The band next recorded their 'I Gotta Know / NO' single for Akron's Clone Records during a spring break in 1978. By this time, Pfeifer and Metz had moved to Columbus to Attend Ohio State University. Marcarian soon followed after her year at Syracuse and the band had formed as a three piece. After the school year ended, the band started playing shows, with its first in the basement of local Columbus High Street record store, Magnolia Thunderpussy.
Soon after the summer of 1978, the band moved back to Cleveland briefly and then opened a used record store in Kent, Ohio. This store was to provided support for the band, which it did for the following three years.
In the next few months, the band started playing shows in the area and gained followings in the Kent, Akron, Dayton, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh regions. In 1979, the band recorded its next single at one of the better Cleveland studios named SUMA. With the help of Kent's famed The Numbers Band (15-60-75), they recorded their next single 'Prime of My Life / In My Room', later to be released on the band's own Square label.
After the release of the single, the band met bass player Dave Schramm who helped round out the sound. Shortly thereafter, they were invited to play at Hurrah, the premier new wave night club in New York City. The club was impressed enough with the sound that they invited them back to play regularly. At the same time, the band also started playing other legendary clubs such as Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ, The Rat in Boston and the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. They continued playing more dates in New York with a new bass player George Scott III, formerly of the Eight Eyed Spy, James White and the Blacks and The Raybeats. The East Coast was becoming very friendly to them, but they still lacked a major record release.
At this time, a fan recorded and released a 'bootleg' with the band's blessing and help. The rough cassette recordings captured a couple of their exciting live shows in the Akron and Kent area. The 1,000 copies pressed had sold quickly and their following was certainly established.
In 1980, Rough Trade record company out of the UK took notice of the band and commissioned them to record a three track 12 inch single. The band went back to SUMA, this time with bass player Doug Morgan, and recorded two songs 'Who's Landing in My Hanger?' and 'I Can Walk Alone'. These two songs would then be backed with a re-release of 'In My Room' from the year before. The songs were recorded, but the label inexplicably re-canted their offer at the last minute.
Later that year, an IRS label subsidiary name Faulty Products signed the Human Switchboard to what was to become their only studio LP. It was aptly named 'Who's Landing in My Hangar'. The two tracks recorded for Rough Trade were included along with eight newer tunes. The bass playing chores on the new songs was shared among two players, Paul Hamann the studio engineer and the newest band member, Steve Calabria.
The band toured briefly around the mid-west and east coast opening for Toots & the Maytals. It was an unusual mix of sounds, but the crowds appreciated the diverse styles of the tour and paid attention to the opening band. The Human Switchboard also had become a resident fixture at New York's Danceteria night club where they would remain a feature act for the next couple of years.
After the tour, the band settled into a routine of shows in friendly environments. They decided to close the store and move from Kent back to Cleveland, where they obtained an apartment in Coventry (an area made famous by Harvey Pekar). Musically, they began to experiment with more contemporary music structures. They sought out and enlisted Jared Michael Nickerson from Dayton, Ohio to play bass and offer inspiration towards the new sound they were after. Nickerson would become the band's final and longest tenured bass player.
The beat straightened out. The bass lines became funkier and once again, the band tried to gain interest from the record companies. This is when they met John Stains from Polydor Records. Polydor was on a roll at that time with hits from bands like The Waitresses and was looking to expand upon the 'new wave' sound. John helped finance demos that the band recorded over a two week stretch in December 1983. The Switchboard would setup up on the stage of CBGBs during the afternoons and recorded a series of a dozen songs onto the club's 16 track machine.
The recordings were fleshing out nicely when suddenly, the rug was pulled out from them as John was let go from the record company. Those were the last studio recordings the band ever made. One track from these recordings 'When Your Train Starts Slowing Down' was completed and released on a 1988 compilation named 'It's Hard to be Cool in an UnCool World' (I Wanna Records).
During the band's remaining year and a half, they played regular shows at the Peppermint Lounge and CBGBs in New York, Maxwells in Hoboken and Gilleys in Dayton, OH. The Human Switchboard finally broke up in the spring of 1985.
Bob Pfeifer, now a convicted felon, went on to record a solo record for Passport Records in 1987 named 'After Words'. Jared Michael Nickerson, Ron Metz and Dave Schramm were the basis of the backing band on these recordings. He then went onto work for Epic records, eventually becoming president of Disney owned Hollywood Records before he was unceremoniously let go in the mid 90's. In 2006 he was indicted on one count each of witness intimidation and aiding and abetting wiretapping. He eventually plead guilty to wiretapping and admitted in federal court that he'd stalked and harassed an ex-girlfriend and was using speed during that time.
Myrna Marcarian recorded a solo EP for Okra Records in 1989 named 'Human Touch'. Nickerson, Metz and guitarist Jack Johnson also played on the record. Myrna later formed a band named Ruby on the Vine and released a full length CD named 'The World of Days' in 2004.
Ron Metz joined up with Dave Schramm and helped form The Schramms in 1985. Metz still plays with them today.
Jared Michael Nickerson has been a prominent member of Burnt Sugar, the Arkestra Chamber since its inception in 1999.
--wikipedia
In My Room
Human Switchboard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Says that haven't been with her
First I think its joke man
But then I see I'm with a scared person in the dark
Oh my my my my
Who's landing in My hangar
Who's Landing in my hanger
She's telling stories secrets about us
Doin' things she learned with me
Giggling over cigarettes in bed
I heard her cuz she musta been kinda wild
Oh my my my
Who's Landing in my Hangar
Who's Landing in my hangar
I go rat tat tat
There she is smiling so sweetly
Here and her beau lookin' at me
It takes but a tear in my eye
To see her lies are the same from the front or behind
Oh my my my
Who's Landing in my hangar
Who's Landing in my hangar
The Girl I've been inside of all night
Says that haven't been with her
First I think its joke man
But then I see I'm with a scared person in the dark
Oh my my my my
Who's landing in My hangar
Who's Landing in my hanger
The lyrics of Human Switchboard's "Who's Landing In My Hangar?" suggest a scenario of confusion and betrayal. The singer spent the night with a girl who denies even being with him/her in the first place, making the singer gradually realize that something is not quite right. It is unclear who the "scared person" in the dark is, but it seems that the girl is not telling the truth about her relationship with the singer. The chorus repeatedly asks the question "Who's landing in my hangar?" which could be interpreted as an inquiry into who is invading the singer's personal space, or perhaps as a metaphor for figuring out who is taking over the singer's thoughts and emotions.
The second verse adds to the sense of uncertainty, as the girl tells stories about the singer, leading the singer to question their own memories and behavior. The mention of "cigarettes in bed" and the girl being "wild" implies a certain level of intimacy between the two, which the girl now denies. The singer becomes frustrated and angry, indicated by the repetition of "Oh my my my," and the rat tat tat of drums when confronting the girl and her beau.
Overall, the song explores themes of betrayal, gaslighting, and uncertain realities. The singer is left questioning whether they can trust their own memories and thoughts, and who exactly they can count on.
Line by Line Meaning
The Girl I've been inside of all night
The person the singer has been having sex with all night
Says that haven't been with her
The girl denies having sex with the singer
First I think its joke man
At first, the singer thinks the girl is joking
But then I see I'm with a scared person in the dark
The artist realizes the girl is actually scared and doesn't want to be caught
Oh my my my my
Exclamation of surprise or shock
Who's landing in My hangar
Metaphorical expression for who is intruding on the singer's personal space or private life
She's telling stories secrets about us
The girl is sharing intimate details about their relationship
Doin' things she learned with me
The girl is revealing things she learned or experienced from the artist
Giggling over cigarettes in bed
The girl and the artist were likely smoking cigarettes in bed and laughing together
I heard her cuz she musta been kinda wild
The girl's wild behavior is evident from her stories and actions
I go rat tat tat
The singer may be making a knocking or banging noise to indicate their distress
There she is smiling so sweetly
The girl is trying to put up a façade and act innocent
Here and her beau lookin' at me
The singer and the girl's boyfriend are gazing at each other, perhaps in a tense or uncomfortable way
It takes but a tear in my eye
The singer is easily upset and emotional about the situation
To see her lies are the same from the front or behind
The singer sees that the girl's lies and deceit are consistent, no matter how she presents herself
Who's Landing in my hangar
Reiteration of the metaphorical expression from earlier, questioning who is invading the artist's personal space or privacy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Myrna Marcarian, Bob Pfeifer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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