The first ASU incarnation came together in 1996 when founding member Ian Eskelin decided to broaden his solo act and take a bunch of mates out on the road. The good old rock 'n' roll and notorious stage antics won them immediate acclaim.
Heady days ensued. The boys were signed to a leading record label, and after five No. 1 singles, watched their American youth group following grow into a legion of loyal fans. Over the past six years ASU has played more than 1000 shows. And only recently, during a rare yearlong break from the road in 2000, Ian took time to properly court and wed his new bride Peggy. The couple lives in Nashville, Tennessee, as do the newest faces in the ASU line-up.
Brothers Matt and Mike Payne, originally from Rockford, Illinois, have joined Ian on drums and guitar respectively, and Jeremy Hunter, a Seattle-native, is bassist and Revolution recording engineer. While the four-piece ASU team worked on the new album they took the time to rethink the ASU platform. Ian wanted to communicate something more personal. "I've written all kinds of songs, but the thing I really love and get most excited about is when I write songs that express my faith in three minutes in new and creative ways. That for me is an outpouring of my faith, my calling."
Certainly Ian's savvy use of metaphor, imagery and twisted cliché could charm a literature student for hours. His song-writing skills are clearly illustrated throughout the new record and particularly in songs like the Lennonesque "We Are The Future" and title track "Revolution". "Sweet Jesus" and the worshipful "Making It Beautiful" are perhaps more obvious in their spiritual message, but the common thread of all the tracks is the one thought-provoking challenge that Ian claims has never been more pertinent. "There are several songs on this new record that talk about change, the idea that we can make our lives better by helping to make the world better. Each of us, individually through Christ can make small differences. More than ever, I feel these songs are relevant — no matter what the circumstances of the day."
Revolution was two-and-a-half years in the writing and is the result of an artist honing his craft while personally living the themes of exploration, change, discovery and challenge. Ian has remained very "hands-on" in the production and long-term friend Mark Freegard (Manic Street Preachers, Del Amitri, and The Breeders) has mixed Revolution and ASU's self-titled debut album. Ian is not shy to express his satisfaction. "It's a ten song record and I really tried hard to trim the fat. I wanted the album to have a strong message and for people to be able to enjoy listening to every song. The guys are extremely talented musicians and really helped me with a fresh perspective on these songs."
Musically, Ian, Matt, Mike and Jeremy promise more emphasis on solid rock 'n' roll fundamentals without loosing the fun elements fans have come to love. "It's been easy to perform the songs on Revolution with the same excitement we had when we first started. The new material is written from the heart, and I feel extremely passionate about it. I want the music to be as important to the listener as it is for me. Whether in a car, living room or concert hall, I want people to leave an ASU experience reflective, energized and uplifted."
From http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/artists/allstarunited.html
Popular Americans
All Star United Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Great Lakes to the Rio Grande
There's a hip new feeling
That we're awfully appealing
To the universal common man
So get in line
If you'd like to shake our hands
[Chorus]
We're the ones
We're the popular Americans
Ooh yeah, back on the scene
We've come to pledge allegiance
At the altar of convenience
In our wide-leg baggy jeans
And we've pinned our passions
On the tail end of fashion
Now we're as sexy as our shaving cream
When in doubt
We consult our magazines
[Chorus]
We're the ones
We're the popular Americans
Oooh yeah, back on the scene
Having fun
We're the popular Americans
Oooh yeah, bet you wish you were me
I bet you wish you were me, yeah
Baby, back on the scene
When you're so prestigious
It makes you half-religious
In a patriotic sort of way
Our money says we trust
But you know it's only just
A party slogan we were taught to say
Nine out of ten dentists agree
[Chorus]
We're the ones
We're the popular Americans
Oooh yeah, back on the scene
Having fun
We're the popular Americans
Oooh yeah, bet you wish you were me
I'll bet you wish you were me, yeah
Don't you wish you were me, yeah
Back on the scene
Whoo!
The lyrics to All Star United's song "Popular Americans" satirize American culture and the obsession with popularity and consumerism. The song points out how Americans are constantly seeking new trends and fashions in order to fit in and be seen as "cool". The chorus, "We're the ones, We're the popular Americans," emphasizes this constant striving to be popular and trendy.
The first verse of the song mentions various popular American landmarks and locations such as New York City, Golden Gate, Great Lakes, and Rio Grande. The second verse talks about how Americans are constantly looking for convenience and how they follow the latest fashion trends. The line, "And we've pinned our passions on the tail end of fashion," suggests that Americans don't have their own identity or passions but instead follow what's popular at the moment. The final verse references the American money that says "In God We Trust" but suggests that it's only a party slogan rather than a genuine expression of faith.
Overall, the song is a commentary on American culture and how consumerism and popularity have become such significant parts of it. It highlights the way that Americans feel the need to fit in and follow the latest trends in order to be seen as "cool" and relevant.
Line by Line Meaning
From New York City to the Golden Gate,
We're talking about the entire country, from East Coast to West.
The Great Lakes to the Rio Grande
And from North to South, we've got it covered.
There's a hip new feeling
We're trying to capture and express a feeling that's both contemporary and trendy.
That we're awfully appealing
We think that people really like us and find us attractive.
To the universal common man
We hope that everyone from all backgrounds can relate to us.
So get in line
If you want to join us or be part of our group, line up now.
If you'd like to shake our hands
We're happy to introduce ourselves and share a handshake.
We're the ones
We're referring to ourselves as the group to follow or emulate.
We're the popular Americans
We are the cool kids, the ones that everyone wants to hang out with.
Ooh yeah, back on the scene
We're making a comeback and people are going to notice us.
We've come to pledge allegiance
We're showing our loyalty and commitment to something bigger than ourselves.
At the altar of convenience
But convenience is a big factor in our decision-making process.
In our wide-leg baggy jeans
We're describing our current fashion style to show how we fit in with the latest trends.
And we've pinned our passions
We've identified the things we care about or are interested in.
On the tail end of fashion
But we're not leading the trend, we're following it, and that's where our passions have landed us.
Now we're as sexy as our shaving cream
We're trying to make a joke here by pointing out how the brands we purchase (like shaving cream) are marketed as being attractive or sexy.
When in doubt
If we're not sure about something,
We consult our magazines
We turn to popular magazines or other media to help us make decisions or guide our actions.
Having fun
Overall, we're just trying to have fun as we navigate our way through life.
Bet you wish you were me
We're suggesting that other people might see us as having it all and feeling envious of our lifestyle.
I'll bet you wish you were me, yeah
We continue with this idea that others might be jealous of us.
Baby, back on the scene
We're bringing it back to our return to the public eye or the cool crowd.
When you're so prestigious
We're acknowledging that we're seen as prestigious or something to aspire to.
It makes you half-religious
We're saying that this level of prestige can take on almost cult-like or religious fervor.
In a patriotic sort of way
But our prestige is connected to our identity as Americans or living in this country.
Our money says we trust
Our financial system is built on the idea that we trust it, but it's not necessarily true.
But you know it's only just
We're saying that this trust is just a party line or something we've been programmed to believe in.
A party slogan we were taught to say
And this party line is something we've learned to repeat without really understanding.
Nine out of ten dentists agree
We're referencing the common advertising technique of using statistics or authority figures to make a product seem more trustworthy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE CLO, DOUGLAS KAINE MCKELVEY, IAN ASHLEY ESKELIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@____xD
Such a great song, and the lyrics as always with ASU are hyper-self aware, self-deprecating, and humble in an egotistical sarcastic way.
When in doubt we consult our magazines...
Ooh yeah I bet you wish you were me...
Our money say we trust but you know it's just a party slogan we were taught to say
Come on - nine out of ten Dentists agree
Don't you wish you were me?
@carmensparkles
Guess what, wide leg baggy jeans are back in style
@____xD
I'd have put more of that driving bass in the mix, and let the drums pop more. In fact, an interlude in an extended version where only drums and bass play, and the guitar plays offbeat syncopated fills... just to make it longer. Do w/out crowd noise during the song, it's a studio version after all.The EQ is pegged! Remastered version someday? It only bothers me because I love the song so much.
@CJ-sw8lc
Can't wait to hear this at a trump rally - ha!
@DJPatesBlog
I bet you wish you were me...
@tecguySD
Man, these guys are almost as bad as Five Iron Frenzy.
@jacobtothe2112
You misspelled "awesome."