After several years of gigging in Boston and Cambridge, the band signed to a major label and released its debut album In Loving Memory of... in 1997. The single The Oaf was a major Top Ten hit for the band that year.
Due to Thornley's Canadian nationality, the band's biggest commercial success was actually in Canada rather than the United States. The album's subsequent singles, Blown Wide Open and That Song, were not as successful on the American charts as The Oaf had been, but in Canada they were both Top Ten hits.
In October of 2001, Big Wreck played a special show at Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Uzume Taiko Ensemble of drummers, with The Tragically Hip's Paul Langlois and Robby Baker also making appearances.
The band's second album The Pleasure and the Greed (released in 2001) was marred by poor marketing and was not as big a hit as their debut album, especially in the United States. The band subsequently broke up a year later in 2002.
Thornley moved back to Toronto, launching the band Thornley. Doherty has gone on to be in the indie band Death of 8, but the other band members never emerged with new projects.
Ian and Brian rekindled their friendship, which lead to a reunion in 2011.
This reunion, however, would not include founding members Dave Henning and Forrest Williams.
Albatross, the band's third album, would be released on March 6, 2012, and would be Big Wreck's best charting album of all time, debuting at #5 on the Canadian albums charts, and would see its title track hit #1 on the Canadian Rock charts, which it would hold for six weeks straight. It would also spawn the singles Wolves and A Million Days, and would receive the CASBY award for "Favourite New Album" in 2012.
2014 would see the release of their fourth album, Ghosts, on the 10th of June. The album would debut at #5 on the Canadian Rock charts, and would go on to debut at #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, making it their highest charting album on that chart to date. Ghosts would come to spawn three singles: the name-sharing Ghosts, Come What May, and Hey Mama.
Big Wreck's fifth studio album, Grace Street, would see its release on February 3, 2017. The album would end up peaking at #5 on the Canadian Albums chart, much like Albatross and Ghosts. However, the lead single One Good Piece of Me would end up outperforming Ghosts (the song), with the track charting high on two separate charts within the first week of airplay. The other two singles that spawned from Grace Street were Digging In and You Don't Even Know.
On June 5, 2019, founding guitarist Brian Doherty would pass away after a battle with cancer. He was 51.
Big Wreck would release their sixth studio album, ...but for the Sun, on August 30, 2019. The band would end up dedicating the album to the late guitarist in memory of him. The album would see Locomotive, Too Far Gone, One More Chance and Alibi be the four singles to spawn, and would also see an in memoriam tour dedicated to Doherty.
...but for the Sun would be the last full-length album recorded with longtime drummer Chuck Keeping, as he would end up leaving the band in 2021 to focus on family life.
In the following years, Big Wreck would hire new drummer Sekou Lumumba (the former drummer for Ian Thornley's side project, Thornley) to replace Chuck Keeping, and would go on to release 3 EPs: 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3.
Pages, Big Wreck's 7th album, was released on November 24, 2023.
Discography:
Studio Albums
In Loving Memory Of... (1997)
The Pleasure And The Greed (2001)
Albatross (2012)
Bag of Tricks (Live, 2013)
Ghosts (2014)
Grace Street (2017)
...but for the Sun (2019)
Pages (2023)
EPs
7.1 (2021)
7.2 (2022)
7.3 (2023)
Members:
Ian Thornley (Vocals, Guitar, 1992 - present)
Chris Caddell (Rhythm Guitar, 2019 - present)
Dave McMillan (Bass Guitar, 2010 - present)
Sekou Lumumba (Drums, 2021 - present)
Past Members:
Brian Doherty (Guitar, 1992 - 2019 (d. June 5, 2019))
Paulo Neta (Guitar, 2010 - 2017)
Dave Henning (Bass Guitar, 1993 - 2002)
Forrest Williams (Drums, 1994 - 2002)
Brad Park (Drums, 2010 - 2012)
Chuck Keeping (Drums, 2012 - 2021)
Hey Mama
Big Wreck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey mama, watch me pray
I buried you out in the backyard
Hung out high in a tree
Yeah that was me
Hey mama, watch me stumble
Hey mama, hear me cry
Empty boat on the sea
Yeah that was me
That was me
Ooh I remember your face and you're pretty as hell
You and I
Ooh, the thing that you said
Was a lie to me
Believe it was a tale to tell
She forgot about her forever
I'm stuck in yesterday
Hey mama, hear me holler
Hey mama, watch me pray
It was you
High in the tree
Yeah that was me
That was me
That was me
Yeah, that was me
Ooh I remember your face and you're pretty as hell
You and I
Ooh, the thing that you said
Was a lie to me
Believe it was a tale to tell
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
And I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
And I'm stuck with today
The lyrics to Big Wreck's "Hey Mama" portray a man in a state of emotional anguish and feeling stuck in the past. The repetitive use of "Hey mama, hear me hollerin'" and "Hey mama, watch me pray" suggest a plea for help or guidance from a mother figure that may or may not be present. He sings about burying someone, presumably his mother, in the backyard and hanging her out high in a tree, possibly symbolizing the weight and burden of his grief. The lines "Empty house on the hillside, empty boat on the sea" emphasizes the feelings of loneliness and isolation he's experiencing.
The chorus, "Ooh I remember your face and you're pretty as hell, you and I, ooh, the thing that you said was a lie to me, believe it was a tale to tell," talks about a person who lied to him, perhaps his mother, and he has a hard time coming to terms with it. The final lines "She forgot about forever, I'm stuck with yesterday, she forgot about forever, and I'm stuck with today" show that he's not only stuck in the past but struggling to move forward into the future, possibly because of this lie or betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey mama, hear me hollerin'
Addressing my mother, I'm yelling out to you, hoping you can hear me.
Hey mama, watch me pray
Mother, look at me, as I kneel down to pray.
I buried you out in the backyard
I buried something that represents you in the backyard, as if to leave you behind.
Hung out high in a tree
I left something high up on a tree, as if to forget about it or let it go.
Yeah that was me
I am responsible for those actions.
Hey mama, watch me stumble
Mother, observe me as I fail or struggle through something.
Hey mama, hear me cry
Mother, listen to me as I weep or express sadness.
Empty house on the hillside
There is a vacant home high up on the hill.
Empty boat on the sea
There is a boat without a rider out in the ocean.
That was me
I am responsible for those empty or abandoned things.
Ooh I remember your face and you're pretty as hell
I recall your appearance and find you to be incredibly attractive.
You and I
Referring to the artist and the person with the attractive face.
Ooh, the thing that you said
I remember what you told me.
Was a lie to me
You were not being truthful.
Believe it was a tale to tell
I believe you were telling a made-up story.
She forgot about her forever
She no longer thinks about or remembers the past.
I'm stuck in yesterday
However, I am still consumed by the memories of what happened.
It was you
You are the one who left a representation of yourself behind.
Yeah that was me
I am responsible for that action.
She forgot about forever
She still does not dwell on the past.
I'm stuck with yesterday
But I am still held captive by it.
And I'm stuck with today
Now I am burdened by the present, as well.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN THORNLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jamie H
Hey mama, hear me hollerin'
Hey mama, watch me pray
I buried you out in the backyard
Hung out high in a tree
Yeah that was me
Hey mama, watch me stumble
Hey mama, hear me cry
Empty house on the hillside
Empty boat on the sea
Yeah that was me
That was me
Ooh I remember your face and you're pretty as hell
You and I
Ooh, the thing that you said
Was a lie to me
Believe it was a tale to tell
She forgot about her forever
I'm stuck in yesterday
Hey mama, hear me holler
Hey mama, watch me pray
It was you
High in the tree
Yeah that was me
That was me
That was me
Yeah, that was me
Ooh I remember your face and you're pretty as hell
You and I
Ooh, the thing that you said
Was a lie to me
Believe it was a tale to tell
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
And I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
I'm stuck with yesterday
She forgot about forever
And I'm stuck with today
Ryan Shordee
I want to spend the rest of my life listening to big wreck songs over and over and over again
chrishenderson420
basically my life
Paul Simoens
Ryan Shordee Hell yeah!!!
Sam Holcombe
It’s no coincidence that Chris and Ian are my favorites, idolize them both. I see people get defensive when the two are compared but in reality it’s a compliment to them both. They have similarities but also have differences that make them unique, and while Cornell is damn good on guitar, Ian can solo better, make it talk to your soul. Lyrically I can’t choose, it’s a tie, that’s why I decided they’re BOTH my favorite equally...RIP Chris
DarkestofTimes
Dark stuff, fits it well. Love this song, everything about it is fantastic, the melody, vocals, guitars, drums, rhythm.
chrishenderson420
If Big Wreck keeps going, they will undoubtedly have the best discography for Rock and Roll in the world. They can't put out anything but Pure Gold.
Forthwith1028
Badass song. Love these guys!
Chris Collins
Its been decided that this is a band to last generations.
sydsdh
Thank you Big Wreck ! I discovered Thornley/Big Wreck a year ago and I am amazed at how addicted I am. The song writing, the voice, the talent of the band, the guitar playing ! . I thoroughly enjoy Every Big Wreck and Thornley album with every song being worthy with standouts like: LadyLike, That Song, The Oaf, Off and Running, Blown Wide Open, Overemphasizing, Broken Hands, Hey Mama, A Million Days, Wolves, This is Where my Heart is, Under the Lighthouse, Head in the Girl. Thornley: Failling to Pieces, Beautiful, Come Again, Underneath the Radar, Your Song, Make Believe, Man Overboard..... Amazing. These guys are the real thing - talented artists making real music. What more could you ask for in a rock band ?. Although I would love a mega stadium show - it would be amazing to see and hear their songs in a big production.
Please keep making great music and know that you are bringing music joy to a lot of rabid fans ! I write this because I love music and the joy it brings and I would love if every rock fan discovers Big Wreck. If you are a fan call your local radio station and request Big Wreck, write their management company (off their website) and ask for a local concert !... Cheers.
Joe Williams
This is Pure Awesomeness - I would do anything to Jam with this Band.