Although born in California, frontman Mark Eitzel spent his formative years in Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1980. After a brief stint with the punk band The Naked Skinnies he founded American Music Club in 1983 with guitarist Vudi, bassist Dan Pearson, keyboardist Brad Johnson, and drummer Matt Norelli. This lineup would change over the next several years but Eitzel always remained the core of the band in terms of its vocals, lyrics and thematic focus.
Their 1985 debut, The Restless Stranger, offers a rough outline of their increasingly eclectic sound and firmly established Eitzel's worldview, a harrowing vision of life as seen through the bottom of a shot glass. 1987's Engine honed the formula: the addition of producer Tom Mallon as a full-time member expanded the group's sonic palette.
American Music Club earned a solid cult following on the strength of 1988's California. Their next LP, 1989's United Kingdom, appeared only in the nation which lent the record its name and consisted of leftover material and live tracks.
In 1991 American Music Club emerged with the record that is widely considered their masterpiece, Everclear. Critical acclaim attracted the attention of several major labels. Eventually AMC -- now consisting of Eitzel, Vudi, Pearson, multi-instrumentalist Bruce Kaphan, and drummer Tim Mooney -- signed with Reprise in the U.S. and Virgin throughout the rest of the world.
1993's Mercury followed and, despite positive reviews, Mercury fared poorly on the charts and earned virtually no recognition from radio or MTV. In 1994, AMC issued San Francisco, an erratic collection which balanced confessional tunes like Fearless and The Thorn in My Side Is Gone alongside slick pop constructs. Like Mercury, the record found critical acclaim yet foundered commercially and American Music Club disbanded as result.
Eitzel eventually explored a solo career, and purchased a Pro-Tools set up to record solo material, some released through Reprise and other albums through Matador. Vudi joined Swans for their last album and farewell tour, documented on Swans are Dead (Black Disc)/Swans are Dead (White Disc).
In 2003, American Music Club reunited to record a new album, Love Songs For Patriots, which was described by reviewer Mark Deming as "a stronger and more coherent effort than the group's last set, 1994's San Francisco, and while it's too early to tell if this is a new start or a last hurrah for AMC, it at least shows that their formula still yields potent results. Here's hoping Eitzel and Vudi have more where this came from."
RISE
American Music Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you've lost your appetite and you're sick and tired
Maybe what you need is some food for your eyes
To make them rise
Don't tell me how to tell the truth
You're like a store that only sells guns and knives
Tell me how to make something beautiful
Let them make you rise
It only costs a buck for three tries
Though money never buys enough of anything
And I'm a moving target trying to shake some lead
From your eyes
Let them make you rise
"Rise" is a song that depicts a narrator's concern for someone who feels deflated and apathetic towards their life. The song begins by stating that the things the person loves are no longer giving them hope, and they seem uninterested and exhausted. The singer acknowledges this and suggests that the person needs "food for (their) eyes." This signifies that they need something awe-inspiring and stimulating, something that will invigorate them. The singer, however, does not know how to create something beautiful or awe-inspiring for this person.
The song's chorus consists of three powerful words: "Let them rise." By using the third-person pronoun "them," the singer conveys that it could be anything, from sights to emotions, that brings life back to the person. The singer encourages the person to allow themselves to be captivated by the potential of the world surrounding them.
The verse ends with the singer stating that they are trying to make the person rise by being a "moving target," i.e., trying everything they can to help the person. The metaphor of shaking lead from someone's eyes represents the hope to free them from being bogged down by depression, negativity or whatever ails them, so their sight alters and they see the beauty that exists.
In summary, the song's message lies in the singer's intention to suggest ways to motivate and inspire someone to start living their life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
The things you love don't give us too much hope
You don't have much to be optimistic about based on your passions
When you've lost your appetite and you're sick and tired
You feel uninterested and fatigued
Maybe what you need is some food for your eyes
A new vision or perspective could be helpful
To make them rise
To stimulate a newfound curiosity or excitement
Don't tell me how to tell the truth
I don't want your guidance on expressing honesty
You're like a store that only sells guns and knives
You have a limited and harmful perspective
Tell me how to make something beautiful
Help me create something aesthetically pleasing
Flash before your eyes
Capture your imagination
Let them make you rise
Allow this to motivate and inspire you
It only costs a buck for three tries
The monetary cost is low, but the potential value is high
Though money never buys enough of anything
Purchasing power doesn't always equate to satisfaction or fulfillment
And I'm a moving target trying to shake some lead
I'm trying to avoid your negative influence
From your eyes
To prevent your harmful perspectives from impacting me
Let them make you rise
Allow positivity to impact and motivate you
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY THORPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jon nuanez
This song was a staple of my rotation in the early 90s. I'm glad I was reminded of it from a Wiki page on "1991 releases".
Melissa Dana
Thank you so much for posting this! It is so wrong that this has so few views and so few likes.
Becky Traster
I AGREE! I was 12 when this record came out. My mom was a HUGE fan and we bonded over this video after it showing on 120! I know for me, this record means SO much
Ben K
Thank you for taking the time to upload this!
Matthew Verkamp
FUN FACT: Mark Eitzel wrote “Rise” for his friend who was dying from AIDS. Mark said after he died, he couldn’t sew and make a quilt for him for the AIDS quilt, so this song was his quilt for him.