The band was formed in 1990 by Greg Mckenna and Kay Hanley, from ashes of their former band, Rebbecca Lula. After numerous member changes, the classic Letters to Cleo line-up was solidified. They included Hanley and Mckenna, Mike Eisenstein on guitar, Stacy Jones on drums and Scott Riebling on bass. After years of playing the Boston club circuit, including TT The Bears Place and The Rathskellar, Letters released their first full length record, Aurora Gory Alice on CherryDisc in 1993.
The album received extensive airplay around the region and after a much hyped show at South by Southwest in Austin, Letters to Cleo signed a major label record deal with Giant Records and Aurora Gory Alice was re-released worldwide.
They had their first big hit single with "Here & Now" and the song would later appear on the Melrose Place soundtrack, where it got most of its exposure. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Singles chart. Appearances on Conan O'Brien and Jon Stewart followed.
In 1995, Wholesale Meats and Fish was released and followed by extensive tours with Our Lady Peace, Sponge, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and others. The single "Awake" was released and achieved moderate rotation on alternative radio. The band also recorded a cover of The Cars song "The Dangerous Type" for the major motion picture, The Craft.
In 1997, Stacy Jones left the band to join Veruca Salt and was replaced by Tom Polce. That same year, LTC's third album "Go" was released. After a short tour, Polce left the band and was replaced by drummer Jason Sutter. In late 1997, Letters to Cleo parted ways with their record label Giant/Revolution.
1998 saw the release of some early demos and B-sides in the form of the "Sister" EP on Wicked Disc.
Letters to Cleo appeared in the film 10 Things I Hate about You in 1999 (one of the characters considers them a favorite band). They contributed three songs to the soundtrack for the film, including one original track, "Come On", a Cheap Trick cover ("I Want You to Want Me") and a Nick Lowe cover ("Cruel to Be Kind"). Whereas the covers appeared on the film's sountrack, "Come On" did not. It was released as an MP3 downloadable from the Band's website. During that same year, LTC opened for Cheap Trick at The Paradise club in Boston.
The band played its last show on May 4, 2000, a benefit for their friend and longtime local supporter, Mikey D. They announced their disbandment in the Boston Globe the following month. Most of the band members are now involved in solo careers. Most notable is Kay Hanley's career, which produced the album "Cherry Marmalade in 2002 and the EP The Babydoll EP in 2004. Hanley also provided the singing voice for the Josie character in the 2001 motion picture Josie and the Pussycats.
Former drummer Stacy Jones went on to form American Hi-Fi with fellow Boston musicians Drew Parsons, Jamie Arentzen and Brian Nolan.
Scott Riebling went into the production side of music and is now a highly sought after producer and engineer.
Co-founding member Greg McKenna is currently finishing work on his solo project, Murder Capitol of the World. The debut album is due in 2007.
Anchor
Letters to Cleo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I'm taking you down with me
To the wrong side of the quicksand and our flashlight destiny
You can be the walker I'm gonna be your wire
You can be the ugly truth
I'm gonna be your liar
Still the future lit up so bright for all to see
I can't look now you're all the same
Up and away the anchor is a kickstand
So I'm taking you down with me
To the wrong side of the quicksand and our flashlight destiny
It's all wrong
We tripped along so much worse off for it
And only God can help the one who put the magnets in you
Head up and away up and away with you
If I could just get up I'd be fine if I could just get up
The lyrics of Letters to Cleo's song "Anchor" are about a relationship that the singer knows is headed towards disaster but they are willing to bring the other person down with them. The anchor is a metaphor for a kickstand, something that keeps a bike standing upright, in this case, it is keeping them from falling into the quicksand. The quicksand represents danger, and the flashlight destiny represents the future that they will face together. The singer acknowledges that the relationship is built on lies, with one person being the walker and the other the wire, the walker depending on the wire to hold them up.
The singer knows that the future could be bright, but they can't see it because they are too focused on the present. They acknowledge that everyone is the same to them, unable to differentiate between good and bad, they are taking everyone down, including themselves. The lyrics "up and away" suggest that they want to fly and leave the quicksand and their problems behind, but they know that they cannot do it alone.
Overall, the song "Anchor" is about a person who is conflicted between wanting to leave a toxic relationship and feeling the need to bring the other person down with them. It is a song that explores the darker side of relationships, and the lyrics paint a vivid picture of the dangers of staying with someone when you know that it is not for the best.
Line by Line Meaning
The anchor is a kickstand
The anchor is just holding us back, like a kickstand on a bike.
So I'm taking you down with me
I can't just leave you behind while I move forward, so we'll both go down together.
To the wrong side of the quicksand and our flashlight destiny
Our journey is dangerous and unpredictable, but we'll face it together using our limited light to guide us.
You can be the walker I'm gonna be your wire
You can take the lead and guide me, while I support you and keep you steady.
You can be the ugly truth I'm gonna be your liar
You can be honest with me, even when it hurts, and I'll protect you by hiding the truth from others.
Still the future lit up so bright for all to see
Despite the challenges we face, we're optimistic about the future and others can see that too.
I can't look now you're all the same You're all the same to me up and away
I can't distinguish between people or things anymore, so we need to rise above it all and move forward.
It's all wrong We tripped along so much worse off for it
Things aren't going well and we're worse off for it, despite our efforts.
And only God can help the one who put the magnets in you
Only a higher power can help someone who's inherently flawed and attracts negative things.
Head up and away up and away with you
We need to stay positive and leave our problems behind as we move forward together.
If I could just get up I'd be fine if I could just get up
All we need is to pick ourselves up and keep going, and we'll be okay.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GREG MCKENNA, KAY HANLEY, MICHAEL EISENSTEIN, SCOTT RIEBLING, TOM POLCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind