Songfacts®:

• This is the opening track from New York City hardcore outfit Sick Of It All's ninth studio album, Based On A True Story. It is their first record on the band's new label and their first new release in four years.
• Sick Of It All drummer Armand Majidi told Lambgoat about this track: "We wrote the song 'Death or Jail about friends of ours that broke away and ended up following a path that led them to self-destruction or incarceration. We all know people who have made these huge mistakes, and it's a really difficult thing to explain, especially when they come from the same place and common background. They don't just turn their backs on their friends, it's as if they're turning their backs on themselves, shutting themselves into a reality that can offer nothing but stress, violence, and wickedness. Thank goodness we had the outlet of hardcore to help us vent our frustrations, or we all might have found ourselves in a similar place. This song is dedicated to those friends that we wish could have made better choices."