Music has this weird way of sticking in your teeth. You know that feeling? You hear a line like and on and on we'll go through the wastelands and suddenly you aren't sitting in traffic or folding laundry anymore. You're somewhere else. Somewhere dusty.
That specific lyric, famously anchored in the track "Wasteland" by 10 Years, isn't just a catchy bit of alt-metal from the mid-2000s. It’s a mood. It’s a whole aesthetic that has managed to outlive the era of baggy jeans and spiked hair to become a shorthand for how a lot of us feel about the world right now.
Honestly, when Jesse Hasek sings those words, he isn't just talking about a literal desert with burnt-out cars. He’s talking about the mental grind. The feeling of being stuck in a cycle that won't quit. We've all been there.
The Longevity of "Wasteland" and Why It Still Hits
Most songs from 2005 are buried in a digital landfill. They're relics. But "Wasteland" stuck. Why?
It’s the tension. The song starts with that haunting, clean guitar riff that feels like a cold breeze in a dead town. Then, the lyrics kick in. When they reach the hook—and on and on we'll go through the wastelands—the energy shifts from melancholy to a sort of resigned defiance.
According to various interviews with the band over the years, particularly those around the release of their album The Autumn Effect, the song was born out of a sense of frustration with the music industry and the repetitive nature of life. They were looking at the world around them and seeing a lack of substance.
It’s interesting. Most people assume post-apocalyptic imagery is about a nuclear bomb or a virus. Sometimes it is. But for 10 Years, the "wasteland" was cultural. It was a vacuum of meaning.
Breaking Down the Imagery
When we hear the word "wasteland," our brains go straight to Mad Max or Fallout. We think of sand, rust, and survival.
But look closer at the lyrics.
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The song mentions being "caught in the middle" and "losing our way." It’s about the loss of direction. The wasteland is a metaphor for a life without purpose, where you’re just moving because you don’t know how to stop. "And on and on we'll go" implies a lack of a destination. It’s the ultimate treadmill.
If you look at the Billboard charts from that era, 10 Years was competing with a lot of high-octane, aggressive nu-metal. They survived because they were more atmospheric. They leaned into the "shoe-gaze" side of metal before that was even a cool thing to say.
Why Post-Apocalyptic Themes Dominate Our Playlists
We are obsessed with the end of the world. It’s a fact.
Whether it's The Last of Us or a random indie folk song about the sun burning out, humans love to imagine what happens after the "on and on" finally stops.
The phrase and on and on we'll go through the wastelands taps into a very specific type of comfort. It’s what psychologists sometimes call "benign masochism." We like to experience the "scary" or "bleak" feelings from the safety of our headphones. It validates our own internal struggles.
Music critic Steven Hyden has often talked about how certain songs become "vibe-shifters." This song does exactly that. It takes a mundane Tuesday and makes it feel like a cinematic journey through a collapsing civilization.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
Think about how many times this specific lyrical theme has popped up since 2005.
- Video Games: Look at the Borderlands series. The entire premise is a literal wasteland where people just keep going, fueled by greed and chaos.
- Cinema: The visual language of Fury Road matches the sonic texture of this track perfectly. High contrast, gritty, and relentless.
- Modern Metal: Bands like Starset or Bring Me The Horizon owe a massive debt to the atmospheric groundwork laid by tracks like this.
It's about the "grind." In 2026, the grind looks different than it did twenty years ago. Back then, it was about office cubicles. Now, it's about digital noise, endless scrolling, and the feeling that the planet is literally heating up around us. The wasteland isn't coming; we're already walking through it.
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The Technical Side: Why the Hook Works
Let's get nerdy for a second.
The phrase and on and on we'll go through the wastelands works because of its rhythmic cadence. It’s dactylic in parts, creating a rolling, cyclical feeling. It mimics the act of walking.
Musically, the song is in a minor key, which triggers that sense of longing. But the production—handled by Josh Abraham, who worked with everyone from Linkin Park to Velvet Revolver—is polished enough that it doesn't feel like a garage demo. It feels huge. It feels like a stadium filled with people all feeling lonely together.
There’s a specific power in collective loneliness.
Misconceptions About the Song's Meaning
A lot of people think this song is nihilistic. They think it's saying everything is trash and there's no point.
I disagree.
I think the "go through" part is the most important. To go through something implies there is an "other side." You aren't staying in the wasteland. You're passing through it.
Even if it goes "on and on," the act of moving is an act of survival. If you stop, you’re done. If you keep going, even through the dust, you’re still alive. It’s actually a very resilient song, hidden under a layer of black eyeliner and heavy distorted guitars.
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The Evolution of 10 Years
If you haven't followed the band since their mid-2000s peak, they've changed. They’ve gone through line-up shifts and independent runs. But they always come back to this central theme of the human condition versus a harsh environment.
In their later work, like on the album (How to Live) As Ghosts, they explore similar territory. They look at the "wasteland" of modern communication.
But nothing quite hits like the original. It’s the definitive version of that feeling.
Actionable Insights: How to Use This Energy
If you're feeling like you're stuck in your own personal wasteland, music is more than just background noise. It's a tool.
First, embrace the "atmospheric reset." Sometimes you need to lean into the bleakness to get past it. Put on a playlist that focuses on "liminal spaces" or post-rock. Let yourself feel the vastness of the wasteland. It makes your actual problems feel smaller by comparison.
Second, look for the "through."
Identify the one thing that keeps you moving "on and on." Is it a creative project? A person? Even a small goal? In the song, the music itself is the vehicle. Find yours.
Third, curate your environment. If the world feels like a wasteland because of the news or social media, do a digital "scorched earth" policy. Unfollow the noise. Build a smaller, more meaningful world around yourself.
The wasteland is only scary if you think you’re lost in it alone. But as the song reminds us, we're all going through it. We're just on different paths.
The next time you hear that hook, don't just listen to the words. Feel the movement. The road might be long, and the scenery might be rough, but the fact that you’re still walking means the story isn't over yet. Keep moving. Keep going. The wasteland is just a place, not a permanent home.