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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Revolver
Better Than Ezra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There on the pavement
Caught in the light of the moon
Outlined in gun metal blue
Ten feet from the doorstep
And down by the street lamp
A crowd started gathering where
A figure lay still in the clear
And the cop said they all should go home

And I
Found a revolver
Cutting a hole in the night
Caught between left and the right
So you said not a thing can be done
And they came one by one
Shooting holes in the sun
With the gun that you gave them
And there in our room
We hold one another in bed
The copters they dance over head
To the sound of fire in the street
Yeah
Then I
Found a revolver
Cutting a hole in the night
Caught between wrong and the right
Well they say
Oh no
They say there's nothing wrong
Blood in their eyes
You don't care for your life
Why value mine
While the NRA GOP ACLU
Cash in the pack money
Watch it go straight to your head
La la la la
And I
Found a revolver
Cutting a hole in the night
Caught between left and the right
Well they say
At the back of the crowd
Somebody spoke up
Somebody said
They're all too young
They're all too free
Well the voice
In the crowd said
They're all too young
They're all too free
Well the voice
In the crowd
Said

Said
Well the voice in the crowd said

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Better Than Ezra's song "Revolver" paint a vivid picture of a chaotic and violent scene. The song begins with the description of a crowd gathering around a figure that has been shot and is lying on the pavement. The imagery of the moonlight outlining the figure in "gun metal blue" creates a haunting image of the violence that has occurred. The cop arrives and tells everyone to go home, but the singer finds a revolver, highlighting the presence of guns in society and how readily available they are. The gun becomes a symbol of the power and violence that has taken hold of society.

As the song progresses, the scene shifts to the singer's bedroom where they are holding one another in bed. The sound of fire in the streets, and the cop helicopters overhead, serve as a constant reminder of the chaos happening outside. The lyrics continue to highlight the presence of guns in society, and how those in power, such as the NRA, GOP, and ACLU, are profiting from the sale of guns. The song ends with someone in the crowd speaking up, highlighting the need for change, before the voice is drowned out by the chaos and violence.

Line by Line Meaning

There on the pavement
The scene starts outside where there is something unusual that catches the eye.

Caught in the light of the moon
The moon's light highlights the scene, unveiling it for all to see.

Outlined in gun metal blue
The figure lying down is framed, distinguished with gun metal blue shade.

Ten feet from the doorstep
The situation is too close to home and too real to ignore.

And down by the street lamp
The street lights illuminate the scene.

A crowd started gathering where
People are drawn to the scene, and gathered around it.

A figure lay still in the clear
The figure is lying still and is clearly visible to all.

And the cop said they all should go home
The cop wants people to go back to their lives and ignore the situation.

And I Found a revolver Cutting a hole in the night Caught between left and the right
The artist has found the weapon, and its presence is tearing apart the world and its morals.

So you said not a thing can be done
Someone else says that there's nothing that can be done to solve the problem.

And they came one by one Shooting holes in the sun With the gun that you gave them
The crowd has become violent and is now using the weapon given to them to destroy the world as they know it.

And there in our room We hold one another in bed The copters they dance over head
The artist is taking refuge in their bed while chaos reigns outside, including the presence of copters, which could be military or police.

To the sound of fire in the street
The fires on the street can be heard from the safety of the bedroom.

Yeah Then I Found a revolver Cutting a hole in the night Caught between wrong and the right
The weapon's presence is again highlighted, and the singer is caught up in the moral implications of its possession.

Well they say Oh no They say there's nothing wrong Blood in their eyes You don't care for your life Why value mine
Those in charge of the situation are insensitive to the pain that others are experiencing, and the singer wonders why their life is worth any more or less than others'.

While the NRA GOP ACLU Cash in the pack money Watch it go straight to your head La la la la
The artist sees that the money is driving the decisions being made, with money from associations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), Republican Party (GOP), and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) influencing the situation.

And I Found a revolver Cutting a hole in the night Caught between left and the right
The possession of the revolver continues to impact the world, creating fear and anxiety within the artist.

Well they say At the back of the crowd Somebody spoke up Somebody said They're all too young They're all too free Well the voice In the crowd said
There's a voice that represents the younger, freer generation that is protesting the older generation's inaction in addressing social issues.

They're all too young They're all too free Well the voice In the crowd Said Said
The young voice continues to speak out, calling for the older generation to take responsibility for their actions and make positive changes in the world.

Contributed by Stella K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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