Signing to Caroline Records (home to The Smashing Pumpkins, Hole), but with their records released on Hut in the UK, Drop Nineteens immediately garnered college radio airplay in the US with their 1992 debut album, Delaware. Formed by Greg Ackell (vocals, guitar), Steve Zimmerman (bass), Chris Roof (drums), Motohiro Yasue (guitar), and Paula Kelley (vocals, guitar), the band made three music videos that were prominently played on MTV. They also topped the UK's Indie Album & Singles charts with early releases, toured on the success of their first album, headlined/co-headlined and opened tours in England, Europe, and North America, recorded BBC radio sessions for John Peel and Mark Goodier, and played summer music festivals like England's Reading Festival and North America's Lollapalooza.
Due to artistic differences, several member changes occurred between the first and second full length releases. Kelley, Roof, and Yasue went on to pursue other interests, and Megan Gilbert (vocals, guitar), Pete Koeplin (drums, now drummer for the band Kahoots) and Justin Crosby (guitar) were added to the lineup in 1993. Shortly thereafter, Drop Nineteens released their second full-length album, National Coma, but after a disappointing reaction to this record and various artistic differences the band broke up in 1995.
Beyond Drop Nineteens, Ackell and Koeplin recorded an album under the band name Fidel in the late nineties, which was never formally released. Kelley went on to lead Hot Rod, Boy Wonder, and is currently a solo artist with the Paula Kelley Orchestra. Rumors of a third Drop Nineteens album have circulated over the past decade, but no release date has ever been announced.
On January 18, 2022, Ackell posted to the band's Twitter, announcing that the original lineup of the band would be reuniting and that they were working on new material. Since then, a new album, "Hard Light," has been announced for 2023, as well as "1991," a re-mastering of early unreleased material.
Discography
Mayfield (1991, unreleased)
Delaware (1992, Plan 9/ Caroline/ Hut)
"Winona" single (1992, Caroline/ Hut/ Virgin)
Your Aquarium CD/10" EP (1992, Plan 9/ Caroline/ Hut)
National Coma (1993, Caroline/ Hut/ Virgin)
Limp 7"/ 12" EP (1993, Hut/ Virgin)/(1994, Caroline)
Baby Wonder's Gone
Drop Nineteens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You had feelings felt like guns
Oh how we could sit [?]
To stop it all
Oh we could do
Got a story, so tell me in the forest
For one who had a mother's hands
Doo doo doo
Doo doo doo
Must've been something better
And I do, and I do
Must've been something better, it's true
Nothing left but the idea of a friend
Meet you at 9AM, tell of birthday
Boy of wonder
You know whose dreams
Come out time to...
The lyrics of Drop Nineteens's song "Baby Wonder's Gone" seem to be somewhat obscure, but they express melancholy and a sense of loss. The opening line, "They kept to show the dreams that want you," could be interpreted as referring to someone who felt pressured to live up to the expectations of others, whether in their personal or professional life. The next line, "You had feelings felt like guns," reinforces this idea, suggesting that these expectations were overwhelming and emotionally charged.
The chorus of the song expresses a desire to escape from this pressure: "Oh how we could sit / To stop it all / Oh we could do." The repetition of "oh" and the rhythm of the words convey a sense of urgency and frustration. The third stanza seems more personal, as the singer reflects on someone who had a mother's hands. The final stanza is somewhat cryptic, but seems to suggest the idea of loss or absence: "Nothing left but the idea of a friend / Meet you at 9AM, tell of birthday / Boy wonder / You know whose dreams / Come out time to..."
Overall, the lyrics of "Baby Wonder's Gone" seem to convey a sense of longing for something that has been lost or never fully realized. The imagery of dreams, guns, and mothers' hands all contribute to this feeling of longing, as does the repetition of the phrase "something better."
Line by Line Meaning
They kept to show the dreams that want you
They held onto displaying the dreams that enticed you
You had feelings felt like guns
The emotions within you were as powerful as firearms
Oh how we could sit [?]
Oh how we could sit and reflect on the past
To stop it all
To end all of this
Oh we could do
Oh we had the ability to change the outcome
Got a story, so tell me in the forest
You have a tale to convey, so let's discuss it in the woods
Guess there's something better with time
I suppose things improve with the passing of time
For one who had a mother's hands
And for someone who had a mother's nurturing care
Doo doo doo
Doo doo doo
Must've been something better
There had to have been something superior
And I do, and I do
I accept that it must have been better, I really do
Must've been something better, it's true
There simply had to have been something better, it's a fact
Nothing left but the idea of a friend
All that remained was the notion of a companion
Meet you at 9AM, tell of birthday
Let's get together at nine in the morning and share stories about your birthday
Boy of wonder
A fascinating young man
You know whose dreams
You are aware of whose aspirations these belong to
Come out time to...
It's finally time for them to become a reality...
Writer(s): Ackell
Contributed by Nolan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.