The original band, billed simply as "The Modern Lovers", existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson (later of The Cars) and keyboardist Jerry Harrison (later of Talking Heads). The sound of the band owed a great deal to the influence of The Velvet Underground, and is now sometimes classed as "protopunk". It pointed the way towards much of the punk rock, new wave, alternative and indie rock music of later decades. Their only album, the eponymous The Modern Lovers, contained stylistically unprecedented songs about dating awkwardness, growing up in Massachusetts, and love of life and the USA.
Later, between 1976 and 1988, Richman used the name Modern Lovers for a variety of backing bands, always billed as "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers." These bands were quieter and featured more low-key, often near-childlike, songs, as Richman drew on folk-rock and other genres. Out of Richman's original bandmates, only Robinson was part of any of the other Modern Lovers incarnations.
Richman grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and began playing guitar and writing songs in his mid teens, first performing solo in public in 1967.[1] He became enamored with the Velvet Underground while he was still in high school, and after graduating in 1969, he moved to New York City where he became personally acquainted with the band and on one occasion opened the bill for them. Richman spent a couple of weeks sleeping on Velvets’ manager Steve Sesnick's sofa before moving into the Hotel Albert, a residence known for its poor conditions.
After nine months in New York, and a trip to Europe and Israel, Richman moved back to his native Boston. With his childhood friend and neighbor, guitarist John Felice, he organized a band modeled after the Velvets. They quickly recruited drummer David Robinson and bass player Rolfe Anderson, and christened themselves "The Modern Lovers". They played their first date, supporting Andy Paley’s band The Sidewinders, in September 1970, barely a month after Richman's return. By this time their setlist already included such classic Richman songs as "Roadrunner", "She Cracked" and "Hospital". Richman’s unique character was immediately apparent; he wore short hair and often performed wearing a jacket and tie, and frequently improvised new lyrics and monologues.
In early 1971 Anderson and Felice departed; they were replaced by Harvard students bassist Ernie Brooks, and keyboardist Jerry Harrison, completing the classic lineup of the Modern Lovers. This new configuration became very popular in the Boston area, and by the fall of 1971, enthusiastic word-of-mouth led to the Modern Lovers' first exposure to a major label when Stuart Love of Warner Bros. Records contacted them and organized the band's first multi-track session at Intermedia Studio in Boston. The demo produced from this session, and the group’s live performances, generated more attention from the industry, including rave reviews from critic Lillian Roxon, and soon A&M Records was interested in the band as well.
In April 1972, the Modern Lovers traveled to Los Angeles where they held two demo sessions; the first was produced by the Velvet Underground's John Cale for Warner Bros. while the second was produced by Alan Mason for A&M. The Cale sessions were later used on the band’s debut album. While in California the band also performed live, and one gig at the Long Branch Saloon in Berkeley was later issued as a live album. Producer Kim Fowley courted the band, traveling to Boston to produce some poor-quality demos in June 1972. Felice rejoined the group for a few months after his graduation, and the band moved together to live at Cohasset, Massachusetts.
The Modern Lovers continued to be a popular live attraction, and on New Year’s Eve 1972 supported the New York Dolls at The Mercer Arts Center on a bill which also included Suicide and Wayne County. Early in 1973 they were finally signed by Warner Brothers. However, before returning to the studio in Los Angeles to work with Cale, the group accepted an offer to play a residency at the Inverurie Hotel in Bermuda. While there, Richman heard and became strongly influenced by the laid-back style of the local musicians, as documented in his later song "Monologue About Bermuda". There were also growing personality clashes between the band members.
Although on the band’s return Richman agreed to record his earlier songs, he was anxious to move in a different musical direction. He wanted to scrap all of the tracks they had recorded and start over with a mellower, more lyrical sound. The rest of the band, while not opposed to such a shift later, insisted that they record as they sounded now. However, the sessions with Cale in September 1973 also coincided with the death of their friend Gram Parsons (a former Harvard student, like Harrison and Brooks), and produced no usable recordings.[1][2] The record company then recruited Kim Fowley to produce more sessions with the band, this time at Gold Star Studios, with better results. Recordings from these sessions with Fowley were later released in 1981 on an album misleadingly titled The Original Modern Lovers (reissued on CD by Bomp Records in 2000).
Break-up of the band and release of the first Modern Lovers album
Following the failure to complete a debut album, Warner Brothers withdrew their support for the Modern Lovers, and Robinson left the band. They continued to perform live for a few months with new drummer Bob Turner, but Richman was increasingly unwilling to perform his old (although still unreleased) songs such as “Roadrunner”, and after a final disagreement between him and Harrison over musical style the band split up in February 1974.
Despite the original group's premature break-up, many of its members found considerable success elsewhere: founding member John Felice formed the seminal Real Kids, Jerry Harrison later joined Talking Heads, David Robinson co-founded the Cars, and Ernie Brooks would later work with David Johansen, Arthur Russell, Elliott Murphy, and Gary Lucas.
Richman continued recording on his own, eventually moving to California in 1975 to begin working with Beserkley Records whose boss Matthew King Kaufman had met Richman when he worked with A&M. While Richman never returned to the Velvets-inspired sound of the original Modern Lovers, the demo recordings made with that group eventually surfaced in various formats. The first of these releases came in 1976 when Beserkley compiled a posthumous LP from the first two demo sessions produced by Cale and Mason; issued on Beserkley's Home of the Hits subsidiary, the album was simply titled The Modern Lovers and included celebrated tracks such as "Roadrunner", "She Cracked", and "Pablo Picasso".
Richman did not recognize this compilation as his "first album," preferring to recognize his debut as 1976's Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, an album pursuing the lighter, softer direction he had in mind with a completely different band. (The two collections were released within months of each other.) However, The Modern Lovers was given an enthusiastic, critical reception, with critic Ira Robbins hailing it as "one of the truly great art rock albums of all time," and it influenced numerous aspiring punk rock musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Sex Pistols (who covered "Roadrunner" on The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle).
[edit]Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, 1976-1988
In early 1976, Richman put together a new version of the Modern Lovers, with Leroy Radcliffe (guitar), Greg "Curly" Keranen (bass) and the returning David Robinson (drums). Keranen had previously played with The Rubinoos, and Radcliffe with Woody's Truckstop. They recorded the album Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, but Robinson again left after Richman persisted in reducing the size and volume of his drum kit, and was replaced by D. Sharpe. Keranen also left and was replaced by Asa Brebner. This band recorded the album Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers, and toured, but finally split up at the end of a UK tour in 1978.
In 1980 Richman again formed a new Modern Lovers, with Keranen, drummer Michael Guardabascio and backing singers Ellie Marshall and Beth Harrington. They recorded the album “Jonathan Sings!” in 1981/82, but it was not released until 1983. The group toured to support the album, often regarded as one of Richman’s best,[3] but split up after Keranen again left in 1984.
The final version of the Modern Lovers, with Andy Paley, Brennan Totten and (initially) Asa Brebner again, toured and recorded between 1985 and 1988. Richman finally retired the Modern Lovers name after the album Modern Lovers 88.
Richman continues to perform, often solo and preferring acoustic instruments, and currently has no plans to undertake another group like his original band. A tribute album comprised primarily of Modern Lovers songs, If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman, was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001.
[edit]Influence
The band was highly influential on the then-burgeoning punk rock and later New Wave and indie musical styles, as well as some songs (eg., "She Cracked", "I'm Straight") containing ideas that predicted the straight edge scene brought to prominence by Minor Threat.John Cale, Iggy Pop and David Bowie have all covered "Pablo Picasso". Seminal punk group the Sex Pistols covered "Roadrunner" on The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Additional covers of "Roadrunner" include label mates The Greg Kihn Band. Joan Jett also covered "Roadrunner" on her cover album, "The Hit List."
Modern World
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That shines down on Bolyston Street
And I love the USA
So share the modern world with me
'Cuz I'm in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
I'm in love with the modern world now(I love the modern world)
Put down the cigarette
Alright.That's right
Well out in the afternoon
Out in the arid plane
We'll share a modern love
Under suburban rain
And me in love with the USA now ( I love the USA)
And me in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Put down the cigarette
And act like a true girl, oh.
Well out on route 9
Well it's bleak and nearly dying
Stop all this weak stuff
And drop out of B.U.!
With me in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
With me in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Put down the cigarette
And drop out of high school, oh!
Oh, thats right
Well I'm in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
Well I'm in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Put down the cigarette
And act like a true girl.
Well listen
Well the modern world is not so bad
Not like the students say
In fact I'd be in heaven
If you'd share the modern world with me
We'd be in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
We'd be in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Put down the cigarette
And share the modern world with me!
The song "Modern World" by Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers speaks to the love of the modern world, particularly America, with a call to reject the old ways and embrace new, modern ones. The lyrics speak to the excitement of being young and free in America, with references to the sunny streets of Bolyston, suburban rain, and Route 9. The song's repeated refrain "Put down the cigarette, and drop out of B.U." speaks to a rejection of conventional society and tradition and embracing the modern world and its opportunities. Richman urges listeners to "act like a true girl" and "share the modern world with me," highlighting the need for open-mindedness and cooperation in embracing new ideologies.
The song was released in 1976 on the album Modern Lovers, which was only re-released the following year due to legal issues with the band's original record label. The album achieved only moderate commercial success but gained much critical acclaim and has since been seen as a significant influence on the punk and new wave movements of the late 1970s and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's sex in the sunny day
During sunny days, people engage in sex
That shines down on Bolyston Street
This happens specifically on Bolyston Street
And I love the USA
I have strong feelings of love towards the USA
So share the modern world with me
Let's experience the modern world together
'Cuz I'm in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
I love the USA now
I'm in love with the modern world now(I love the modern world)
I love the modern world now
Put down the cigarette
Stop smoking a cigarette
And drop out of B.U.
Stop attending Boston University
Well out in the afternoon
During the afternoon
Out in the arid plane
In a dry, barren area
We'll share a modern love
We'll experience modern love together
Under suburban rain
In the rain in a suburban environment
And me in love with the USA now ( I love the USA)
Now I'm in love with the USA
And me in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Now I'm in love with the modern world
Put down the cigarette
Stop smoking a cigarette
And act like a true girl, oh.
Change your behavior to be more feminine
Well out on route 9
On Route 9
Well it's bleak and nearly dying
Route 9 is depressing and deteriorating
Stop all this weak stuff
Stop all this inferior behavior
And drop out of B.U.!
Stop attending Boston University
With me in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
Now I'm in love with the USA
With me in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Now I'm in love with the modern world
Put down the cigarette
Stop smoking a cigarette
And drop out of high school, oh!
Stop attending high school
Well I'm in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
Now I'm in love with the USA
Well I'm in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Now I'm in love with the modern world
Put down the cigarette
Stop smoking a cigarette
And act like a true girl.
Change your behavior to be more feminine
Well listen
Listen to what I have to say
Well the modern world is not so bad
The modern world is not as bad as some people think
Not like the students say
Contrary to what students believe
In fact I'd be in heaven
In fact, I would be extremely happy
If you'd share the modern world with me
If you would experience the modern world with me
We'd be in love with the USA now (I love the USA)
Now we would both be in love with the USA
We'd be in love with the modern world now (I love the modern world)
Now we would both be in love with the modern world
Put down the cigarette
Stop smoking a cigarette
And share the modern world with me!
Experience the modern world with me!
Contributed by Josiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stone Nelson
I wanna drink a beer with everyone who knows this song. The fact that this was released in 72 melts my mind, you can hear the Modern Lovers echo in bands like The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, early Arctic Monkeys, I could go on. Everyone talks about how the VU inspired the Modern Lovers, but we should also talk about how influential they are in their own right. They were revolutionary
Rick Varney
I'm ready for that beer
Rene Calvo
Boston's own Velvet Underground. I was in college in Bean Town from 76 to 80. I have never seen such an explosion of new bands playing original music like that since. I wish I knew where I stashed my trove of Xeroxed band posters. We used to travel back and forth to NYC and I swear the scene was better in Boston.
Igorsamora
The Velvet's influence in Boston in the end of 60's and begging of the 70's was evident
Edelweiss
The footage you put together is so fitting for this track! Nice work 🙌
brainsick213
Easily on of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Jesper Vidkjær
P
Jesper Vidkjær
O
John Bell
Glad to see there's still some love for these guys. They eere great!
GrandPunkTrainwreck
A long time favourite song & the footage used here is perfect. Crazy about everything here, very well done!! Thanks for uploading this, really made my morning :)