10,000 Maniacs have gone through a variety of musicians throughout the history of the band. Here is a partial list of the past, present, and touring musicians:
Jerry Augustyniak - Jerry has been the drummer of 10,000 Maniacs since 1983. He's also played with the bands The Stains, Only Humen, League of Blind Women, The Michael Lee Jackson Band, Buffalo Rising, The Damn Straights, etc. He has been the band's main backing vocalist since 1994.
Rob Buck - Rob was the lead guitar player from 1981 to 1999. He co-wrote many of the band's most popular songs. Rob died December 19, 2000 of liver failure at the age of 42.
Duane Calhoun - Duane played lead guitar for 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 while Rob Buck was officially in the band, but not performing with them.
Chet Cardinale - Chet was an early drummer for the band. He left to pursue a career in acupuncture.
Jim Colavito - Jim played saxophone with the band in 1981.
Dennis Drew - Dennis has been the keyboard player in the band since 1981. He's also played with The Mighty Wallop!, where he co-wrote much of the band's material, played keyboards, and had lead and harmony vocal duties.
Jeff Erickson - Jeff took over lead guitar after his friend and guitar teacher Rob Buck died, beginning by playing a short set during the band's only 2001 appearance. The first time he played with the band was December 12, 1998 on the song "These Are Days", while Buck was away from the band. Jeff was a lead singer/guitar player in the short-lived band The Mighty Wallop!.
Tim Edborg - Tim played drums with 10,000 Maniacs in 1981.
Morgan Fichter - Morgan was a touring musician with the band in 1992-1993, playing violin and singing backing vocals. She's also played with Camper Van Beethoven and Phish among others.
Jim Foti - Jim was the studio drummer for the band's 1982 EP Human Conflict Number Five.
Steve Gustafson - Steve has been the band's bass player since 1981. He has also been one of the band's backing vocalists in their live performances since 1994. He was also the bass player in The Mighty Wallop!.
Debbie Heverly - Debbie played piano with the band in 1981.
Michael Lee Jackson - Michael replaced Rob Buck as the touring lead guitar player on December 11, 1998 and stayed in that spot until the summer of 1999, when Buck returned. Michael has played in Animal Planet and The Michael Lee Jackson Band.
Amanda Kramer - Amanda was a touring musician with 10,000 Maniacs in 1992 and 1993 as a second keyboard player, also lending her harmony vocals to some of the songs. Occasionally, she'd back Rob up on guitar, picking up an acoustic on several songs. She was formerly the Keyboardist for the 80's New Wave band Information Society
John Lombardo - John, the band's rhythm guitar player and occasional odd vocalist, co-wrote most of the early Maniacs songs, but left the band in 1986, right before the band "made it big." He returned in 1994 with his duo partner Mary Ramsey, and picked up right where he left off by writing and shaping the band's music. He left the band again in 2002 after the first rehearsal before the "hits" tour.
Natalie Merchant - Natalie was the voice of 10,000 Maniacs from 1981 until she decided to embark on a solo career in 1993. In her later years with the band, she played piano as well.
Terry Newhouse - Born February 19, 1957 in Corry, Pennsylvania, Terry was a keyboard player and vocalist in the band "Still Life", which was the band's name before they began calling themselves "10,000 Maniacs." At one time, she was married to Rob Buck. Newhouse died June 8, 2005 at WCA Hospital in Jamestown, New York at the age of 48.
Mary Ramsey - Mary opened up shows with John Lombardo as John & Mary in 1990 and would play viola and sing backing vocals with the band on a few songs in 1990-1991. She a touring musician with the band in 1992-1993, playing viola and singing backing vocals. When Natalie Merchant left the band in 1993, Mary replaced her on lead vocals and added the viola as a main instrument of the band, starting with live shows in 1994 and continuing on until 2001. Oskar Saville replaced her as lead singer in 2002, but Mary agreed to become a touring musician with the band in 2006, singing backing vocals and playing viola on select songs. Mary agreed to be the lead singer for the band again for their final show of 2007 after Oskar Saville left the band.
Oskar Saville - Oskar took over lead vocals from Mary Ramsey in 2002. She occasionally plays acoustic guitar during live performances. May 8, 2003 was her first live performance with the band. During the song "Stockton Gala Days", she pulled the band's webmaster (at the time) Adam Zeitz on stage to share lead vocals. Oskar was the former lead singer of Rubygrass and also has a solo career. She left the band in late Summer, 2007 and was replaced by the woman she replaced, Mary Ramsey.
What's The Matter Here
10000 Maniacs Lyrics
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In this city the kid's my favorite
I've seen him I see him every day
Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father
The kid half naked and said to myself "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's their kid I stay out of it
But who gave you the right to do this?
Just ten feet between and his mother, I never see her
But her screams and cussing, I hear them every day
Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind"
"Slap you, slap you silly"
Made me say, "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's your kid, do as you see fit
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to you own flesh and blood
"If you don't sit on this chair straight
I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't think that I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time
What could be the awful crime he could do at such young an age?
If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear
All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you
And instead of love, the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores won't heal with time or age
And I want to say, I want to say "What's the matter here?"
But I don't dare say "What's the matter here?"
But I don't dare say
The lyrics of 10000 Maniacs's song What's the Matter Here? address the serious issue of child abuse. The song is narrated from the perspective of a concerned neighbor who witnesses the abuse of a young boy by his father. The singer knows the boy but doesn't have any details about him, not even his name. Despite this, the boy's situation fills the singer with empathy, and she finds it hard to ignore or justify the father's actions.
The singer, who lives ten feet from the boy's house on Morgan street, hears the boy's mother scream and curse every day, often threatening to physically assault her son. The father also threatens the boy with violence if he disobeys him, and the singer can't help but wonder what could be the awful crime the boy could have committed at such a young age to deserve such treatment.
The song portrays a poignant picture of how abuse affects children, leaving them with marks and scars that won't heal with time or age. The singer is afraid to confront the father, and she can only wonder, "What's the matter here?" hoping that someone will take action to protect the young boy from further harm.
Line by Line Meaning
That young boy without a name I'd know his face
I recognize the face of a boy I see often but don't know his name
In this city the kid's my favorite
Out of all the kids in the city, he's the one I like the most
I've seen him I see him every day
I see this boy every single day
Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father
I've witnessed him running outside to hide from his abusive father
The kid half naked and said to myself "Oh, what's the matter here?"
The sight of the boy half-clothed and abused made me question what's going on
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's their kid I stay out of it
I'm sick of people using the excuse that the boy is not their responsibility and avoiding taking action
But who gave you the right to do this?
I question the authority of the abuser to inflict harm on the boy
We live on Morgan Street
My neighborhood is on Morgan Street
Just ten feet between and his mother, I never see her
Despite living very close to the boy's mother, I never actually see her
But her screams and cussing, I hear them every day
I regularly hear the mother screaming and swearing at her son's abuser
Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind"
I hear threats from the abuser, such as 'If you don't listen, I'll beat you'
"Slap you, slap you silly"
The abuser threatens to slap the boy into submission
Made me say, "Oh, what's the matter here?"
Hearing the abuse being inflicted on the boy made me question the situation
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's your kid, do as you see fit
I'm frustrated with people who use the excuse that the boy is the responsibility of his parents, and therefore not their place to intervene
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to you own flesh and blood
I want the abuser to know that I don't condone the actions they've taken against their own child
"If you don't sit on this chair straight I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't think that I won't use it!"
The abuser threatens the boy with violence if he doesn't comply with their demands
What could be the awful crime he could do at such young an age?
I question what terrible thing the boy could have done to deserve such mistreatment at such a young age
If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear
If I'm the only one watching the abuse go on, give me some explanation to justify your actions
All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you
I assume the abuser feels entitled to act this way because they are the boy's parent
And instead of love, the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores won't heal with time or age
Rather than giving the boy affection and care, the abuse has left physical and emotional scars that won't heal
And I want to say, I want to say "What's the matter here?"
I feel like asking what's going on and why the boy is being abused
But I don't dare say "What's the matter here?"
However, I'm too scared to actually ask the question and intervene
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: ROBERT BUCK, NATALIE MERCHANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind