As a teenager, Slug (Sean Daley) became entranced with hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing, forming the Rhymesayers label and collective (originally known as Headshots) with two high-school friends, Siddiq Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn). After some early gigs as Urban Atmosphere -- where Slug DJed behind Spawn's rhyming -- the pair hooked up with producer Ant (Anthony Davis), as well as like-minded locals such as MC Musab, Mr. Gene Poole, and the Abstract Pack, forming an underground hip-hop clique dedicated to freestyling and clever lyricism. In 1997, Atmosphere released their debut album, Overcast!, which received college radio airplay and earned an underground hip-hop following thanks to Slug's deeply personal, poetic musings, as well as Ant's bare-bones -- but inventive -- production.
Atmosphere participated in the supergroup the Dynospectrum (who released a self-titled album on Rhymesayers in 1998) and Slug contributed to another supergroup, Anticon's Deep Puddle Dynamics (whose full-length The Taste of Rain...Why Kneel appeared in 1999). The Headshots collective concluded their series of underground cassettes with a seventh volume in 1999, later reissued as an Atmosphere release called Headshots: Se7en. The group also began a series of limited releases (often sold exclusively on tour) titled Sad Clown Bad Dub, beginning with an extremely scarce 1999 cassette.
A year later, Atmosphere (then down to the duo of Slug and Ant) released the Ford One and Ford Two EPs, followed by the Lucy EP in 2001. Collected as the 2001 full-length Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs, the three EPs were built around the theme of Slug's complicated relationship with his ex-girlfriend, the lost love of his life. As Atmosphere's following increased beyond underground hip-hop circles, they toured consistently, both at home and overseas; while Ant usually didn't accompany the group on the road, Mr. Dibbs of the group 1200 Hobos often joined in behind the turntables while Slug was assisted on the mike by young rappers like the teenaged Eyedea. In June 2002, Atmosphere unleashed God Loves Ugly, an 18-track effort that returned to previous themes ("F*@k You Lucy"), but also contained the group's pop-friendly single "Modern Man's Hustle," which reached the Top 20 of the U.S. rap singles chart.
By this time indie rap superstars, Atmosphere returned with their fourth album, Seven's Travels, in 2003, followed two years later by You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. Following the record's success, Ant began regularly touring with the group. They continued to put music out during the next couple of years, including the free download Strictly Leakage in late 2007, a near-party album that they followed up with When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold in April 2008. The record featured plenty of live instrumentation and guest background vocal spots from Tom Waits and TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe; it was also their highest-charting album, hitting number five on the Billboard 200. The "double EP" To All My Friends: Blood Makes the Blade Holy appeared in 2010, with the full-length album The Family Sign following in 2011.
In 2014, the group released the album Southsiders, which featured the single "Bitter" and became another Top Ten-charting hit. The following year, Atmosphere celebrated the ten-year anniversary of You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having by reissuing the album as a four-LP set (including instrumental versions of all the album's songs), in addition to The Fun EP, a picture-disc vinyl issue of an EP of You Can't Imagine outtakes that was originally released as a promo CD in 2006. In 2016, they returned with Fishing Blues, an album that featured the single "Ringo" along with guest appearances from MF Doom, Kool Keith, and Aesop Rock. While the set peaked just outside the Top 20 on the Billboard 200, it became their second album to top the U.S. indie chart. Mi Vida Local, an urgent reflection on middle age, appeared in 2018, followed a year later by the full-length Whenever. The Day Before Halloween arrived on that exact date in 2020, with Atmosphere unexpectedly switching to sci-fi/horror-informed themes over spooky, synth-heavy backdrops. Nearly a year later, Ant and Slug swerved back to their signature sound with Word?, which included guests such as Evidence, Aesop Rock, Sa-Roc, and MF Doom.
Biography by Dan LeRoy
There are other artists with the same name:
2) A Polish rock group, established in 1993 in Leszno, Poland, with Marcin Rozynek as a vocalist. In 1994 the group appeared at Mokotowska Jesień Muzyczna, where they were runners-up just behind Myslovitz. Two years later they won competition Marlboro Rock In. In 1997, Atmosphere released their self-titled debut album, Atmosphere, and in 1999 released Europa Naftowa. Atmosphere was awarded the Album debut of the year 1997 by magazine Tylko Rock and was nominated for the award Fryderyk in 1998 in the category Debut of the Year. In 1998, Atmosphere appeared at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole with song Niewielki Skrawek Ziemi. Disbanded after Marcin Rozynek departure for a solo career. However, Atmosphere regrouped recently with a new line-up and is recording a new album.
3) An obscure one hit wonder Italo-disco group of the early 80’s. The group was produced by Franco & Venise Scopinich, and their one single “Swede’s Scandal” was realased on Superradio Reccords (label owned by Franco & Venise Scopinich).
4) A thrash metal band of the same name from Vietnam who have released two demo's.
Me
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We dreamt adventure
We survived as time passed by
We had each other
So I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna
No, I don’t wanna hear, hear you say
I just wanna, I just wanna
I just wanna fade away
Cover my grave in forget me nots
Singing lover, when I’m gone
Cover my grave in forget me nots
I didn’t take you for superstitious
I never knew you were
When did death become you
You wear it like a scar
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna
No, I don’t wanna hear, hear you say
I just wanna, I just wanna
I just wanna fade away
Lover, when I’m gone
Cover my grave in forget me nots
Singing lover, when I’m gone
Cover my grave in forget me nots
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna
I don’t wanna hear you say
I just wanna, I just wanna
I just wanna fade away
She said lover, when I’m gone
Cover my grave in forget me nots
Singing lover, when I’m gone
Cover my grave in forget me nots
Atmosphere's song "Me" speaks to the nostalgia of childhood and the hope of being remembered after passing away. The first verse describes the singer and their friend as misfits who dreamed of adventure and survived together over time. The singer then expresses their desire to fade away without hearing someone else say it, wanting to be remembered beyond their passing. The next verse speaks to the unexpected darkness of the friend, revealing their superstitions and their relationship with death. The chorus repeats the idea of covering the singer's grave in forget-me-nots, a flower that carries the symbolism of remembrance.
The song speaks to the universal desire to be remembered and to have connections that endure beyond time. The imagery of the forget-me-nots emphasizes this message, as the flower itself is a symbol of remembrance. The connection to childhood and growing up together also adds meaning to the song, as many people may have strong nostalgic connections to their past friendships and adventures. The notion of wanting to fade away without intervention from others speaks to the desire for control over one's legacy and how they will be remembered.
Overall, "Me" is a thoughtful and emotive representation of the desire for connection and remembrance. It speaks to the human condition and the ways in which we seek to leave our mark on the world before we fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were kids just misfits
When we were young and didn't fit in with others
We dreamt adventure
We imagined going on exciting journeys
We survived as time passed by
We made it through life as it went on
We had each other
We were there for each other
So I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna / No, I don’t wanna hear, hear you say / I just wanna, I just wanna / I just wanna fade away
I don't want to listen to you anymore, I just want to disappear
Lover, when I’m gone / Cover my grave in forget me nots / Singing lover, when I’m gone / Cover my grave in forget me nots
When I die, I want you to place forget-me-not flowers on my grave
I didn’t take you for superstitious / I never knew you were / When did death become you / You wear it like a scar
I didn't think you believed in superstitions, I didn't know it affected you this much. Death seems to have affected you deeply
I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna / No, I don’t wanna hear, hear you say / I just wanna, I just wanna / I just wanna fade away
I don't want to hear you talk anymore, I just want to disappear
She said lover, when I’m gone / Cover my grave in forget me nots / Singing lover, when I’m gone / Cover my grave in forget me nots
She asked that when she dies, forget-me-not flowers be placed on her grave
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: August Hutchins, Zachary Wynakos
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind