Jonathan Richman began playing music and writing his own songs in the mid-1960s. In 1969 he moved to New York City, where he spent time living on the couch of The Velvet Underground's manager and working odd jobs while trying to break in as a professional musician. Failing at this, he returned to Boston. Having moved back, he formed The Modern Lovers. Other notable members of the group were keyboard player Jerry Harrison and drummer David Robinson, who later joined Talking Heads and The Cars, respectively. In 1972 they recorded a series of songs with John Cale producing, including the seminal "Roadrunner," which were eventually released on the group's sole album, Modern Lovers, in 1975.
Shortly after these recordings were made, Richman broke up the band and embarked on his long and eclectic solo career. For a while he continued recording under the "Modern Lovers" name (or rather, the more telling "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" appellation), but all the members were different, and in the new incarnation were essentially his backing band. The sound of the new group was considerably different as well, focusing on acoustic instrumentation rather than the prior electric guitars and drums. The album Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers was released in January 1977, Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers followed a month later, and Modern Lovers Live in 1978.
In 1979 Richman finally went completely solo. That year's Back in Your Life was released under the "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" moniker, but this was true of only about half the disc—the rest was solo work. This album was probably the most extreme detour by Richman into eclecticism; after the odd but traditional acoustic rock of the previous albums, this one's solo tracks showed off a string bass and Glockenspiel as main instruments.A few years' hiatus ended in 1983 with Jonathan Sings!—memorably featuring a cover with Richman serenading a crowd wearing nothing but a guitar and neck strap. This was followed up with a series of pop efforts (Rockin' and Romance, It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, and Modern Lovers 88 from 1985, 1986 and 1988 respectively). Soon after, he returned to swooping madly around the musical landscape: country music with 1990's Jonathan Goes Country, and Spanish translations of his earlier work (as well as traditional Spanish songs) with 1993's Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!
Always possessing an ardent cult following, Richman has become better known in recent years thanks to a series of appearances on fan Conan O'Brien's show; also helping was a major part in the 1998 movie There's Something About Mary, where he played half of a two-man Greek chorus that commented on the movie while performing in the framed action itself.
He has continued his release schedule all along, with You Must Ask the Heart in 1995, Surrender to Jonathan in 1996, I'm So Confused in 1998, Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow in 2001 and Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love in 2004. In 1998 a live album of Modern Lovers recordings from the early '70s was released, Live at the Long Branch & More. There is also a DVD of a live performance Take me to the Plaza 2002. A tribute album, If I Were a Richman, was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001. In live 'solo' shows, he frequently tours with drummer Tommy Larkins, the other part of the two-man chorus mentioned above. He is a tremendously charismatic stage presence, and this has helped maintain his dedicated cult following.
Richman's work with the first incarnation of Modern Lovers is a major influence on punk rock. One critic called him the "Godfather of Punk". Artists as diverse as the Sex Pistols and Joan Jett have covered "Roadrunner". Boston ska-punk band, Big D and the Kids Table, have covered "New England" live and on their Gypsy Hill EP. A version of "Pablo Picasso" performed by Burning Sensations was included in the 1984 cult film, Repo Man. David Bowie covered "Pablo Picasso" on his album Reality. Velvet Underground founding member John Cale has a version of the song on his 1975 album, Helen of Troy, and continues to include the song in his live shows. Iggy Pop has performed "Pablo Picasso" live and wrote an extra verse for it. Echo and the Bunnymen covered "She Cracked" in concert in 1984 and 1985 and Siouxsie and the Banshees have a version of the song on Downside Up.
Richman's music has set the tone for many alternative rock bands, such as Violent Femmes, Galaxie 500, They Might Be Giants ("Roadrunner" reportedly inspired John Flansburgh to become a musician), Weezer, Tullycraft, Jens Lekman, singer Frank Black (who composed the tribute song "The Man Who Was Too Loud"), Brandon Flowers, Art Brut, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady & Lifter Puller and Nerf Herder who composed a song about him, titled "Jonathan", which appeared on the band's second album How To Meet Girls. British country rock band The Rockingbirds released the single "Jonathan, Jonathan" in tribute to Richman in 1992.
As a producer himself, Richman and drummer Tommy Larkin produced Vic Chesnutt's final album Skitter on Take-Off in 2009 which appeared on Vapor Records. Chesnutt opened for Richman at concerts many times during his later years.
"Roadrunner" is on the soundtrack of School of Rock. In the commentary, director Richard Linklater mentions it is often called "the first punk song" and wanted to include it for that reason, along with all the other seminal rock songs in that film.
A tribute album, If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman, was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001.
Velvet Underground
Jonathan Richman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A mystery band in a New York way
Rock and roll, but not like the rest
And to me, America at it's best
How in the world were they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
A spooky tone on a Fender bass
Stayed kind of still, looked kinda shy
Kinda far away, kinda dignified.
How in the world were they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
Now you can look at that band and wonder where
All that sound was coming from
With just 4 people there.
Twangy sounds of the cheapest types,
Sounds as stark as black and white stripes,
Bold and brash, sharp and rude,
Like the heats turned off
And you're low on food.
How in the world were they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
Like this...
Wild wild parties when they start to unwind
A close encounter of the thirdest kind
On the bandstand playing, everybody's saying
How in the world were they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
Well you could look at that band
And at first sight
Say that certain rules about modern music
Wouldn't apply tonight.
Twangy sounds of the cheapest kind,
Like "Guitar sale $29.99,"
Bold and brash, stark and still,
Like the heats turned off
And you can't pay the bill.
How in the world were they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
Both guitars got the fuzz tone on
The drummer's standing upright pounding along
A howl, a tone, a feedback whine
Biker boys meet the college kind
How in the world were they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
Wild wild parties when they start to unwind
A close encounter of the thirdest kind
On the bandstand grooving, everybody moving
How in the world are they making that sound?
Velvet Underground.
The song Velvet Underground by Jonathan Richman is an ode to the iconic American rock band of the same name. Richman uses vivid imagery to describe the band's unique sound and style, likening it to a "spooky tone on a Fender bass" and "twangy sounds of the cheapest kind." He notes the band's unconventional approach to rock and roll, which set them apart from their contemporaries and has made them an enduring influence on musicians today.
Richman's admiration for Velvet Underground is apparent throughout the song, reflecting on their mysteriously cool image and memorable performances. He describes their music as "bold and brash, sharp and rude," capturing the raw energy of their sound. He also notes the band's ability to captivate the audience, as everyone wonders "how in the world were they making that sound?"
In summary, Velvet Underground is a celebration of one of the most influential bands in American music history. Through his lyrics, Jonathan Richman captures the unique sound, style, and spirit of the band that continues to inspire listeners and musicians alike.
Line by Line Meaning
They were wild like the USA
They were as wild as the United States of America
A mystery band in a New York way
They were an enigmatic band in the style unique to New York
Rock and roll, but not like the rest
Their music was rock and roll, but unlike what others played
And to me, America at it's best
According to the artist, this is what represented the best of America
How in the world were they making that sound?
The artist is perplexed by how the band was making their music
Velvet Underground.
Name of the band the song is about
A spooky tone on a Fender bass
The Fender bass had a mysterious sound
Played less notes and left more space
The bassist didn't play many notes and left room for other sounds
Stayed kind of still, looked kinda shy
The band members remained stationary and appeared meek
Kinda far away, kinda dignified.
The band was distant and carried themselves with pride
Now you can look at that band and wonder where
People might watch the band and question how
All that sound was coming from
They produced such a unique and complex sound with only four people
Twangy sounds of the cheapest types,
The guitars produced the sound of the most economical variety
Sounds as stark as black and white stripes,
The sound was as distinct as the pattern of black and white stripes
Bold and brash, sharp and rude,
The music was assertive, harsh, and impolite
Like the heats turned off
Their sound was cold or lifeless
And you're low on food.
The sound was as desperate as being hungry and unable to eat
Like this...
The singer seems to be satisfied with the description
Wild wild parties when they start to unwind
The band's music led to crazy parties
A close encounter of the thirdest kind
The experience of their music was unique and not of this world
On the bandstand playing, everybody's saying
People are amazed while watching the band perform
Well you could look at that band
One could watch the band
And at first sight
Upon initial observation
Say that certain rules about modern music
The band may seem to break traditional modern music conventions
Wouldn't apply tonight.
Those conventions aren't relevant in the present moment
Like "Guitar sale $29.99,"
The sound was as economical as the advertisement of a cheap guitar
Bold and brash, stark and still,
The music was assertive yet lifeless
Like the heats turned off
Their sound was cold or lifeless
And you can't pay the bill.
The sound was as desperate as being unable to pay a bill
Both guitars got the fuzz tone on
Both guitars used similar distorted fuzz sounds
The drummer's standing upright pounding along
The drummer stood while continuing to play heavy beats
A howl, a tone, a feedback whine
Their unconventional sounds included howling, high and low pitched noises, and distorted feedback
Biker boys meet the college kind
Their music is a mix of rough and refined styles
On the bandstand grooving, everybody moving
People can't help but groove and dance to their music
How in the world are they making that sound?
People are still astonished by the band's unique sound
Velvet Underground.
The artist reiterates the name of the band the song is about
Contributed by Levi C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jkrycz
I love that he asks how they were making that sound after describing in exact detail how they were making that sound.
Mesolithic Man
And yet it still remains a mystery
Billy Mavreas
this guy is charm incarnate
The Betbet Underground
What a way to so eloquently express admiration.
Leslie Gregg
Whoa...I had forgotten how incredible he is.....Hippy Johnny...lol ..and this song...brilliant
Apple Scruff
Reminds me of The Big Bopper. Love it.
layla glantz
The people who didn't like this probably don't like Velvet Underground
either...
pl fye
And any song with hand clapping gets my vote
BMGG
And performed by actual hands.
Alx Mtn
A good way to finish the day...