The Libertines (US) and John Erhardt. By 1993, the band had released two albums on the Okra label (Mr. Superlove and Grim) and Dan had left the band, being replaced by Dave Morrison. The band had toured with Pavement in support of Grim, and had also played opening slots for Yo La Tengo and others. While they had planned on releasing their third record themselves as Okra had folded by this point, things didn't work out that way. Cassette copies of the record were sent to various labels in hopes of maybe getting some interest from one of them. As it turns out, A&M Records were interested. After details were hammered out over a dinner at LaRosas, Electric Rock Music, the major label debut was released in 1994, with the lead single, Little Bastard. It became a moderate modern rock hit, turning up in the movie Empire Records, on an episode of The Real World and the band even played it on the Jon Stewart show. Songs from this album also turned up in an episode of Party of Five. After a lengthy and successful tour with Throwing Muses, John Erhardt decided to leave the band in order to spend more time with his family. Through the audition process, the band discovered Bill Alletzhauser who joined the band in time to record their fourth album, The Known Universe. While representing some of the bands best work to date, it was not supported by the label and was not commercially successful. More tours and shows followed, including dates with Southern Culture on the Skids and Possum Dixon, but in spite of their efforts, the band was unceremoniously dropped from the A&M roster. Fast forward a couple more years of touring and playing throughout Cincinnati. In 2000, a small label from Chicago, Checkered Past Records, released the first new Ass Ponys record in four years. Titled Some Stupid with a Flare Gun and produced by Brad Jones (Jill Sobule, Glen Phillips), the record proved that Ass Ponys were not entirely forgotten by the public. The record garnered some of the best reviews the band had ever received, and all things considered, sold pretty well. The band quickly went back into the studio with Jones and recorded a remarkable follow-up, Lohio. A short tour with bands like The National and The Handsome Family followed. Both records were favorably reviewed in Rolling Stone and Spin and ranked on several best-of-the-year lists. In late 2002, Bill Alletzhauser left Ass Ponys to pursue interests with different bands. He currently fronts his own group, The Hiders. He was replaced by a returning John Erhardt. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the band worked on new material and played throughout Cincinnati occasionally making their way to Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland. In 2005, a new song, Your Nothing Day was released as part of a compilation of Cincinnati based bands. In June of that year, the band called a temporary hiatus in order to focus attentions on other bands and projects. Chuck Cleaver currently plays with Wussy, who released their debut album Funeral Dress in 2005 on Shake-It Records, and can occasionally be seen playing with Lisa Walker of Wussy as Appalachian Cancer. Randy Cheek is playing with a newly reformed
The Libertines and is currently recording and playing with The Fairmount Girls. Dave Morrison can be spotted playing drums with The Kentucky Struts and Chris Collier. 2006 heralded the release of The Okra Years (Shake-It! Records), the first in an ambitious series of reissues, TOY is a two disc set compiling songs from the two records released on Okra along with compilation songs and unreleased rarities in digitally restored form. Work has begun on The Checkered Past Years, which will compile Some Stupid. and Lohio along with live versions and possibly a DVD of a 2001 live performance. A live release of a July 2004 Covington, KY show titled Play Some Good Time Party Music was released in 2005 as a benefit for a local filmmaker. It is available through www.assponys.org.
Azalea
Ass Ponys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That he's near half a ton
But he remembers very well
A time when he could run
They ran around her bed
She chased him around her bed
Azalea
So he just stays inside
But he remembers very well
A time when he could ride
They rode around the bend
She rode around with him
Azalea
They found him on the kitchen floor
They said it was his heart
But I remember very well
The way he came apart
Her name was on his lips
Her name was on his lips
Azalea
The Ass Ponys' song Azalea is a poignant and heartbreaking tribute to a man in decline. The opening verse sets up the sad state of affairs - the singer's legs can no longer support him because he is close to half a ton - but the second line alludes to a happier time when the man could run. The chorus relives the joyous memories of a woman named Azalea - they ran around her bed and she chased him, and they rode around the bend together. These seemingly simple moments are infused with warmth and tenderness, making it all the more heartbreaking knowing that they are now out of reach for the singer.
The final verse reveals that the man has passed away - he was found on the kitchen floor, with his heart giving out. But even in his final moments, he remembers Azalea - her name was on his lips. It's unclear who Azalea was to the man - a wife, a lover, a childhood friend - but her presence is felt throughout the song as a source of comfort and solace, a warm memory to hold onto in the face of illness and death. The Ass Ponys manage to convey a deep sense of loss and longing in just a few simple, touching verses.
Line by Line Meaning
His legs they won't support him now
His legs are not strong enough to carry his weight anymore
That he's near half a ton
He has gained a lot of weight, weighing close to 1000 pounds
But he remembers very well
Despite his current condition, he can still recall vividly how things were before
A time when he could run
He had the ability to move quickly on foot in the past
They ran around her bed
The man and a woman ran around a bed belonging to someone named Azalea
She chased him around her bed
Azalea pursued the man as they ran around her bed
He doesn't fit behind the wheel
The man's size no longer enables him to fit comfortably in a car
So he just stays inside
Due to his weight, he spends most of his time indoors and not outside
They rode around the bend
The man and a woman rode together around a bend in the road
She rode around with him
Azalea accompanied the man as they rode together
They found him on the kitchen floor
The man was discovered lying on the kitchen floor by someone
They said it was his heart
People assume that he died of heart failure or an issue related to the organ
But I remember very well
The singer has a clear memory of something about the man's death
The way he came apart
The man's cause of death was so gruesome that the person who found him can recall it in detail
Her name was on his lips
As the man was dying, he said the name of the woman he had run and ridden around with, Azalea
Azalea
The chorus or refrain of the song that repeats the woman's name and ties all the lyrics together
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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