too many ‘frenemies’ and not enough friends.
6) ‘Pre-Ex-Girlfriend’ – We’ve all been there where across the room we see what would be the perfect match for us, but we know that no matter what we do, we’ll never live up to their standards. We put them on a pedestal before we make the approach in order to make sure that the rejection is justified and that we weren’t good enough for them in the first place.
5) ‘Wizard Needs Food, Badly’ – It’s about that point in a relationship where the glamour has worn off and we realize that while we love the person we’re with, there’s just way too many differences. The song is about that moment where we realize we must choose to stay with them and accept the faults that might outweigh the good, or we must throw in the towels because we’ll never get over that resentment that they don’t belong to us completely.
4) ‘Banner Year’ – A song about the Massacre at Sand Creek, I find it enjoyable because while most of the songs and performances the band did were on the silly side of life, the lyrical writings could still strike through and cause people to think about issues that they might not have before, namely the political injustices at the hands of citizens by the very government they tried to trust to help them.
3) ‘ Dandelions’ – The overwhelming message of unconditional love, be it earthly or otherwise is something that to this day never fails to help lift me out of a funk. Truly a gem of a song that showed their earnest attempt at conveying the underlying drive of their music and message.
2) ‘On Distant Shores’ – the last song on their last album, ‘The End is Near’ and second to last on the double album issued after the tour was completed, I feel that it sums up their career, their chapter of their lives, and resonates with me as I move forward through my life, moving from one phase of my life to the other. It helps me to remember the virtue of self-doubt, and forgiveness.
1) ‘One Girl Army’ – A song that was released when I needed it most. It was rare at the time for someone to come forth with a message of feminism without the militant stance so popular at the time, mostly spearheaded by Ani Difranco. I love the message of surrendering to no one but yourself and refusing to fall into the traps created by mass marketing and media. It’s a great song for every young woman to hear and embrace. We all need a reminder that we’re just fine the way we are.
