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."
Why Won't You Stay
American Music Club Lyrics
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And bury us in peace?
Will it leave us free and forgetful
Or at least bring some sleep?
Your eyes don't catch the little things
As they narrow on your fall
I'm checking your pulse 'cause you're so quiet
Why do you do this to me?
Showing me all that I'm good for
Is to watch you sleep as lifeless as an angel
She was the most beautiful cloud
That ever passed before the face of a girl
Seems like nothing's too good for this life
Some things are too good for this world
And our names and our faces
Well, they're just spare change
In memory of a soul
Kept dropping spare change
Why won't you stay
In memory of a little girl
Who was far too much in love with the world
And who didn't really want to stick around for the end?
Why won't you stay?
The lyrics of American Music Club's song, "Why Won't You Stay," convey a sense of uncertainty and the desperation to hold on to something, or someone, that is slipping away. The singer muses over the promise of the night, the possibility of finding peace and rest, but also wonders if it will leave them free or forgetful. The tone of the song is wistful and melancholic, and the chorus repeats the question, "why won't you stay," which could refer to the singer's lover or to the girl who didn't really want to stick around for the end.
The second verse of the song juxtaposes imagery of beauty and death, describing the lover as sleeping "lifeless as an angel" and recalling the memory of a girl who was "far too much in love with the world." The final lines of the song suggest that our names and faces are simply "spare change" in memory of a soul that keeps dropping "spare change."
Overall, the song's lyrics are somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation, but they evoke a sense of longing, loss, and the ephemeral nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Will this night fulfill all the promises
Will tonight bring the peace and satisfaction that we have been hoping for?
And bury us in peace?
Will we finally find peace, even if it means our own passing?
Will it leave us free and forgetful
Will this night allow us to forget about the past and move on?
Or at least bring some sleep?
Or will it bring us the simple relief of sleep?
Your eyes don't catch the little things
You seem to be missing the small details of life, even as it slips away.
As they narrow on your fall
Your focus is only on the end, on the fall that is coming.
I'm checking your pulse 'cause you're so quiet
I'm worried about you because you are so still and quiet.
I'm kissing you, but you don't feel it
I'm trying to connect with you, but it seems like you are slipping away.
Why do you do this to me?
Why are you hurting me like this?
Showing me all that I'm good for
You seem to be using me for comfort, without really seeing me for who I am.
Is to watch you sleep as lifeless as an angel
All I seem to be able to do is watch you slip away, feeling helpless and alone.
She was the most beautiful cloud
You were once full of life and beauty, but now seem to be fading away.
That ever passed before the face of a girl
You were a remarkable presence in the world, unique and memorable.
Seems like nothing's too good for this life
It seems like there is no limit to what we can do and achieve in life.
Some things are too good for this world
But there are some things that are simply too wonderful and precious to last in this world.
And our names and our faces
Our identities and memories will soon fade away.
Well, they're just spare change
We are nothing more than the scraps of what once was.
In memory of a soul
We are only remembered by those who knew us, by those who carry our memory in their hearts.
Kept dropping spare change
The memories of our lives continue to fade and scatter, like so much loose change.
Why won't you stay
Why won't you stay with me, even as we face the end?
In memory of a little girl
Remembering the young and vibrant person you once were.
Who was far too much in love with the world
You loved life too much to simply let it slip away without a fight.
And who didn't really want to stick around for the end?
But now you seem ready to accept the end, even if it means leaving me behind.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN MARK EITZEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind