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.
Secret Agent
Letters to Cleo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's never even caught a cold
Got his degree from Disneyland
He's the last of the secret agents
And he's my man
He's an underwhelming kind of sleuth
He thinks James Bond is some kind of suit
But he's the last of the secret agents
And he's my man
He'd come in third in a two-horse race
I've never had to slap his face
(What a shame)
Now people try to understand
He's the last of the secret agents
And he's my man
He's the last of the secret agents
And he's my man
He's the last of the secret agents
And he's my man
The song Secret Agent by Letters to Cleo is a light-hearted tribute to a secret agent that is far from the stereotype of a conventional spy. The song describes this secret agent as being underwhelmingly good at his job and never having caught a spy or even caught a cold. His degree is from Disneyland, which is indicative of his lack of a formal education or training. Despite all these shortcomings, he is the last of the secret agents and is the singer's man.
The lyrics are not meant to be taken seriously and the song itself is a tongue-in-cheek ode to a completely inept secret agent. The chorus repeats that he is the last of the secret agents and is the singer's man. This repetition adds to the humor of the song as the listener is reminded that this incompetent secret agent is the best she can hope for.
Overall, the song is a humorous and lighthearted take on a secret agent and is meant to be enjoyed for its playful lyrics and catchy tune.
Line by Line Meaning
He's never caught one spy I'm told
He's never successfully caught a spy, as far as I know
He's never even caught a cold
He's never experienced anything remotely dangerous or challenging
Got his degree from Disneyland
His education and training are not credible or legitimate
He's the last of the secret agents
He's the only remaining member of a group that is no longer relevant or useful
And he's my man
Despite his shortcomings, I am still romantically involved with him
He's an underwhelming kind of sleuth
He is not impressive or effective as a detective
He thinks James Bond is some kind of suit
He is naive and does not understand the complexity of James Bond's character
He's farther back than also ran
He is far behind the competition and unlikely to catch up
He'd come in third in a two-horse race
He is so inept that he would lose even if he were the only contestant
I've never had to slap his face
I have never had to physically discipline him or confront him for his shortcomings
(What a shame)
It's unfortunate that he is so incompetent
Now people try to understand
Others are puzzled by my choice to be with him
He's the last of the secret agents
He's the only one left of a group that was once significant but is now irrelevant
And he's my man
Despite his lack of ability or appeal, I remain devoted to him
He's the last of the secret agents
He's the only one remaining of a group that was once known for their skill and bravery
And he's my man
Despite his lack of talent or value, I remain attached to him romantically
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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