Better Than Ezra is an alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisian… Read Full Bio ↴Better Than Ezra is an alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band was formed in Baton Rouge in 1987 by Kevin Griffin while he and the other original members were attending college at Louisiana State University. By 1988 Better Than Ezra had released a demo cassette tape, Chime Street Studio Demo Tape. In 1989 the band released a cassette-only album, Surprise. They released their first nationally-distributed album Deluxe in 1993 (Swell Records / 1995 Elektra). It was released on 2 different labels, the independent Swell Records first, in 1993, and later national label Elektra Records, in 1995. That same year, "Good" became a major pop hit, reaching the #1 position on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Subsequent album releases include Friction, Baby (Elektra, 1996), How Does Your Garden Grow? (Elektra, 1998), and Closer, (Beyond Records, 2001). The band also released the B-Sides and rarities collection artifakt on its own "Ezra Dry Goods/Fudge" label in 2000. Late 2004 saw the band simultaneously releasing an official live concert DVD, as well as an official live album, both entitled Live at the House of Blues New Orleans (Sanctuary Records). Recent releases include a Greatest Hits collection (Warner Brothers, March 15, 2005), and a new album entitled Before the Robots (Artemis Records, May 31, 2005.)

Like many bands in the then-burgeoning alt-rock movement of the mid-'90s, Better Than Ezra enjoyed their period of greatest chart success immediately following their debut major-label release (Deluxe), which spawned their highest-charting hits. At least commercially (and in terms of mainstream radio play), the band has experienced slightly diminishing returns with each successive release; however, unlike the majority of their contemporaries, Better Than Ezra's extremely loyal fan base has kept the group from dropping off of the musical map. Ezra's followers, who refer to themselves as Ezralites, have never cared whether radio stations play the band or not--in fact, many fans follow the band religiously, attending scores of their performances. It is Ezra's loyal fans and a relentless touring schedule which has allowed them to continue to produce new music, remain extremely viable in the music world, and out-live their projected shelf life. Additionally, Better Than Ezra's independence and survival in a business that has chewed up and spat out many bands who they used to jockey for chart position seems to indicate that the band will be around to satisfy their fans' rapacious appetite for their music for many years to come.

In addition to vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin from Monroe, Louisiana, the current members of Better Than Ezra are bass guitar player Tom Drummond and drummer Travis McNabb. Original drummer, Cary Bonnecaze, left the band after the release of Deluxe. Original lead guitarist, Joel Rundell, committed suicide in 1990. Multi-Instrumentalist James Arthur Payne also from Monroe, Louisiana tours with the band, fills in vocal, keyboard, guitar, and harmonica parts, and is a fan favorite.

Who or what Ezra might be is a mystery that the band members have no interest in clearing up. Drummond once told a reporter that the meaning of the band's name is "so lame you wouldn't even want to print it." However, it has also been said that the name came into being when the then nameless band entered a battle of the bands in competition with a group named Ezra. Needing a name to register they simply said that they were better.

In 2005, Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry used the band's song "Juicy" as the background music for the second season of the show's promotional advertisement.

The band is slated to headline A Taste of Fort Collins in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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In 2009 there were line-up changes and a new album released. Drummer Travis McNabb left to tour with the Country music group Sugarland. The split was friendly and McNabb still serves on the Ezra charitable organizations. McNabb was replaced by Michael Jerome as touring and ?future? drummer, with Blair Sinta filling in on parts of the album Paper Empire and 2 dates of the bands summer 2009 concert tour.

Travis McNabb played his last show with Ezra on Feb. 15, 2009 in Metairie, Louisiana.

Paper Empire was released on May 12, 2009.
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New Kind of Low a.) Low b.) Coma
Better Than Ezra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I push the limits of good taste
Whenever I open my mouth
You got a worm in your ear
Like Chekou from Kahn

Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! shame

I hit a new kind of low

All the way from South Dakota
I like a green leprechaun
She got a sun dress in heat
He got his latex gloves on

Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low

And if you ever come here
You're tweaking on the phone
I got a new connection
I never leave the light on

Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low
Shame! Shame
I hit a new kind of low

All the time a loss
Black like you were blessed
I was sobered blind
Let you take me there
And laughed loud when you found
I was devoured, devoured
Devoured, devoured, devoured

Devoured, devoured, devoured
Devoured

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Better Than Ezra's song "New Kind Of Low- Low-Coma" speak to the idea of pushing the boundaries of good taste and decency. The song is a commentary on society's obsession with sensationalism and shock value, as the singer admits to saying and doing things that are considered taboo just for the reaction they elicit. The lines "I push the limits of good taste, Whenever I open my mouth" express this idea clearly. The reference to Chekou from Kahn, a character known for his shocking statements in the film "A Fish Called Wanda", emphasizes this point.

The chorus, "Shame! Shame, I hit a new kind of low," suggests that the singer is aware of the inappropriateness of their behavior but continues to engage in it anyway. The reference to South Dakota and a green leprechaun are probably meant to be absurd and surreal, emphasizing the idea of pushing boundaries. The lines "She got a sun dress in heat, He got his latex gloves on" could represent the singer's interest in unusual, perhaps even kinky, sexual practices.

The final verse "And if you ever come here, You're tweaking on the phone, I got a new connection, I never leave the light on" creates an ominous and unsettling tone. These lines indicate that the singer is involved in some kind of shady or illegal activity, and the listener should be cautious about getting involved. The repeated refrain of "devoured" at the end suggests that the singer is both a victim and perpetrator of their own behavior, consumed by a desire for something more out of life.

Line by Line Meaning

I push the limits of good taste
I often say things that are considered impolite or offensive

Whenever I open my mouth
Whenever I speak

You got a worm in your ear
You are being influenced by others to view me in a negative light

Like Chekou from Kahn
Similar to the way the African revolutionary leader Patrice Lumumba was portrayed in the media

Shame! Shame
The artist is expressing regret or embarrassment

I hit a new kind of low
The singer has done something even more embarrassing or regrettable than before

All the way from South Dakota
From a faraway, isolated place

I like a green leprechaun
I have a preference for something that doesn't exist or is unrealistic

She got a sun dress in heat
She is dressed provocatively

He got his latex gloves on
He is prepared for something that is either dangerous or illicit

And if you ever come here
If you were to visit my location