Songfacts®:

• This is the title track of Madball's eighth album. The record's name dates back to the New York hardcore band's 1989 debut EP. Frontman Freddy Cricien commented: "I shouted 'Hardcore Lives' on Madball's first release, 'Ball Of Destruction'. I was twelve then. It wasn't pre-planned or written down... It was an ad-lib that I just threw out there and we kept it!"
  
  "Back then, there was no choice, really, not the way we were recording," he continued, "two-track live at Don Fury's... NYHC style!
  
  "I feel the sentiment behind the expression still holds true today, maybe even more so," Cricien added. "Hence the reason we finally chose to use it as a title. Sure, it's about waving the flag for our genre/culture, etc."
• Cricien explained the song's meaning: "I've always felt that 'we as a scene' had to scream just a lil louder... to be heard! That said, 'Hardcore Lives', at least to us, is not just about a cool 'catchphrase,' it's about that rebellious spirit that doesn't give in... in life, music, whatever," he said. "It's about growing, evolving, and maintaining your integrity in the process. It's about family, overcoming adversity, and respect. All the things that matter inside and outside of the music realm. It's for everyone and anyone with an open mind and heart." (For more on Madball check out our 2014 interview with their guitarist Mitts).