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.
BOY
Letters to Cleo Lyrics
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The kind I ain't seen in awhile
And I gotta get me out of here
Don't go go and ask crazy questions
Like I maybe don't know what I'm doin'
And I gotta get me out of here
The farthest thought and I simply thought things were right from now on here
Smile and think of it but don't leave em dead or mix me up in it
'Cause I'm gone and you can't make me stay
It would appear I've been here lots and lots of times before
(so please don't laugh)
And I wait out in the hallway
Now diggin' back its a big mistake
And one I've made before
And I would like to be out
Out in the hallway
You boy ain't nothing but trouble
The kind I ain't seen in awhile
And I gotta get me out of here
[Repeat: x6]
Get me out of
Get me out of here
The lyrics of Letters to Cleo's song "Boy" seem to be about a woman who has found herself in a difficult situation with a troublesome man or a toxic relationship. The first line of the song bluntly states, "You boy ain't nothing but trouble," conveying the singer's frustration and disappointment towards her partner. She describes him as the kind of trouble she hasn't seen in a while and expresses her urge to leave.
The next few lines suggest that the singer is being questioned by her partner about her decisions, and she is tired of being interrogated. She insists that she knows what she is doing and needs to get out of the situation. The following line, "The farthest thought and I simply thought things were right from now on here," may imply that she believed things with the man were going to work out but now realizes they won't. She ends the verse by saying that she just got here, but now she's leaving.
In the chorus, the singer repeats her desire to get out of the situation, emphasizing that she wants to be out in the hallway, away from the man. Towards the end of the song, she repeats the first verse, further emphasizing her frustration with the situation and her need to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
You boy ain't nothing but trouble
The person addressed in the song is a troublemaker and nothing else.
The kind I ain't seen in awhile
The level of trouble the addressed person is causing is beyond what the singer has witnessed lately.
And I gotta get me out of here
The singer feels the need to leave the situation immediately.
Don't go go and ask crazy questions
The addressed person should refrain from making irrational inquiries.
Like I maybe don't know what I'm doin'
The singer is aware of what they are doing and doesn't require any patronizing advice.
And I gotta get me out of here
The singer is steadily feeling more and more uncomfortable, hence the urgent need to exit.
The farthest thought and I simply thought things were right from now on here
The singer had high hopes that things would turn out alright, but that didn't come to pass.
Just got here and I'm leavin'
The singer is ready to leave as soon as they arrived because of the chaos caused by the addressed person.
Smile and think of it but don't leave em dead or mix me up in it
The singer doesn't want to be held responsible for anything harmful the addressed person does, but doesn't want to seem too cold-hearted either.
'Cause I'm gone and you can't make me stay
The singer has made up their mind, and nothing the addressed person can do will change it.
It would appear I've been here lots and lots of times before
The singer has had similar experiences with troublemakers in the past, hence the weariness in their tone.
(so please don't laugh)
The singer is being serious and doesn't want anyone to mock them for their predicament.
And I wait out in the hallway
The singer is trying to distance themselves from the addressed person and seeks solace in a safer location.
Now diggin' back its a big mistake
Looking back, the singer realizes engaging with the addressed person was a huge mistake.
And one I've made before
The singer has been in similar circumstances and regrets not learning from their past mistakes.
And I would like to be out
The singer wishes to depart from the situation as soon as possible.
Out in the hallway
The hallway represents a safer ground for the singer and is where they want to be at the moment.
Get me out of here
The singer reiterates their desire to leave the situation immediately due to the chaos caused by the addressed person.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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