Band of Susans is a rock music band formed in New York in 1986 by Robert Po… Read Full Bio ↴Band of Susans is a rock music band formed in New York in 1986 by Robert Poss (guitar/vocals), Susan Stenger (bass/vocals) and Ron Spitzer (drums) with Susan Lyall (guitar), Susan Tallman (guitar) and Alva Rogers (vocals).

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.

You Were An Optimist
Band Of Susans Lyrics

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When the dust settled everything was in doubt
You didn't know where to turn
You were still off balance
Your mind wanders back in time
A thousand drinks ago
And you're an optimist
It's a bit hazy now
So many plot twists

So you try and try to forget
But the circuits have been etched
The connections are fresh
The contacts mesh
Each night
Raked over the coals
She called from a payphone
The voice on the tape didn't match his face
A sympathetic ear

So many plot twists
So you try and try to forget
But the circuits have been etched
The connections are fresh
The contacts mesh

And you're an optimist
You were an optimist

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Band Of Susans's song You Were An Optimist paint a picture of a person who is struggling to make sense of their current situation. They are surrounded by doubt and uncertainty, and they have trouble finding their footing. The reminiscences of their past's thousand drinks ago become hazy and twisted as they try to forget the events that let them down. Despite everything they have been through, they still see themselves as an optimist. They hold on to hope, even as they are raked over the coals every night.

The song's chorus distills the message into a few simple lines. The circuits have been etched, the connections are fresh, and the contacts mesh. The lyrics suggest that the person is trying to make sense of everything that has happened to them, to piece together the bits of information they have gathered along the way. They know that everything is connected, and they are trying to find the pattern that ties everything together. Despite the complexity of their situation, they maintain a sense of optimism, a belief that things will eventually work out.

Overall, You Were An Optimist is a powerful song about resilience and hope. It acknowledges the difficult situations that we all face in life, but it encourages us to keep going, to hold onto our belief in a better future. The song's haunting melody and poetic lyrics make it a timeless classic that is still relevant today.

Line by Line Meaning

When the dust settled everything was in doubt
After everything has happened, everything seems unsure and up for debate

You didn't know where to turn
You were lost and unsure of what to do next

You were still off balance
You were still feeling unstable

Your mind wanders back in time
You start to think about the past

A thousand drinks ago
What seems like a very long time ago

And you're an optimist
Despite everything, you remain hopeful

It's a bit hazy now
You can't quite remember everything clearly

So many plot twists
So many unexpected turns of events

So you try and try to forget
You attempt to forget what has happened

But the circuits have been etched
It has left a permanent impression on you

The connections are fresh
The memories are still vivid