Big Head Todd and The Monsters – singer-guitarist Todd Park Mohr, bassist-singer Rob Squires, drummer-singer Brian Nevin and keyboardist-guitarist-singer Jeremy Lawton -- could have begun resting on their laurels back in 1993, when their Top 10 singles “Bittersweet,” “Broken Hearted Savior,” “Circle” and “It’s Alright” pushed the album Sister Sweetly to platinum certification. However, Mohr says, “I’ve fought throughout our career not to be a one-trick pony, to be the kind of band that has depth and diversity in its catalogue. I’m a fan of this band, and I’m constantly looking forward to what comes next.”
The essence of Big Head Todd and The Monsters – a rootsy, emotionally direct variety of rock ’n’ roll that lends itself particularly well to a live setting – has been winning fans since Mohr, Rob Squires and Brian Nevin started playing together in high school (Jeremy Lawton joined in 2004). Needless to say, the three never expected to be in the same band at this late date, but, as Mohr points out, “It was a really fortunate combination of musical personalities, and we’re still partners in every sense of the word.”
The band spent seven years developing their chemistry and amassing a following, boosted significantly by the independent releases Another Mayberry (1989) and Midnight Radio (1990), before being “discovered” by the listening public at large with 1993’s Sister Sweetly. After a major-label stint (Sister Sweetly, 1994’s Stratagem, 1997’s Beautiful World), during which the trio increasingly found itself frustrated artistically, they reclaimed their independent status (2001’s Riviera, 2004’s Crimes of Passion). “If it were not for our ability to do things for ourselves, we would have disappeared a long time ago,” Mohr allows.
Universal Mom
Big Head Todd and the Monsters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, be still
Watch them, still, let them fall down
You're wasting your life trying to rescue the day
All your steel, iron will won't break this frozen ground
I know you're needing the time
Oh my lady, tonight I want to sail to the moon and we're gonna make it
But I'm gonna need your help
You're head's somewhere else,
But you're wanting to stay
Helplessness, wordlessness, why do you let yourself worry this way?
So let there be shelter to make some mistakes
I will, you will, never control what we create
But I'm gonna need your help
I'll tiller the soil if you tend to the bloom
Heaven flower, sun shower, let the earth move
We'll light up the world if you give us the room
Off that dress and smile to set the children of the world to rest
But I'm gonna need your help
I'll tiller the soil if you tend to the bloom
Heaven flower, sun shower, let the earth move
We'll light up the world if you give us the room
Off that dress and smile to set the children of the world to rest
The lyrics to Big Head Todd and the Monsters' song Universal Mom are about a woman who is trying too hard to control everything around her, even things that she has already given away. The singer in the song encourages her to let go and let things fall into place, rather than trying to control every aspect of her life. He tells her that love has something for her, but she needs to let herself take it.
The singer then asks for her help in creating something new and beautiful, using metaphors of tilling soil and tending to the bloom. He asks for the woman to shed her worries and just be present in the moment to "set the children of the world to rest." The song is essentially about the power of letting go and being present in the moment, rather than trying to control every aspect of life.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't try to keep what you've given away
It's not possible to hold on to the things you've already let go of.
Watch them, still, let them fall down
Observe things happening without interference and let them run their course.
You're wasting your life trying to rescue the day
Don't spend your life trying to fix things that have already happened.
All your steel, iron will won't break this frozen ground
No amount of determination or strength can change something that is already set in stone.
I know you're needing the time
I understand that you need time to sort things out.
Love has something for you let yourself take it
There is something good for you in love and you should allow yourself to experience it.
Oh my lady, tonight I want to sail to the moon and we're gonna make it
I want to go on an adventure with you and succeed in our goals.
But I'm gonna need your help
I need your assistance to achieve our goals.
You're head's somewhere else,
You're not fully present in the moment.
But you're wanting to stay
You want to remain in this situation.
Helplessness, wordlessness, why do you let yourself worry this way?
Why do you allow yourself to be consumed by feelings of helplessness and not express yourself?
So let there be shelter to make some mistakes
Allow yourself a safe space to make errors.
I will, you will, never control what we create
Neither of us has complete control over the things we make.
I'll tiller the soil if you tend to the bloom
I offer to prepare the ground if you take care of the flowers.
Heaven flower, sun shower, let the earth move
Changes in nature allow for growth and progression.
We'll light up the world if you give us the room
We have the potential to make a significant impact if we are given the opportunity.
Off that dress and smile to set the children of the world to rest
A happy disposition has the power to bring peace to the world's children.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: TODD PARK MOHR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lvbbdan
brilliant
@zachvane
great song for road trips