764-HERO was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, signed to Up Reco… Read Full Bio ↴764-HERO was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, signed to Up Records. The band's name, suggested by a friend, is taken from the Washington State Department of Transportation phone number for reporting HOV lane violators.

Formed in 1995, the original members were singer/guitarist and Seattle native, John Atkins from Hush Harbor and drummer Polly Johnson from Bell Jar. The band released two 7" records, the full-length album Salt Sinks, Sugar Floats and the EP We’re Solids in quick succession. With just two members 764-HERO were able to create a national following with their unique sound and powerful live shows.

The two members released their debut album Salt Sinks Sugar Floats in 1996. Known locally for their powerful live preformances the duo quickly garnered a national audience. For their second full length album, Get Here And Stay, James Bertram,(Lync, Red Stars Theory) played bass guitar. The third album, Weekends of Sound (considered by many to be the band's swan song) included Bertram as well, and the band also added a keyboard player. Bertram left soon after, but was replaced by another bassist, and the band remained a four-member act.

In 1998, the band was set to perform live on the radio and thought they'd mix it up a bit. They called their old friend James Bertram from Red Stars Theory (ex-Lync and Beck) and asked him to play bass. The session went so well they decided to make it permanent. With the new line up in place they recorded "Get Here and Stay". While "Salt Sinks" was undoubtedly a great record, "Get Here and Stay" was in a whole other realm, a fully realized sound with amazing songwriting and outstanding musicianship.

After several full tours and the "Whenever You See Fit" EP with Modest Mouse, the band got to work on "Weekends of Sound". Recorded in early 2000 with Phil Ek (who also produced "Get Here and Stay" as well as most of Built to Spill's releases) the band hasn't strayed to far from the sounds of "Get Here and Stay".

Following the release of "Weekends" the band embarked on a tour of the U.S. with pals Modest Mouse. Shortly after the tour, citing creative differences, James Bertram parted ways with 764-HERO. But it didn't take long before Robin P. stepped in to strap on the four stringed beast and bring 764 back up to speed. John and Polly met Robin while he played second guitar for Modest Mouse on tour. He started as a temporary replacement so the band could tour but quickly turned into a permanent member of the band.

Around 2001, John Atkins got together with friend Joe Plummer to release songs he felt woudn't fit under the 764-Hero title, and thusly, The Magic Magicians were born. In 2001, they released their debut album "Girls".

The band moved over to Tiger Style for their latest release "Nobody Knows This is Everywhere" and they headed out on tour in March 2002.

The band broke up in 2002

The Magic Magicians have continued on, though, with the latest release being their self-titled album in 2003.

Sunburnt
764-HERO Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You can cool it with the malicement
I wanted to believe that you were heavensent
You could organize an overthrow
You could give away what you barely own, it's true

Well I could get you down
You're already down
I could get you up

But I won't bother

Any way you want to
When you get to the point where no one's worth having around

You can cool it with the history
I want to be worth my weight in mystery
And you can bury all the overgrown
And you can give away what you barely own, it's true

Well I could get you down
You're already down
Well I could get you up
But I won't bother

Any way you want to
When you get to the point where no one's worth having around

And every little turnpike
If you get too jaded
No one is faded enough

Even with a sunburn
The one I'm driving is leaving it all behind

Any way you want to
It'll get to the point where no one's worth having around

Overall Meaning

The song "Sunburnt" by 764-HERO is open to interpretation but it may suggest a relationship that has gone sour. The opening lyrics suggest that the singer has become tired of his/her partner's behavior and is calling out for an end to their maliciousness. The singer then admits to having once thought their partner was perfect, however, now they have the power to overthrow and give away what they barely own. This could suggest that their partner is no longer putting any effort into the relationship.

The middle section of the song sees the singer giving their partner the option to leave and detach from their history. They want to be worth their weight in mystery and suggests that their partner should bury all of their overgrown problems as well. They make it clear that they could bring them up from their down state or leave them be, which again reinforces the implied power dynamic in their relationship.

The final verse offers the advice that even if someone feels faded or sunburnt, they should not give up on the journey of life. The singer suggests that whoever they are speaking to may already be jaded and the people they meet may no longer be leaving an impression. In the end, the song's conclusion suggests that the singer is ready to part ways as they feel that no one is worth having around.

Line by Line Meaning

You can cool it with the malicement
Stop with the hostility and bitterness

I wanted to believe that you were heavensent
I hoped you were a gift from the universe

You could organize an overthrow
You have the power to lead a revolution

You could give away what you barely own, it's true
You have little but you still give

Well I could get you down
I can bring you even lower

You're already down
But you're already feeling low

I could get you up
I can try to lift you up

But I won't bother
But I'm choosing not to

Any way you want to
However you want to handle it

When you get to the point where no one's worth having around
When you feel that no one deserves to be in your life

You can cool it with the history
Stop dwelling on the past