“I just fell in love with a forty-five (rpm record) been kept alive in a box over 30 years old,” sings Chris Henderson, the front man of the Hartford, CT, band BRONZE RADIO RETURN. This lyric, from their full-length debut album, OLD TIME SPEAKER, begins to paint the picture that enables your understanding of the group and their music. Like listening to old Bluesmen on your iPod Touch, BRONZE RADIO RETURN is about the juxtaposition of the old and the new. The love for these old records is a mutual feeling shared by the band members, who attribute their sound to the music that came long before their childhoods.
The serious nature of the band members’ musicianship led them to study their craft for their higher education. They met playing throughout CT and NY in various permutations through mutual friends. The way they modernize this traditional American style of music is what makes them truly unique. “We each offer a different spin on the music we play,” offers Henderson, who professes great appreciation for Ben Harper and Muddy Waters. “That’s really how we found our unique sound. Everyone has a voice and adds to it.” Bandmates Struble and Griffith cite Stevie Wonder, while Tanen is moved by the modern-day Stone Temple Pilots’ tight bass groove. CCR and Stevie Ray Vaughn light Fetkowitz’s fire, and Warner rounds it out with a push from Tom Petty.
Producer, Doug Derryberry (Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds Five) discovered BRONZE RADIO RETURN's considerable talents at a NYC show and produced their first EP. More recently, the Northeastern band’s collaboration with Midwestern producer/multi-instrumentalist Chad Copelin brought them to a Southern studio and resulted in the creation of a ten-song album. OLD TIME SPEAKER has brought the band's sound to a whole new place, and the band has made it their mission to experience as much of this country as possible, hitting the road for incredibly long stretches to share their music with as many as possible.
Myspace Records brought BRONZE RADIO RETURN into their stable of 'Friends and Family' – the best unsigned bands on the popular portal. Exemplified by tracks like “Pullin’ on the Reins,” “Strawberry Hill,” and “Wolves,” OLD TIME SPEAKER has what it takes to please lovers of all kinds of Rock & Roll.
Henderson concludes, “Ultimately, we want to make people move when they hear our music.” With their non-stop touring, get ready for BRONZE RADIO RETURN to ‘move’ into your town soon!
Wonder No More
Bronze Radio Return Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taunt me with shackles and chains
When I used to believe
But the ghost was alive and hollow inside
Her body still warm with the tears in her eyes
She wouldn’t leave
She wouldn’t leave
Four long years and I know where I’ve been
From the sweat of my mind
It comes and it goes from the shadows below
It hung high so I laid low
And now I leave it behind
And now I leave it behind
Oh oh oh
A mile down the road that the black stones pave
I ran from the sea and got caught by her wave
She took me away
While my faith was blind, my eyes could see
I was sure that the cure would remedy me
But it was just the disease
Just the disease
Now I stop thinking about it
It's wasted enough of my time
I catch a breeze and throw a fit
Now I know
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
I wonder no more, I don’t wonder for the sake of making new mistakes, oh no no no
I wonder no more, I don’t wonder for the sake of making bodies ache and my head so sore
Wonder no more now I wonder no more
Wonder no more now I wonder no more
In "Wonder No More," Bronze Radio Return sings about a personal journey of shedding the weight of a haunting past, represented by a ghost that used to taunt the singer with its shackles and chains. The ghost, which used to be a presence that was difficult to escape from, is now just a name with no power over the singer. The lyrics describe a four-year period where the singer was stuck in a "slow rewind," where the memories of the past keep coming back and affecting their present. The ghost, in this sense, is metaphorical for the singer's past trauma.
The singer eventually realizes that their faith in a potential cure for their past trauma has only made things worse - they have been stuck in a cycle of wondering and hoping for a solution that never seemed to arrive. However, the singer has now reached a point where they "wonder no more" and have stopped hoping for a solution, as it has wasted enough of their time. They have come to terms with the fact that the past cannot be changed or forgotten, but it can be accepted and moved on from.
The song's overall message is about releasing the weight of past traumas and finding a way to move forward. The ghost and the haunting memories represent the past that can keep one stuck in a cycle of negativity and despair. By accepting the past and leaving it behind, the singer finds a new sense of freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Ghost with a name, it used to haunt me
There was an entity that troubled me with a clear identity and presence
Taunt me with shackles and chains
It would torment me relentlessly, binding me with invisible restraints
When I used to believe
It had control over me when I was more gullible
But the ghost was alive and hollow inside
The entity had existence but lacked substance, and therefore, power
Her body still warm with the tears in her eyes
The entity retained remnants of emotions it could use against me
She wouldn’t leave
The entity didn't want to let go of me
Four long years and I know where I’ve been
I was stuck for an extended period, and now I have clarity
I’ve been stuck up in a slow rewind
I felt trapped in a never-ending loop of negative thoughts
From the sweat of my mind
My thoughts churned and created a taxing mental state
It comes and it goes from the shadows below
The negative thoughts appeared and disappeared from the recesses of my mind
It hung high so I laid low
The negative thoughts loomed large, so I felt defeated and overwhelmed
And now I leave it behind
I have moved on from that negative state
A mile down the road that the black stones pave
I left that negative state behind and progressed forward
I ran from the sea and got caught by her wave
I escaped from one problem, only to be caught by another
She took me away
That problem influenced and controlled me after I thought I had escaped it
While my faith was blind, my eyes could see
I had blind faith in a possible solution, but my intuition warned me otherwise
I was sure that the cure would remedy me
I believed that the solution would solve my problems
But it was just the disease
That solution only added to the problem and didn't cure it
Now I stop thinking about it
I no longer dwell on that problem
It's wasted enough of my time
I realize that the problem only took up my valuable time
I catch a breeze and throw a fit
I let nature calm me down when I start to feel frustrated
Now I know
After going through those problems, I have gained knowledge and insights
I wonder no more, I don’t wonder for the sake of making new mistakes, oh no no no
I no longer have a sense of curiosity that leads to disastrous choices
I wonder no more, I don’t wonder for the sake of making bodies ache and my head so sore
I don't have a longing to indulge in actions that cause physical or mental pain
Wonder no more now I wonder no more
I am content and satisfied with the knowledge and insights gained from my experiences
Wonder no more now I wonder no more
I repeat that I am no longer curious or lost in my thoughts and feelings
Writer(s): Chris Henderson
Contributed by Abigail D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@themindeclectic9821
Ghost with a name, it used to haunt me*
Taunt me with shackles and chains
When I used to believe
But the ghost was alive and hollow inside
Her body still warm with the tears in her eyes
She wouldn't leave
She wouldn't leave
Four long years and I know where I've been
I've been stuck up in a slow rewind
From the sweat of my mind
It comes and it goes from the shadows below
It hung high so I laid low
And now I leave it behind
And now I leave it behind
Oh oh oh
A mile down the road that the black stones pave
I ran from the sea and got caught by her wave
She took me away
While my faith was blind, my eyes could see
I was sure that the cure would remedy me
But it was just the disease
Just the disease
Now I stop thinking about it
It's wasted enough of my time
I catch a breeze and throw a fit
Now I know
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
I wonder no more, I don't wonder for the sake of making new mistakes, oh no no no
I wonder no more, I don't wonder for the sake of making bodies ache and my head so sore
Wonder no more now I wonder no more
Wonder no more now I wonder no more
lyrics picked from Google for my own convenience