REFORMED! 2013!

Played The Garage February 2013 and have a further g… Read Full Bio ↴REFORMED! 2013!

Played The Garage February 2013 and have a further gig lined up at;

Newcastle University Students Union on Friday May 10 2013. Check the NUSU website for details.

China Drum were formed in the late 80's and were made up of Adam Lee (Drums and Vocals), Bill McQueen on guitar and his younger brother Dave on Bass. (They were to be augmented later by Jan Alkema, ex Compulsion, on drums when Adam stepped from behind his kit)

They are probably best described as pop-punk but that really doesn't do them justice. They had the guitars, they had the energy and the speed, but their melodies were just that cut above the usual offerings.

Their first album, Goosefair, released in 1996 on Mantra featured a stonking version of Wuthering Heights (originally released on Fierce Panda), and the promotion of this album saw them touring the world with Green Day, Leatherface, Doughboys, Ash to name but a few, as well as numerous dates on their own.

Their follow up album followed the traditional "difficult" second album path. Self Made Maniac saw them throttle down the pace, and focus on the songs. Highlights include the single Fictions of Life, Another Toy, and the genuinely menacing 60 Seconds.

Steve Lamacq was a fan, as were John Peel and Phil Jupitus; indeed there was strong Radio 1 support for them for a while in the late 90s. The turn of the century saw them release their final album, Diskin (released as The Drum). The writing must have been on the wall, as this album ended up being the album that THEY wanted to write, and soon after they were dropped by Mantra and the band split up.

Essential China Drum:

Goosefair:
Can't Stop These Things
Cloud 9
Take it Back
Pictures
Wuthering Heights

Self Made Maniac:
Fictions of Life,
Another Toy,
60 Seconds.

Diskin:
The Beast
Dogpile

Also read Andrew Meullers article on:
http://www.andrewmueller.net/scroll.lasso?ID=62&story=_full_story

Monday
China Drum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You say, that you've changed but you haven't budged an inch
You think you got better but your attitude stinks

You're still diving down my throat, not giving me a chance
To explain exactly what I mean, do you think I owe you thanks

"You can't be happy" that's what she said to me
I think I got better, does my attitude stink?

You're still jumping down my throat, not giving me a chance
To explain exactly what I mean, do you think I owe you thanks

I tried to summon up feelings for you
But just ended up, empty handed
At least none worth counting
Crap times, bad memories
Always bouncing around through my fingers

I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it would help me see
But that would end in violence, and that's not for me

I had a good idea on Monday
I thought that it would help me see
But that would end in violence, and that's not for me

You think that you're better but that doesn't mean a thing
You think that you've changed but your attitude stinks

You're still jumping down my throat, not giving me a chance
To explain exactly what I mean, do you think I owe you thanks

I tried to summon up feelings for you
But just ended up, empty handed
At least none worth counting
Crap times, bad memories
Always bouncing around through my fingers

I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see
But that would end in violence, and that's not for me

I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see
But that would end in violence, and that's not for me
I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see
But that would end in violence, and that's not for me
I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see
But that would end in violence, and that's not for me

That's not for me
And that's not for me

Overall Meaning

The song "Monday" by China Drum revolves around the theme of self-improvement and personal growth. The lyrics describe the frustration of the singer towards someone who claims to have changed but has not improved their attitude. The singer describes how the person continues to aggressively interrupt them when they try to explain themselves, not giving them a chance to speak their truth. The lyrics also express the singer's attempts at finding positive feelings for this person but failing, leaving them with bad memories and a feeling of emptiness.

The chorus describes how the singer had a good idea on Monday, which they believed would help them see more clearly. However, the idea ends in violence, which is not something the singer wants. The repetition of this chorus emphasizes the significance of this idea and how it affected the singer.

Line by Line Meaning

You say, that you've changed but you haven't budged an inch
Even though you claim to have improved, you're still in the same place and haven't made any progress.

You think you got better but your attitude stinks
You may believe you've improved, but your actions and behavior suggest otherwise.

You're still diving down my throat, not giving me a chance To explain exactly what I mean, do you think I owe you thanks
You continue to interrupt me and refuse to listen to what I have to say, so why should I be grateful for your lack of consideration?

"You can't be happy" that's what she said to me I think I got better, does my attitude stink?
Someone told me I can't be happy, but I don't believe that's true just because my attitude has been negative in the past.

I tried to summon up feelings for you But just ended up, empty handed At least none worth counting Crap times, bad memories Always bouncing around through my fingers
I attempted to rekindle my emotions for you, but they didn't amount to anything significant. Instead, I'm left with negative experiences that continue to haunt me.

I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it would help me see But that would end in violence, and that's not for me
I had a plan that I thought could provide clarity, but I realized that it would involve aggression and that's not the path I want to take.

You think that you're better but that doesn't mean a thing You think that you've changed but your attitude stinks
Just because you think you've progressed doesn't automatically mean you have, especially when your behavior still needs improvement.

I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see But that would end in violence, and that's not for me I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see But that would end in violence, and that's not for me I had a good idea on Monday, I thought that it could help me see But that would end in violence, and that's not for me That's not for me And that's not for me
I thought of an idea that seemed beneficial, but it ultimately required violent actions that don't align with my values.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM LEE, DAVID JONATHAN MCQUEEN, NEIL WILLIAM MCQUEEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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