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.
You Dirty Rat
Letters to Cleo Lyrics
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You never call
You just stand around and smile so happily
The government could never do
As worser things as you have done to me
Well I should cry
But I've done too much already I can't lie
And it won't take us back to you and me
We are in love
You call me names
And you're never home
All I've got to show is a kiss in jowls
You talk too much
The lyrics to Letters to Cleo's song "You Dirty Rat" are a powerful reflection on a one-sided and toxic relationship. The singer is expressing hurt and frustration at their partner's lack of communication and engagement with their relationship. Despite being in love, the partner never writes, never calls, and just stands around smiling. The singer acknowledges that the partner has done worse things to them than the government ever could. This reflects a sense of powerlessness in the face of such mistreatment.
The second verse expresses the singer's own limitations in the relationship. They admit that they should cry but have done too much already and are unable to express their emotions. The partner is better at lying than the singer will ever be, which suggests a manipulative and potentially abusive dynamic. The singer recognizes that the relationship cannot be salvaged and that returning to how things were between them is impossible.
Overall, "You Dirty Rat" is a deeply emotional and honest look at the pain of being in a relationship that is not healthy or fulfilling.
Line by Line Meaning
You never write
You don't communicate with me through writing.
You never call
You don't communicate with me through phone calls.
You just stand around and smile so happily
You're always present, but you don't seem to care enough to reach out.
The government could never do
The government is incapable of doing as much harm to me as you have.
As worser things as you have done to me
You have caused me more harm than the government ever could.
Well I should cry
I should be upset and cry, but I won't.
But I've done too much already I can't lie
I've already experienced too much hurt, and I can't pretend I'm okay.
'Cause you're better at that than I'll ever be
You're better at lying and pretending than I am, and I won't try to match that.
And it won't take us back to you and me
Our current situation won't bring us back to where we used to be.
We are in love
We're in love despite our issues, but it can't fix everything.
You call me names
You insult me and call me negative names.
And you're never home
You're always gone and not around when I need you.
All I've got to show is a kiss in jowls
All I have left from our relationship is a memory of a kiss on the cheek.
You talk too much
You speak excessively and it's frustrating.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES E CHESTERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind