In 1996, Breakfast at Tiffany's, which referenced the classic Audrey Hepburn film of the same name, reached the top five in the U.S. and number one in the United Kingdom.
There was conjecture that the band took so much time off between Home and Deep Blue Something in order to fight US centered copyright issues related to their initial album, 11th Song, which they believed to be of lower quality than their name deserved. The 7 year hiatus between albums is believed to be partially responsible for their failure to succeed in the US with their self-titled release.
The band returned in 2015 to release new music for the first time since 2001. This EP was titled Locust House.
John Kirtland is now running a successful independent record label called Kirtland Records. Based out of Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California, Kirtland's shrewd business dealings led to his ownership of the back-catalog of superstar band, Bush and royalty rights on the sales of certain albums by No Doubt. After selling off his rights to the No Doubt material, Bush remains on the Kirtland label along with successful indies like Bril and the Burden Brothers.
Military Man
Deep Blue Something Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I am feeling nothing
And you're reading on the road again
It reminds me of a day when
Nothing happened
Except I thought I meant something
But for only a little while
You know what will happen
One shot and now you're in Japan"
Hey could this be
Is this one of those
Burn essentials
A talk back at a higher level
Or is it a masquerade
I'm in an earthquake with no breakables
I'm in a car wreck with no pants at all
I'm in a movie with no self-control
And you said,
"Don't shake the military man's hand
You know what will happen
One shot and now you're in Japan
Don't shake the military man's hand
You know what will happen
Flashback and now you're in command"
Grab my coat
And make it snappy
This is start your engine
A self-start in self participation
This is motivation
In Deep Blue Something's song Military Man, the main character is feeling unimportant and numb in the drizzling rain. He recalls a day when he thought he was important to someone, but it turned out to be fleeting. The lyrics then shift to a warning not to shake the military man's hand and the consequences of doing so. The character questions if this warning is just another one of those "burn essentials," or if it is a masquerade. He then describes feeling like he is in an earthquake without anything to hold onto, a car accident without any pants, and a movie without self-control. The song ends with a call to action, the need to grab his coat and start his engine, to encourage self-participation and motivation.
Line by Line Meaning
It was drizzling outside
The weather was wet and gloomy
And I am feeling nothing
The singer is experiencing apathy or emptiness
And you're reading on the road again
The other person is engaged in reading while travelling
It reminds me of a day when Nothing happened
The situation is similar to a day where nothing remarkable occurred
Except I thought I meant something
The artist believed they had significance in that moment
But for only a little while
Their feeling of importance was brief
Hey could this be
The singer is questioning their experience
Is this one of those Burn essentials
The artist is wondering if this event is a pivotal moment in life
A talk back at a higher level
The event may involve deep or significant conversation
Or is it a masquerade
The event may not be what it seems
I'm in an earthquake with no breakables
The singer feels unprepared for a difficult situation
I'm in a car wreck with no pants at all
The artist feels exposed or vulnerable
I'm in a movie with no self-control
The singer feels out of control of their life's direction
And you said, 'Don't shake the military man's hand
The other person gave a warning against a particular behaviour
You know what will happen
The consequences of that behaviour are clear
One shot and now you're in Japan'
The result of the behaviour is symbolized by ending up in a foreign land
Flashback and now you're in command'
The consequences of the behaviour are depicted as leading to power and control
Grab my coat
The singer is ready to move on or take action
And make it snappy
The singer wants to act quickly or efficiently
This is start your engine
The artist is ready to begin a new phase or project
A self-start in self participation
The artist is emphasizing the importance of taking initiative
This is motivation
The artist is feeling driven or inspired to take action
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nycdude999
Nice to hear people interested in DBS again. As you requested, I have now added the full lyric content under the "About This Video" section on the upper right side.
Ingrid79
I love this song. I really miss the DBS message board.
kincaide67
yeah - i really do wish these guys would release another album. Great stuff
Anna Stoneedge
Hmm, for me, it is vice versa, I am always surprised if I find any at all good songs of recent times. But this song is a stroke of genius!
sillypoopy
Does anyone else think this sounds like Gone Away by the Offspring? The chord progression and vibrato guitar in the background sounds strikingly similar.
Arik Graham
what a great band and song , they realy should got more popular , do Todd and Toby Pipes still sing?
nycdude999
Military Man is DBS's first song off their 2001 self-titled album. Very Lennon-esque in style.
Anna Stoneedge
Grateful thanks! I never thought I'd get a reply and now I have the lyrics, great! :)
Thorbie
...I've heard on some internet sites that the label was blamed for several of their band's low record sales, but I don't know for sure. Basically the band's popularity most likey decreased due to being out of the spotlight for so long. I still think that this is their best album though. "Park Bench" is an amazing track, along with this one, "Military Man".
Thorbie
@Ingrid79 Me too! It was my favorite band message board! I also wish I could look at their site again. All I'm able to do is pull up an archive of their front page, but not their videos, songs or photos.