Mann attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes; the band released the EP Bark Along with the Young Snakes in 1982, and a compilation album was issued in 2004. In 1983, seeking a return to "sweetness and melody", she co-founded with Berklee classmate and boyfriend Michael Hausman the new wave band 'Til Tuesday, which achieved minor success in 1985 with its first album, Voices Carry. The title song is said to be inspired by Hausman and Mann's breakup; the video became an MTV staple, winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, though Mann's signature spiky hair would lead some to dismiss the group. Mann performed with the rock band Rush on the song "Time Stand Still" (from Hold Your Fire, 1987), singing backup vocals and appearing in the music video. With Mann playing an increasingly important role in songwriting, 'Til Tuesday released two more albums, Welcome Home and Everything's Different Now. On the final album and tour, musician Jon Brion joined the band, which broke up in 1990 when Mann left to start her solo career.
Around the time of the first album's release, Mann began a romantic relationship with Jules Shear; they broke up before the final 'Til Tuesday album, which contained the song "J For Jules". Professional relationships from the band would continue: Hausman later became Mann's manager, and Brion produced her first two solo albums.
Solo career
In 1993, Mann released Whatever, her first solo album. Promotion suffered due to the collapse of her label, Imago. While only a small hit, the album was critically praised, and paved the way for her next release, 1995's I'm with Stupid, through Geffen Records. Again, reviews were positive, but sales were weak.
Mann had met musician Michael Penn in the 1980s and with comparable songwriting styles and record-industry woes to share, they struck up a friendship during the recording of Stupid, which blossomed into romance and their 1997 marriage. Around this time Brion produced her album Bachelor No. 2, but Geffen saw no hit singles in the material and ordered her back to the studio. The album languished while Mann and the label fought.
Meanwhile, iconoclastic film auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, for whom Penn and Brion had composed a soundtrack, became a close friend. Mann gained greater public recognition in 1999 — indeed, more than anything else since "Voices Carry" — when she contributed eight songs to the soundtrack of Anderson's Magnolia, including the Academy Award-nominated song, "Save Me". Anderson deliberately worked from Mann's lyrics to create the film's characters and situations. Due to this exposure, Mann became sought after to contribute to soundtracks, a success made ironic by the music industry's indifference.
Independence
Fed up with both ineffectual promotion and artistic meddling by her record label, an experience documented in her song "Calling It Quits", she struck out on her own and founded SuperEgo Records in 1999. Mann self-released Bachelor No. 2 in 2000 (see 2000 in music), having negotiated a contract release from Geffen, and though initially only sold at concerts and via her website, the album became successful, allowing her to secure retail distribution through SuperEgo. The album, which included some songs from Magnolia and new material, was widely admired and Mann's "more indie than indie" success was carefully noted by other musicians.
Mann, Penn, Brion, Fiona Apple, and other musicians had by this time developed a subculture around the Largo nightclub in L.A. Penn and Mann formed a concept called Acoustic Vaudeville to recreate it on tour in California and eventually on an irregular, ongoing national tour. The Acoustic Vaudeville shows intermix music and stand-up comedy; among the comedians joining them for individual shows were Janeane Garofalo, Patton Oswalt, and David Cross.
Aimee continued her solo career with Lost in Space (2002), a somewhat more sombre album in the same vein as Bachelor No. 2. In 2004 her website released the Lost in Space Special Edition, which featured a second disc containing six live recordings, as well two B-sides and two previously unreleased songs. In November of that year Live at St. Ann's Warehouse, a live album and DVD recorded at a series of July 2004 shows in Brooklyn, came out; the two discs were sold packaged together in either a CD jewel case or a DVD case.
Mann described her next album, The Forgotten Arm (2005) as a concept album set in the '70s about two lovers who meet at the Virginia state fair and are now on the run. The Joe Henry-produced album, which was recorded mostly live and has few overdubs, was released May 3, 2005. The album reflects Mann's interest in boxing in its illustrations as well as its title, derived from a boxing move in which one arm is used to hit the opponent, causing him to "forget" about the other arm, which is then used to deliver a harsher blow. The album received weaker reviews overall, with critics impressed at the totality but unimpressed with any individual songs.
In October 2006 Aimee released 'One More Drifter in The Snow', an album of Christmas songs. All bar one of the songs, 'Calling on Mary' were covers of holiday classics.
Mann's independence from the industry led her to more explicit political stances. She joined Artists Against Piracy, a group formed to act against the illegal downloading and file sharing of copyrighted music from the Internet. Mann, Penn and Hausman took their experience with SuperEgo to found the independent music collective United Musicians, which is based on the principle that every artist should be able to retain copyright ownership of the work he or she has created, in contrast to normal music industry contracts.
June 2008 brought the release of '@#%&*! Smilers,' a collection of songs featuring greater use of keyboards. Aimee's set at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in the same month featured a number of selections from the new album as well as a number of her concert standards. Aimee and her band covered Elton John's 'My Father's Gun' as part of the set.
Calling It Quits
Aimee Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shake his hand and he'll twist your arm,
With monopoly money
We'll be buying the funny farm,
So I'll do flips and get
Paid in chips
From a diamond as big as the Ritz,
Then I'm calling it quits
Eyes the color of candy
Lies to cover the handicap,
Though your slippers are ruby
You'll be led to the booby trap,
And there's no prize just a
Smaller size
So I'm wearing the shoe till it fits
Then I'm calling it quits
Yes I'm calling it quits
Yes I'm calling it quits
Now he's numbering himself among the masterminds
Calling it quits
'Cause he's hit upon the leverage of valentines
Calling it quits
Lifting dialogue from Judy Garland storylines
Where get-tough girls turn into goldmines
But oh, those Polaroid babies
Taking chances with rabies
Happy to tear me to bits
Well I'm calling it quits
Yes I'm calling it quits
Yes I'm calling it quits
Yes I'm calling it quits
Yes I'm calling it quits
Now he's numbering himself among the masterminds
Yes I'm calling it quits
'Cause he's hit upon the leverage of valentines
Yes I'm calling it quits
Now he's numbering himself among the masterminds
'Cause he's hit upon the leverage of valentines
The lyrics of "Calling It Quits" by Aimee Mann are cryptic yet thought-provoking. The song seems to describe a person who is tired of the lies and facade of a relationship or maybe even society as a whole. The opening line, "He's a serious Mister," suggests that the subject of the song is a person in power, and his firm handshake symbolizes the control he has over others. However, the line also implies that this person cannot be taken lightly or easily defeated.
The next set of lyrics include the phrase "monopoly money," which may be a metaphor for society's skewed values, where things that aren't truly valuable are given more importance. The chorus, "Then I'm calling it quits," suggests a yearning to break free from those societal expectations.
The second verse describes a person hiding behind lies and material possessions, trying to cover up their flaws. The line "You'll be led to the booby trap" indicates that this person's manipulations will eventually backfire on them. The singer of the song seems to be tired of pretending to play along and is ready to stand up for themselves.
The bridge of the song alludes to the idea of false heroes and the copying of old storylines. The phrase "get-tough girls turn into goldmines" may refer to society's glorification of people who rise from humble beginnings to success, often at great personal cost. The singer acknowledges that the "Polaroid babies" (perhaps a reference to instant gratification and consumerism) have taken a "chance with rabies," meaning that they are willing to risk their own well-being for something ultimately futile.
Overall, "Calling It Quits" seems to be a critique of the facades of society and the toll they take on individuals. The singer of the song seems ready to break free from those expectations and live an authentic life.
Line by Line Meaning
He's a serious Mister
He is quite stern and severe.
Shake his hand and he'll twist your arm,
He is forceful and will exert his power over you.
With monopoly money
With fake or meaningless currency.
We'll be buying the funny farm,
We will end up in a mental hospital.
So I'll do flips and get Paid in chips
I will work hard for small rewards.
From a diamond as big as the Ritz,
From a highly valued and rare jewel.
Then I'm calling it quits
Then I'm retiring.
Eyes the color of candy
Sweet and attractive eyes.
Lies to cover the handicap,
Deception to hide a weakness or disability.
Though your slippers are ruby
Despite outward signs of wealth and success.
You'll be led to the booby trap,
You will unwittingly fall into a dangerous or harmful situation.
And there's no prize just a Smaller size
There is no true reward, just a lesser version of what was expected.
So I'm wearing the shoe till it fits
I will continue trying until I can make it work or fit.
Then I'm calling it quits
Then I'm leaving or quitting for good.
Now he's numbering himself among the masterminds
He is considering himself equal to the great thinkers or geniuses.
Calling it quits
Giving up or retiring from something.
'Cause he's hit upon the leverage of valentines
Because he has discovered the power of romantic love.
Lifting dialogue from Judy Garland storylines
Borrowing or stealing lines from popular stories or movies.
Where get-tough girls turn into goldmines
Where seemingly unremarkable women become extremely successful.
But oh, those Polaroid babies
Those instant, fleeting moments of happiness.
Taking chances with rabies
Risking it all for something dangerous or detrimental.
Happy to tear me to bits
Delighting in causing great harm or destruction.
Well I'm calling it quits
Well, I'm quitting for good.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Aimee Mann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@damagedgoods62
One of the most underrated and unappreciated musical talents of our lifetime. That voice...the imagination and genius behind the music. Just amazing. I saw her live at a small club back in the mid 90's in Kansas City. Studio quality, live performance. Stunning.
@AtomicLobotomy
Aimee Mann's "Bachelor No. 2" is greatest rock/pop album since Beatles "Sgt. Pepper"! Great melodies, chord progressions, vocal effects -- a true masterpiece! But all of you are here because you already know that!
@ceephaxx
Yeah, i dig it out every now and again and it never disappoints!
@raymondmcmenemy303
Agree 100% brilliant album. Deathly and You Do are particularly stand out tracks.
@LaughingStock_
There are plenty of LPs better than Pepper - sorry, it is an extremely overrated LP with a ton of simply dreadful filler in amongst the 3 masterpieces. Try "Forever Changes" (by Love); "Muswell Hillbillies" (Kinks); "Odyssey and Oracle" (Zombies); "No Other" (Gene Clark); Spirit of Eden (Talk Talk); Laughing Stock (Talk Talk); "Bryter Layter" (Nick Drake); "The Queen Is Dead" (Smiths); Rattus Norvegicus (Stranglers); Greetings from L.A. (Tim Buckley) - just a few leagues ahead of Pepper. As for "Bachelor" - very good, indeed, and frequently great, but I personally prefer "Whatever". But, hey, it's Aimee, therefore it's gold.
@itstheterranaut
Possibly her best song. All about her career, fame, pressure to stay thin and pretty, and selling out. Possibly her best song.
@RobPtak
She really is master class talent. I was lucky enough to get a phone interview with her around 1990 for a local music mag my friend was publishing. It was kind of an in between time for her. I think she was still working under the "Til Tuesday" name. It has been great to see her develop over the years and in my opinion just get better and better.
@dantrauten8877
I can’t believe it took me 30+ years to listen to Aimee - one of the few artists that can sing your life in one line 💕
@spindriftdrinker
Everybody who liked pop in the 80s remembers "Voices Carry" - a monster MTV hit - but I confess I did lose track of her for years.
@tombryant9221
Aimee never chased the dream. She is the dream