The band was formed by Roger Miller (guitar), Clint Conley (bass), Peter Prescott (drums) and Martin Swope (tape manipulator/sound engineer). Miller, Conley and Prescott share singing and songwriting duties. Like many of their post-punk contemporaries, Mission of Burma's efforts are largely concerned with extending punk's original vocabulary without losing its essential rebellious spirit. Using rapid shifts in dynamics, unconventional time signatures and chord progressions along with tape effects, Mission of Burma challenges the prevailing idioms of punk while attempting to retain its power and immediacy.
In early years the band's audience was limited to the Boston area, with all their recordings released on the small Boston-based record label Ace of Hearts. Despite initial success, Mission of Burma disbanded in 1983 due to Miller's development of tinnitus caused by the volume of the band's live performances. The band released only one album in its original form, Vs.. Mission of Burma reformed in 2002, with Bob Weston replacing Swope, and has since recorded two more albums, ONoffON and The Obliterati.
Their wall-of-noise musical sound extended the vocabulary of punk while continuing to hold clear its sense of power and abandon. They used a number of tape effects, different chord progressions, and time shifts to highlight their formal training in music. Not only that but they are seen now as a highly influential band to both post-punk and experimental music to come after; many bands cite Burma as an inspiration, including Nirvana, Superchunk, Creed, The Grifters, R.E.M. (who regularly covered "Academy Fight Song" on their Green tour), Sonic Youth, Throwing Muses, Yo La Tengo, Soul Asylum, Pixies, Sugar, Catherine Wheel, Guided by Voices, Graham Coxon and Moby - the last two of which have covered ""That's When I Reach For My Revolver."
The band were due to tour in 1980 with Joy Division but the suicide of Ian Curtis, Joy Division's singer, canceled the tour. In 1983, after releasing their only full-length studio record Vs., the group disbanded due to Miller's worsening tinnitus.
The band found increasing relevance throughout the 90s, culminating in the publication of Michael Azzerad's essays Our Band Could Be Your Life which featured Mission of Burma. In 2002, they reunited and began playing reunion shows with Bob Weston of Shellac (and formerly Prescott's Volcano Suns bandmate) replacing Swope at the mixing board and tape manipulation. In an interview Miller relates that "when we approached Bob Weston to fill Martin's position, we told him he could use current digital technology which accomplishes Martin's antics in an easier fashion. However, Bob opted for maintaining the original integrity, and uses a tape deck."
A new album, ONoffON, was produced in 2004 by Weston with Rick Harte and the band, and released by Matador Records.
In 2009 the band recorded 14 tracks for their fourth full-length studio album, The Sound The Speed The Light. Matador released a two non-album songs on a 7″ single in August and the full album in October of that year.
In 2012 Mission of Burma parted ways with Matador and recorded their fifth full-length album, "Unsound", for Fire Records. The album saw release in July 2012, preceded by the single "Dust Devil".
In a 2019 Facebook post, it was revealed that the band has no plans to make further albums. As of June 2020, the band was officially finished.
See also:
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Volcano Suns
Kustomized
The Peer Group
Consonant
Secrets
Mission of Burma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or the following of an arm
And it isn't just a flicker
No it isn't just a flicker
Oh, there's a look in your eyes
that you can't explain
Oh, there's a look in your eyes
and when it slips through the rain
Oh, there's a criss-crossed thinking
(No it's not just a blink)
There's a ?
(No it's not just a blink)
From the house to...?
(No it's not just a blink)
?
(No it isn't just a flicker)
There's a look in your eyes and...?
It's the pulling of the undertow
when you can't control the wheel
It's not just a blink
Or the following of an arm
No it isn't just a flicker
No it isn't just a flicker
There's a look in your eyes
that you can't explain
There's a look in your eyes
and it slips through the rain
Underneath the gaze
Underneath the gaze
Underneath the guise
Underneath the guise
Underneath the gaze
Underneath the guise
Underneath it goes away
The song "Secrets" by Mission of Burma deals with the idea of something hidden or unknown that cannot be easily explained or understood. The lyrics suggest that this hidden aspect can be found in a person's eyes, in their thoughts or in their behavior. The line "It's not just a blink or the following of an arm" alludes to the idea that the hidden truth is more than just a fleeting moment or gesture. It implies that this "secret" is something deeper and more significant.
The imagery in the song is vivid, with lines like "It slips through the rain" and "Underneath the gaze/Underneath the guise". The words "undertow" and "wheel" suggest a sense of being pulled along by forces beyond one's control. The final line "Underneath it goes away" suggests that the truth, whatever it may be, is fleeting and easily missed.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of trying to unravel a mysterious and complex situation that may be just out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not just a blink
It's not a momentary action
Or the following of an arm
It's not just an impulse movement
And it isn't just a flicker
It's not a sudden, brief burst of light or emotion
No it isn't just a flicker
It's not something that can be easily dismissed or ignored
Oh, there's a look in your eyes that you can't explain
There is a particular expression in your eyes that you cannot describe
Oh, there's a look in your eyes and when it slips through the rain
There is a certain gaze in your eyes that is still evident even through the rain
Oh, there's a criss-crossed thinking
There is a conflicting thought or perception in your mind
(No it's not just a blink) There's a ?
It's more than a simple blink, there is something else present
(No it's not just a blink) From the house to...?
It's not merely a physical movement from one place to another
(No it's not just a blink) ?
There is something else happening that cannot be easily explained
(No it isn't just a flicker) There's a look in your eyes and...?
It's not only a fleeting moment, there is something enduring behind the look in your eyes
It's the pulling of the undertow when you can't control the wheel
It's like being at the mercy of strong currents that you cannot navigate
Underneath the gaze, underneath the guise
Beneath the surface and the exterior act
Underneath it goes away
The deeper meaning or feeling fades away
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: FRANK WESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind