Hey Mercedes' first release was a Self Titled EP on Polyvinyl Records. Soon after its release, they signed to Vagrant Records and started touring for support of their upcoming Vagrant full length. In 2001 alone, they performed 114 shows. After the release of the band's first full length at the end of 2001, Dawursk left the band and was replaced with Mike Shumaker. With 2 full lengths, 3 EP's and 358 shows under their belt, Hey Mercedes called it quits. Their final show (#359) was at the Metro in Chicago on April 23rd of 2005.
In a 2007 e-mail campaign, Threadless Tees reported that Hey Mercedes would play at the Metro, to celebrate the grand opening of the company's Chicago store.
Spread Eagle, Wisconsin is a place best known for water, wilderness and paintings of the local ducks. Now it can take credit for LOSES CONTROL, the long-awaited second album from Hey Mercedes. As powerful as it is melodic, the follow-up to 2001's "Everynight Fire Works" finds the midwestern foursome's sharp, wounded songs crackling in a guitar-driven bonfire set by producers Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr., Mighty Mighty Bosstones).
From the instantly catchy anthem "Quality Revenge At Last" to the more insinuating closer "Go Drone," LOSES CONTROL is remarkably tight and accomplished for a sophomore effort -- though not without good reason. Prior to forming Hey Mercedes guitarist/vocalist Robert Nanna, bassist Todd Bell and drummer Damon Atkinson played together in Braid, a band often referred to as "emo pioneers," though you probably won't find the trio pleading guilty to either description. Nanna and Bell have been musical compadres since 1993, coming together at the University of Illinois as fans of Chicago punk bands like Naked Raygun and Screeching Weasel, while Atkinson joined them in 1997. Braid broke up two years later with five studio albums and several hundred shows behind them, "but it was just so obvious that we needed to keep playing," Nanna says.
The trick was to go down a different path, not just in terms of music, but logistics -- having done everything themselves for years and years, they wanted to stay connected to that grass roots ethic while cutting down on both genuine despair and "Spinal Tap"-like moments. "It's hard to focus on writing honest music when you're 3000 dollars in debt or have three more shows to book, or the show just got cancelled 'cause the cops came," Nanna says.
This time, there'd be a record label and a more patient approach. Joined by guitarist Mark Dawursk, Hey Mercedes played their first show in August of 2000, put out an EP on Polyvinyl and spent the next year touring and developing their sound. Vagrant released "Everynight Fire Works," produced and engineered by old friend J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines), in April 2001. It earned rave reviews, including Audio Galaxy's Album of the Year and a Top 5 position on the CMJ chart. Along the way, the band racked up their usual 200-plus shows per annum, including the sold-out Vagrant America tour and bills with Jimmy Eat World, New End Original and Saves the Day. They also found the time to share themselves with fans on a regular basis via "Are You Wearing A Wire?" a collectively written "blog" that can be found on the band's web site.
2002 saw the release of "The Weekend EP," as well as a personnel change - Clevelander Michael Shumaker stepped in for Dawursk, adding an enthusiasm for AC/DC and an eagerness to merely play guitar after fronting his own band Sheilbound.
LOSES CONTROL was recorded at Slade and Kolderie's studio in Cambridge, MA. The band went into the session’s half-afraid the unfamiliar knob-twirlers would impose a different style, but the veteran duo made sure Hey Mercedes' particular quirks and uniqueness were always at the fore. They broke down every part of every song in pre-production, built an amazing set of drums for Damon and gave Robert and Michael access to some three dozen guitars. "Because they knew our songs so well they knew which guitars would sound good on different parts of every song," Nanna says. "The guitars are awesome, really layered -- they just sound big and fat.
"I think overall LOSES CONTROL is just more of a rockin' record than Fire Works," he adds. "It's really loud and in your face. Though lyrically, it's pretty bleak and desolate."
Nanna's vocals bridge the gap between those poles, whether he's locked into "Boy Destroyers"' riff-o-rama or bringing a melancholy overtone to the textured spaciness of "Absolute Zero Drive" (a song the band had earmarked as B-side until Slade and Kolderie convinced them otherwise). Another highlight is "Lashing Out," angry/catchy pop-punk that unexpectedly mutates into a sweet lyrical homage to Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" - a couplet Bob sang while the song was being written, then couldn't bring himself to drop.
And what of Spread Eagle? The band - three-quarters of whom currently reside in Atkinson's hometown of Milwaukee, with Nanna two hours away in suburban Chicago -- wrote much of LOSES CONTROL at a friend's home there, just a few miles from Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
"It was probably a drunk moment," Nanna says. "We were like, 'y'know, what we should do is find someone with a cabin or a trailer someplace far away in the woods, where we can be as loud as we want for as long as we want, in total seclusion." So they dragged all their gear and a little bit of soundproofing up to Spread Eagle for two weeks of playing, writing, cooking and canoeing. "And we didn't go crazy," he marvels. "It wasn't like 'The Shining.'"
Except maybe for this: Whether you're talking King or Kubrick, "The Shining" stands the test of time. LOSES CONTROL is a dynamite rock'n'roll record that's bound to do the same.
Bells
Hey Mercedes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You genius, your hair mussed
By now you must have heard about the whirling world outside
Twist a knife in it, I don't care
Drain the life from it, I don't care
If you can fake it you can take them like a photograph.
With a coy sigh in time
Fine, but can't you wait to make her cry?
And they'll remember you alive
As that pain in their unkind invitation tonight
So here's your credit for the lie
That you've been hanging
And over awaiting your reply.
Is this the worst you have to peddle us?
Scandalous? Oh spare us!
By now they must have heard about your worried world inside
Pull the covers up, I don't care
Call all your lovers up, I don't care
If the fates sing to your face queen of the raincloud club.
I lied when I said we were alike
Your rest friend waiting on the line
To compliment your new shine
I can hardly stand to stand here now
To be your stare to admit to all
The pain that you've been painting
And over and I can't bear to stay.
So come on and sing along!
Aren't we bridges aren't we bells?
Aren't we chuckling through our curls?
Up to heaven and down to hell
Say it again pal, aren't we bells?
Aren't we statues in a story
Where we choose our goals of glory
Over family and over friends
Say it again and again.
Aren't we bridges aren't we bells?
Aren't we sighing in our cells?
Up to heaven and down to hell
Say it again pal, aren't we bells?
Aren't we bells?
The lyrics to Hey Mercedes's song "Bells" seem to be addressing someone who is a bit of a master manipulator or con artist. The lyrics mention the "whirling world outside" and the artist is seeming to call out the person for being willing to twist a knife in it or drain the life from it. The artist suggests that this person is able to fake things well and take people in like a photograph by being charming or captivating in some way. However, throughout the song, we get the sense that the artist doesn't appreciate this person's manipulative tendencies.
The lyrics also mention a girlfriend waiting on the line and the artist seems to be suggesting that this person enjoys making her cry or causing her pain in some way. There is mention of an unkind invitation and the artist seems to be suggesting that this person is being remembered as a pain, rather than someone worth remembering fondly. The lyric "So here's your credit for the lie that you've been hanging and over awaiting your reply" suggest that the artist is aware that this person is not being truthful in some way and is suggesting that they are hanging on to some sort of fabricated story.
Towards the end of the song, there is mention of bridges and bells, suggesting that the subject of the song is not really a bridge or a bell, but rather someone who is ringing bells and connecting different parts of people's lives in a manipulative way. The overall impression given by the lyrics is that this person is not really beloved but is tolerated because they are charming and charismatic.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the best you have to offer us?
You don't seem to be putting much effort into this. Do you have anything better?
You genius, your hair mussed
You're so smart, even with your messy hair.
By now you must have heard about the whirling world outside
You should be aware of what's happening in the world by now.
Twist a knife in it, I don't care
If you want to cause harm or create drama, I'm not interested.
Drain the life from it, I don't care
If you want to take something positive and make it negative, I'm not interested.
If you can fake it you can take them like a photograph.
If you can pretend to be someone you're not, you can fool people and get what you want.
With a coy sigh in time
With a subtle, almost secretive, reaction.
With girlfriend waiting on the line
Ignoring your current girlfriend to interact with someone else.
Fine, but can't you wait to make her cry?
Can't you hold off on hurting her feelings?
And they'll remember you alive
People will remember you as being present, but not necessarily empathetic or caring.
As that pain in their unkind invitation tonight
They will recall your hurtful words or actions from the past.
So here's your credit for the lie
You get recognition for being fake.
That you've been hanging And over awaiting your reply.
You've been pretending to be undecided when you already know your answer.
Is this the worst you have to peddle us?
Are you really trying to sell us this bad idea?
Scandalous? Oh spare us!
We don't want to hear anything that's going to cause a scandal.
By now they must have heard about your worried world inside
People might know that you're hiding something and are anxious about it.
Pull the covers up, I don't care
If you want to hide from your problems, that's your business.
Call all your lovers up, I don't care
If you want to reach out to people who will enable your bad habits, I'm not interested in helping you.
If the fates sing to your face queen of the raincloud club.
If you're convinced that you're doomed and nothing good will happen to you, I'm not going to argue with you.
I lied when I said we were alike
I wasn't being truthful when I suggested we had similar opinions or experiences.
Your rest friend waiting on the line
The friend who always supports you regardless of how terrible you are.
To compliment your new shine
To praise your facade or the way you present yourself to others.
I can hardly stand to stand here now
I don't want to be around you any longer.
To be your stare to admit to all
To be in your presence and acknowledge the harm you're causing others.
The pain that you've been painting
The negative circumstances or situations you're creating.
And over and I can't bear to stay.
I'm done with this conversation and I'm leaving.
So come on and sing along!
Let's try to find some positivity in this situation and have fun with it.
Aren't we bridges aren't we bells?
We connect people together and make noise or draw attention to ourselves.
Aren't we chuckling through our curls?
We're laughing and enjoying life, despite its twists and turns.
Up to heaven and down to hell
We experience extreme highs and lows in life.
Say it again pal, aren't we bells?
Let's continue to appreciate the joys and sorrows of our lives.
Aren't we statues in a story
We are depicted as unmoving, unchanging figures in the tales people tell about us.
Where we choose our goals of glory
We decide what we want to achieve and what will give us pride in our lives.
Over family and over friends
Sometimes we prioritize our ambitions over our relationships with others.
Say it again and again.
Reiterate that we can shift our focus between what we want for ourselves and the people we care about.
Aren't we bridges aren't we bells?
Once again, we serve as a connection for others and create a ruckus.
Aren't we sighing in our cells?
We're feeling trapped and stuck in life.
Up to heaven and down to hell
We can still find happiness and despair no matter our state of being.
Say it again pal, aren't we bells?
Keep reminding ourselves of the absurdity and beauty of our existence.
Aren't we bells?
An ironic callback to the chorus, an appreciation for the noise we create and the connections we forge.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANNA GAYE, ANNA GORDY GAYE, MARVIN GAYE, MARVIN P GAYE, IRIS GORDY, ELGIE ROUSSEAU STOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind