1. A pop … Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists which have used the name Hanson
1. A pop rock group from Oklahoma, United States
2. A funk rock group from the United Kingdom active in the 1970's.
1. Hanson is an American pop rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Isaac Hanson (born November 17, 1980) pianist and vocalist Taylor Hanson (born March 14, 1983), and drummer and vocalist Zac Hanson (born October 22, 1985). Their work has spanned many different genres, including rock, blues, folk, and pop. They are most noted for their Grammy-nominated 1997 hit single, “MMMBop.” Their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere (the band’s third recorded album and first major studio album, also nominated for a Grammy) was met with critical acclaim and went on to achieve multi-platinum status. The group’s subsequent major effort, This Time Around showcased the brothers’ considerable talent and artistic growth, receiving wide critical acclaim for its bluesy/classic-rock and soulful pop harmonies. The album failed to repeat the commercial success of Middle of Nowhere however, only achieving gold status. The album has since been considered a trend-setter and precursor for such acts as Michelle Branch, John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Vanessa Carlton and Eisley.
After many promotional and artistic conflicts with Island/Def Jam, Hanson split from the label in 2003 and started their own label, 3CG Records. In 2004, they released their third major studio album, Underneath, independently. The album reached #1 on Billboard’s Independent Album Chart and has since been noted as one of the biggest-selling independent albums of all time. The single “Penny & Me” reached #2 on Billboard’s Top 200. Like This Time Around, Underneath was well-received and well-reviewed for its more mature classic rock/pop sound.
The band continues to have a dedicated fan base and Internet presence, and recently completed a tour of college campuses, showing a documentary, Strong Enough to Break, made about their struggle to form their own label and release Underneath. The documentary http://www.last.fm/music/Hanson was also shown at the Hollywood Film Festival in October 2006.
A live album (The Best of Hanson; Live & Electric), recorded in Melbourne on the Australian leg of the “Underneath: Live & Electric” tour was released in October 2005.
The band released of their fourth major studio album, The Walk in North America on July 24th, 2007. They have released a second documentary, titled Taking The Walk as a continuation of their struggles and successes of writing, recording and producing their own album. After spending some time in Africa, Hanson released a single “Great Divide” for World AIDS Day, with 100% of the download proceeds going to the Perinatal HIV Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa.
During the making of The Walk, Hanson made a trip to Africa to record some tracks with the African Children's Choir. They were so inspired by their experiences there that they have since teamed up with TOMS Shoes--a california-based company who donates a pair of shoes for each pair sold to a child in poverty who does not have shoes.
In order to raise awareness for this charity and the daily things we take for granted, as well as small and impactful ways to help those in need, Hanson organizes one mile barefoot walks before each of their shows. As of 10/30/08 they have walked a total of 100 miles together with their fans. They are donating $1 for each person who walks with them to one of 5 causes to help children and monthers in Africa battling AIDS and poverty. The fans are invited to organize their own walks and Hanson will also donate a dollar to whatever cause they are walking for. The goal is to Walk around the World and as of 2/4/2009 have walked 19,236 miles and have 5,666 to go.
More information is available at www.takethewalk.net
Hanson released their 5th studio album entitled "Shout It Out" on June 8, 2010. Leading up to this release they performed all of their albums at 5 sold out shows at the Gramercy Theater in New York City.
2. Hanson is a funk rock band formed in 1973 by reggae musician Junior Marvin. The group released two albums - "Now Hear This" (1973) and "Magic Dragon" (1974) before disbanding in 1974.
Optimistic
Hanson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vultures circling the dead
Picking up every last crumb
The big fish eat the little ones
The big fish eat the little ones
Not my problem, give me some
You can try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
This one's optimistic
This one went to market
This one just came out of the swamp
This one dropped a payload
Fodder for the animals
Living on animal farm
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
I'd really like to help you, man
I'd really like to help you, man
Nervous messed up marionettes
Floating around on a prison ship
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
If you can try the best you can
If you try the best you can
Dinosaurs roaming the earth
Dinosaurs roaming the earth
Dinosaurs roaming the earth
The lyrics to Hanson's song Optimistic are very cryptic and open to interpretation. It seems to be describing a chaotic and harsh world where flies are buzzing around someone's head and vultures are circling the dead. The imagery of "big fish eat the little ones" connotes a feeling of helplessness, like the world is a place where the strong prey on the weak. The line "Not my problem, give me some" implies a sense of selfishness and a desire to take care of oneself.
However, amidst all the chaos, there is still a glimmer of hope. The chorus repeats that "the best you can is good enough." This can be interpreted as an encouraging message to keep pushing forward and doing one's best, even in difficult circumstances. The singer acknowledges that they'd like to help others, but perhaps they feel powerless to do so.
The verses also mention different animals and situations, from creatures living on Animal Farm to nervous marionettes on a prison ship to roaming dinosaurs. It's unclear whether these are literal or metaphorical, but they add to the sense of unpredictability and instability in the world.
Overall, Hanson's Optimistic paints a bleak yet hopeful picture of life, encouraging listeners to persevere and do their best even in trying times.
Line by Line Meaning
Flies are buzzing round my head
There are a lot of small and annoying problems in my life that won't go away.
Vultures circling the dead
There are people looking to take advantage of me when I'm down and vulnerable.
Picking up every last crumb
Those who are successful will take advantage of every opportunity to make their situation even better.
The big fish eat the little ones
Those who are already powerful will use their strength to overpower those who are weaker.
Not my problem, give me some
Even though I acknowledge the unfairness of the situation, I am more concerned about improving my own situation and getting what I can out of it.
This one's optimistic
Despite all of the problems and challenges, this particular situation has the potential for a positive outcome.
This one went to market
This particular situation involves commerce or exchange, where one party will benefit more than the other.
This one just came out of the swamp
This particular situation involves something dirty or unpleasant, but there is still potential for good outcomes.
This one dropped a payload
This particular situation involves something heavy or impactful, which may or may not have positive consequences.
Fodder for the animals
These situations are ripe for exploitation by those in a more powerful position.
Living on animal farm
We are living in a world where those in power will use their strength to keep those who are weaker under control and take what they want.
I'd really like to help you, man
Despite my own difficulties, I feel empathy for others and want to help them if I can.
Nervous messed up marionettes
We are all being manipulated by outside forces and are not fully in control of our own lives.
Floating around on a prison ship
We are all trapped in a situation that we cannot escape, and are powerless to change it.
Dinosaurs roaming the earth
We are living in a world where the powerful and strong rule, and those who are weaker or different are at a disadvantage.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mywhychromosome
I am not particularly a Hanson fan, but being that I'm commenting on this video, you can imagine that I am a Radiohead fan. This is a great cover, and at the very least, demonstrates that these dudes were and are REAL musicians, who honed their craft and can really fuckin' play. If people hate, they're just tryina be 'hipper than thou', which is really the complete opposite of the RH aesthetic. Thom Yorke is the un-hippest dude around
appleshampew
+mywhychromosome Perfectly said!
amanda hazelton
Hanson is an AMAZING band. Completely underrated and misunderstood. So glad that I have known all along how amazing they are! This cover is brilliant.
MilesLargeTV
As much as I love Radiohead, the harmonies that these guys pull off are pretty awesome.
ExileOnDaytonStreet
Serious comment... who wants to hear these guys tackle Weird Fishes or Let Down with their ability to harmonize? See also: most other boy bands. Much as most of us "serious" music fans like to mock those groups, they by and large can harmonize vocals REALLY well.
Jeremy Nilsson
My jaw dropped when i heard this. I couldn't believe how good it came out. I am a huge Radiohead fan, and hearing a cover of such a beautiful song come out this well is amazing, let alone the cover coming from Hanson of all groups.
Terry Vincevineus
Hanson is one of the most under rated bands of the 90's. When they came out, Hanson were teenagers and had pop songs. While most of their current songs could be considered pop, they have grown, matured, and are VERY talented musicians.They told their record label basically to piss off and created their own label so they could have complete control over their music. There's a documentary on youtube called Strong Enough to Break...if you're a musician or a music fan, it shows how broken and crooked record labels are.
If you don't like they're type of music, then that's cool, but DAMN IT, they are incredibly talented musicians.
Dan Roy
Ok
Mills Family
dude i completely agree, i did a search for radiohead cover and this is the first on the list - and it deserves to be.. I was like, whaaaaat? Hanson doing Radiohead, these kids have always had huge talent and this shows it. Insanely awesome. Better than anything i could do.
chopman95
Wow! Great cover. Not a Hanson fan, but I love Radiohead and this was a good cover. Big props to them.