Taking their name from the number of Susans in the line up, Band of Susans released one EP - Blessing and Curse - on Poss's own Trace Elements label before being signed to Mute Records's Blast First imprint for their first album Hope Against Hope. After the release, Rogers, Lyall and Tallman quit to be replaced by Karen Haglof (guitar) and Page Hamilton (guitar). After a second album - Love Agenda - and a Peel Sessions EP the two new members quit (Hamilton to form Helmet) and were replaced by Anne Husick (guitar) and Mark Lonergan (guitar), forming the line up which made three more albums and one EP. On the band's final U.S. and European tours a young Jay Braun filled in for Mark Lonergan. The band's final production was a version of Wire's Ahead for a collection of Wire cover versions called Whore, released in 1996.
Musically, BoS organised their three guitarists into providing an overwhelming wail of feedback and guitar noise layered under more conventional song structures (Poss had worked with guitar enemble composer Rhys Chatham and was a big fan of The Rolling Stones - the latter resulting in covers of Child of the Moon and Paint it Black). Although pretty much unconnected with it, Band of Susans are generally included in the New York No Wave scene that produced Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca.
After the dissolution of the band, Poss and Stenger performed with Bruce Gilbert of Wire as GilbertPossStenger. Poss then concentrated on production and solo work whilst Stenger played live with The Creatures for a period. An open-ended promise to reform under a new name has yet to happen.
Mood Swing
Band Of Susans Lyrics
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You think you're one of a kind
But you're all the same to me
You're so easy to find
He said open your eyes watch what I do
Why don't you just relax
I bet you'll like it too
You'll like it too
What is this pain
I can't explain
I see his face again
What's my name
They said what'd you expect
Why did you let him in
Don't you know boys will be boys
And men will be men
He didn't hurt you much
He's someone that you knew
It's a fact of life
There's nothing you can do
They say that I'm to blame
That I should feel ashamed
I see that face again
But things have changed
Now the joke's on them
They think they have me down
They think they're in control
And then I turn around
I let them get real close
So they can hear what I say
I whisper in their ear
Then I blow them away
The lyrics to Band Of Susans's song "Mood Swing" depict the inner turmoil of a victim of sexual assault. The first verse starts with the abuser telling the victim that they are not special to him, and that they are easy to find. This establishes the predator's careless and callous attitude towards the victim. The next line "he said open your eyes watch what I do, why don't you just relax" portrays the grooming process, where the predator convinces the victim to trust him and relax. This manipulation continues in the next line "I bet you'll like it too." The victim wonders about the pain they feel and cannot comprehend what is happening, as she repeats the question "What's my name?"
In the second verse, other people, probably friends and family, blame the victim for letting the abuser in, stating that boys will be boys and men will be men. They also try to minimize the trauma by downplaying the severity of the assault, by saying that he didn't hurt her much as if it's acceptable to hurt someone a little. The victim again sees the abuser's face and is told she's to blame and should feel ashamed. However, things have changed now, and the joke is on those who blamed her, as she has turned around and whispered in their ears, perhaps about what happened to her, and then blows them away. This could suggest that she has overcome her trauma and has empowered herself by speaking out.
Overall, the lyrics to "Mood Swing" are dark and emotionally stirring, dealing with the complex topics of sexual abuse, the abuser's manipulation, and victim blaming. The song's lyrics highlight the importance of support and believing victims of assault.
Line by Line Meaning
He said the joke's on you
You were fooled by him
You think you're one of a kind
You thought you were special
But you're all the same to me
But you're all ordinary to me
You're so easy to find
You're not unique
He said open your eyes watch what I do
Watch and learn from me
Why don't you just relax
Why not let go of things?
I bet you'll like it too
You might enjoy it
What is this pain
What is this feeling?
I can't explain
I can't put it into words
I see his face again
His image keeps coming back to me
What's my name
Who am I?
They said what'd you expect
You should have known better
Why did you let him in
Why did you allow him into your life?
Don't you know boys will be boys
Boys will be boys and do bad things
And men will be men
Men will be men and get away with it
He didn't hurt you much
He didn't do a lot of damage
He's someone that you knew
He's a familiar face
It's a fact of life
It's the way things are
There's nothing you can do
You can't change it
They say that I'm to blame
They accuse me of fault
That I should feel ashamed
That I should feel guilty
I see that face again
His image is still in my mind
But things have changed
But I am different now
Now the joke's on them
Now it's their turn to be mocked
They think they have me down
They think they have control over me
They think they're in control
They believe they are in charge
And then I turn around
But I quickly change the situation
I let them get real close
I get them to trust me
So they can hear what I say
So they can listen to me
I whisper in their ear
I tell them a secret
Then I blow them away
Then I surprise them with my sudden action
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.