History
Founded by three former members of the groundbreaking Boston band Think Tree, Count Zero recorded their debut CD "Affluenza" in 1996. With the addition of a full-time bassist and keyboardist, they played their first show in March of '96 at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA, and have been entertaining an expanding congregation of devoted fans ever since.
Personnel
Peter Moore: vocals
Will Ragano: guitars
Eric Paull: drums
Izzy Maxwell: bass
Joel Simches: keyboards
Sound
An obsessively creative mashing of many classic and modern styles of popular music are found in any given Count Zero song, from retro-groove to indie-rock to electronic pop to country twang. Raw sounds intermingle with lush Radiohead-esque orchestrations and unexpected sound/sample manipulations, affording a unique listening experience known for grabbing even the most jaded ears. Their distinctive sound combines the flair for melody and complexity of Flaming Lips and later Blur, the brains of Talking Heads/ Brian Eno and the raw power of Zeppelin and Sly Stone.
Why you should care
• They tastefully present inordinately infectious melodies
• They ingeniously engineer durable, socially-observant yet heartfelt lyrics
• They create sophisticated, yet unpretentious arrangements
• Their live performances are vigorous, exuberant and challenging
• They probably won't go away........ever
What they are up to
Count Zero toured North America with The Dresden Dolls for six weeks in the Fall of 2004 to much acclaim. Their most recent release (their 3rd CD) Little Minds is a melody-riddled songfest, with lilting, melancholic lap-steel intermingling with an array of exotic synths, samples, odd turns and intense beats. With songs on both Guitar Hero 1 & 2 (one of the most popular video games in recent history), their fanbase is growing quickly.
Hold me
Count Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can make you, Tomato,
With my underworld eye
Give you forefinger pogo
Tell a little lie
You can smile like a billboard
It helps to shine the pointy teeth
In your big mouth
I can buy you libido
Tossing rings in my hat
I can kill the demon seed
With my laundromat
You can ride the silence
With your libertine scowl
Screaming independence
Throwing in the towel
Baby say you'll stay
Don't ever run away
Just hold me
Baby say you will
Be mine until
The end of days
Forty versions I can choose
Never be myself
You can cue a Greek chorus
With the satellites' help
You can hide on islands
Never be yourself
Baby say you'll stay
Don't ever run away
Just hold me
Baby say you will
Be mine until
The end of days
Never go away
Don't ever stray
Just stay and hold me
Never be afraid
My arms were made
For your embrace
The lyrics of "Hold Me" by Count Zero are somewhat cryptic and abstract, with a variety of images and references that are not immediately clear. However, the overall tone and theme seem to be centered around a relationship between two people, one of whom is offering the other a variety of promises, illusions, and temptations in order to keep them close. The lyrics are sung in a sort of detached, almost robotic way, which adds to the sense of emotional distance and artificiality in the relationship being described.
One of the most striking images in the song is the opening line, "I can make you, Tomato, with my underworld eye." This seems to be a reference to the idea of manipulation or control, with the singer saying they can transform the listener into something else through their power or vision. Similarly, the line "You can hide on islands, never be yourself" suggests that the other person might be looking for escape or freedom from some kind of constraint or pressure in their life.
Throughout the song, there are a number of other surreal or fantastical elements, such as the reference to "tossing rings in my hat," which may suggest some kind of magical ability or trickery, or the mention of a "laundromat" in the line "I can kill the demon seed with my laundromat," which could be interpreted in a variety of ways (such as cleansing or purifying something). Overall, "Hold Me" seems to be a song that is open to interpretation, but which conveys a sense of uneasy attraction, artificiality, and control in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I can make you, Tomato, with my underworld eye
I have the ability to turn you into anything I want through my sneaky and deceptive ways
Give you forefinger pogo, tell a little lie
I can manipulate you into doing what I want and lie to you in the process
You can smile like a billboard or breathe fire when you pout
You have the ability to put on any facade you want to impress others or intimidate them
It helps to shine the pointy teeth in your big mouth
Showing off your aggressive side can be helpful in some situations
I can buy you libido, tossing rings in my hat
I can control your sexual desires and make you do what I want with a little trickery
I can kill the demon seed with my laundromat
I have the power to destroy anything that goes against my desires, even if it means using a seemingly innocent place such as a laundromat
You can ride the silence with your libertine scowl
You have the freedom to express yourself in your own way, even if it means being rebellious or unorthodox
Screaming independence, throwing in the towel
You can be fiercely independent but also easily give up when things get tough
Forty versions I can choose, never be myself
I can change my persona multiple times, but never stay true to who I really am
You can cue a Greek chorus with the satellites' help
You can easily manipulate others to support your cause, even with the help of technology
You can hide on islands, never be yourself
You can isolate yourself and deny your true identity to avoid facing reality
Baby say you'll stay, don't ever run away, just hold me
Please don't leave me and provide me with the emotional support and physical contact that I need
Baby say you will, be mine until the end of days
Promise me that you will be with me forever and never leave me
Never go away, don't ever stray, just stay and hold me
Don't leave my side, even when times are tough, and just hold me close
Never be afraid, my arms were made for your embrace
Don't be scared to be vulnerable with me because I am here to embrace and comfort you
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.