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Riot
California Dreaming
Length: 3:48
Released: October 27, 2017
Writers: Charlie Scene, Danny, J-Dog,
Johnny 3 Tears
Producer: Charlie Scene
Key: C♯/D♭ major
Tempo: 110 BPM
Album: V
Riot thumbnail

Riot is a song from the band's fifth studio album, V.

Background[]

In an interview with Kerrang, the band said that the song was originally about the thought of getting older, settling down, having kids, etc. but as they began writing it they decided that they would rather make a song going directly against the original message they had. Johnny 3 Tears said his recently deceased grandfather, Lloyd, inspired him to write this song because even at the age of ninety-two he was still out raging, drinking, and having fun, which intrigued Johnny.

In 2020, three years after the song's initial release, the song started trending on Tik Tok which caused it to significantly jump in streams.

Music Video[]

The music video for the song was released on April 12, 2019

Lyrics[]

Charlie Scene: I've been searching for an answer but I ain't found one
I've been known to tear shit up and go off like a gun
I've been drinking way too much but now I think I'm done

Danny and J-Dog: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!

Johnny 3 Tears: I gotta get, I gotta get that feeling
Gotta get higher than the twenty-foot ceiling
Just out of rehab, primed for a relapse
Had to do three dabs just so I could relax
Walk in the room and I check for bitches
Check my forty-four, check my ammunition
Got all my homies here and that's fucking bitching
We got more pots than your fucking kitchen
Cook that shit up with the heat up high
With your middle fingers up like the cops drove by
No motherfucker here is drunker than I
And if we get drunk enough, we can set it on fire
Like fuck it, I don't wanna come down
I wanna get fucked up right about now
Gonna tear shit up, I don't wanna fight it
Who the fuck here wants to start a riot?

Charlie Scene: I've been searching for an answer but I ain't found one
I've been known to tear shit up and go off like a gun
I've been drinking way too much but now I think I'm done

Danny and J-Dog: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!

Charlie Scene: Roll up to the party in my grandma's Chrysler
Jump into your circle 'cause I'm dying to cipher
The older I get, I'm like wine, I get finer
And I can tell your girl wants Charlie inside her
I'm a ride-or-dier with that eye of the tiger
Cornrows banging out the side of my visor
I'm so damn tight, they should call me the Sheister
Hitting bud and Budweiser, shit, I couldn't get higher
You done turned me into the "Swan Song" Charlie
Peeling out on a Harley at a high school party
Got a frame like Bane, call me young Tom Hardy (“Hi!”)
I'm the fucker to blame for the Undead Army
Got the fire tonight 'cause my ass got paid
Now I'm high and tight like my flat top fade
Mixed some Molly and Xanax and Tanqueray
And I'm fucking bad bitches like every single day

I've been searching for an answer but I ain't found one
I've been known to tear shit up and go off like a gun
I've been drinking way too much but now I think I'm done

Danny and J-Dog: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Danny and J-Dog: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!

Charlie Scene: Tear it up, burn it down
Pour them drinks up until we drown
Go hard all night, every day
Charlie Scene and Johnny 3 Tears: And when you walk into the party make sure you say!

Charlie Scene, Danny, J-Dog, and Johnny 3 Tears: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Charlie Scene, Danny, J-Dog, and Johnny 3 Tears: Let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Charlie Scene, Danny, J-Dog, and Johnny 3 Tears: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!
King Don: (Right on)
Charlie Scene, Danny, J-Dog, and Johnny 3 Tears: Fuck that shit, let's start a riot!
King Don: (Right on)
Charlie Scene, Danny, J-Dog, and Johnny 3 Tears: Tear shit up, fuck peace and quiet!

Demo[]

The demo version of the song has a slightly different instrumental, it's a lot more EDM/electronic sounding. All of the vocal takes are different except for Danny and J-Dog's gang vocals and King Don's "right on" lines on the chorus. There are a few lyric changes. Johnny says "Cooking shit up, turn the heat up high" instead of "Cook that shit up with the heat up high." Johnny's echo after he says "fuck it" is also absent. Charlie says 'Show up to your party in my grandma's Chrysler" instead of "Roll up to the party in my grandma's Chrysler." Charlie says "Got that fire tonight 'cause I just got paid" instead of "Got the fire tonight 'cause my ass got paid." Charlie Scene and Johnny's addition to the gang vocals in the final chorus are missing. The lady speaking on a police radio is also missing during the outro, instead replaced with an audio loop of somebody shouting "hey!" with their vocals pitched down.

Personnel[]

Hollywood Undead
Additional
  • Brian Gardner - mastering
  • Dan Lancaster - mixing
  • King Don - background vocals, tambourine
  • Rhys May - mixing assistant

Trivia[]

  • The band said this song was the most fun to write and they were laughing the whole time writing it.
  • Charlie makes a reference to their debut album, Swan Songs, with the line "You done turned me into the 'Swan Song' Charlie."
  • Charlie's line "and I'm fucking bad bitches like every single day" could be a reference to Snoop Dogg's song Gin and Juice, where he says "keep coming up with funky ass shit like every single day".
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