311 - You Get Worked - Lyrics Meaning

The song "You Get Worked" was released as part of the 2001 From Chaos Album. At the time, the band was known for their ballads and ska influences, so this tightly rhyming angry piece was seen as a departure. As it could be interpreted on multiple levels, fans gave it their own meanings.

Some argued that the piece was a bit of psychological philosophy, discussing the ways that differing mindsets caused friction between friends. To support this claim they cite the various times "friends who've sought it" are mentioned throughout the piece. They also point to the times when the music references pain cutting like a knife through sincerity and truth. However, other lyrics seem to point away from a simple conflict between friends kind of disagreement.

Instead, those lyrics capture part of the band's angst about themselves at that point in their career. They were an independent act from the Midwest, lacking the backing of a major record label. Although their music sold well, there was definitely pressure to take it to a more traditional commercial space. However, in the bands own words, when you sell out to a studio "You Get Worked" - over by the execs, and they wanted to resist that.