The quartet recorded two albums together: Let's Cut the Crap & Hook Up Later On Tonight, released on Black Dog Records in 1998, and Kids in Philly, released on Steve Earle's now-defunct E-Squared Records in 2000. Both critically acclaimed CD's were recorded and produced by the band and recording engineer Paul Smith above an auto repair garage in south Philadelphia.
Metz and Vance left the band in 2000, and were replaced by Mick Bader on drums and Joe Hooven on bass. Augmented by Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on lap steel, this version of the group toured extensively to support Kids in Philly. Marah performed the song, "Point Breeze" from Kids in Philly on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien in 2000. Bader and Hooven left Marah in 2001 and were replaced by Jon Kois (drums) and Jamie Mahon (bass) of Philadelphia psychedelic rock band The Three For Tens.
The Bielankos, with Kois and Mahon, left for Wales in late 2001 to record their third CD, Float Away with the Friday Night Gods with former Oasis producer Owen Morris. It was released on Artemis Records in 2002.
In 2003, Marah returned to the auto garage and recorded their fourth record, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky. The CD was released on Yep Rock records in 2004. The band toured this album with John Wurster (of Indie Rock-stalwarts Superchunk) on drums, Mike Brenner on lap steel, and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards.
In 2005, the band entered The Magic Shop recording studio in New York City to record their fifth album with the help of Henderson and two new members, Adam Garbinski and Dave Peterson. The result, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry (IYDLYC), was hailed by critics as a return to form for the band.
The release of IYDLYC was complemented by the recording and release of a Christmas album, A Christmas Kind of Town, on October 18, 2005. The band, solidified as a three-guitar quintet, embarked on a year-long tour of the US and Europe to support the two albums. Highlights of the tour included Serge Bielanko's intense renditions of "Dishwasher's Dream" off of IYDLYC, as well as occasional performances of "Reservation Girl," an original song that has never been officially released by the band.
Dave Bielanko, Serge Bielanko, and Adam Garbinski at ACL 2006.The band played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 16, 2006, which was highlighted by a rousing introduction by St. Louis scenester/character Beatle Bob and a cover of The Who's "Baba O'Riley." Marah later played the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 15th, 2006, featuring a spirited performance from the band with Dave and Serge Bielanko jumping over the crowd barriers into the audience. The audio of this performance was released on iTunes on November 7th, 2006.
On September 21, 2006, the band's website announced the release of a live DVD of the IYDLYC tour, entitled Sooner or Later in Spain. The DVD, which was originally recorded and released as a fan bootleg, was released on November 17th, 2006.
Marah, with Christine Smith now a full time member, entered Nashville's 16 Ton Recording Studios in August 2006 to record songs for a new record. In April 2007, the group recorded and mixed additional songs at Brooklyn, New York's Excello Recording. In June, Marah announced that the new record, Angels of Destruction, would be released on January 8, 2008 and previewed the album at a concert/listening party in Philadelphia on September 8th, 2007. Angels of Destruction was preceded by a 6-song 10" EP entitled Can't Take It With You which was released in October 2007. A Christmas EP called Counting the Days was released in November 2007.
The new album was released in early January 2008 to widespread acclaim. Almost immediately afterwards, however, plans for an extensive US tour were cancelled following the departure of Garbinski, Peterson, and Henderson. A statement from Dave Bielenko stated that the current line-up could not agree on tour plans, and that to acquiesce to rhythm section would have represented a "musical regression." Bassist Johnny Pisano and drummer Joe Gorelick were hired as replacements, and in late February the band embarked on a European tour to promote the album.
In August 2008, Dave Bielanko, Smith and Pisano started recording new material at 16 Ton Studios in Nashville. Bielanko has stated his intentions of recording "a lilting beautiful folky record of acoustic guitars, tack pianos, and the stand-up bass".
Firecracker
Marah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a horseshoe on a losing mare
So how am I to wake up
And take it off from there
I'm like a needle in a haystack
That's been set ablaze on fire
I am a pipecleaner that's been
Tripped down to a long, thin wire
I'm a river flowin' straight into a flood
An overflow of fury & mud
A donkey's tail pinned 5 feet
Away from the ass
I' a roll in the lawn
Where all that's green ain't grass
And inside of my chest my heart
Is breakin'
Like the broken bread down on the floor
And oh to be a key
That won't unlock a single door
If there was a moment....
So quick that it blurred, it'd be the only
One-liner......that you
Ever heard!
The lyrics to Marah’s song Firecracker express feelings of frustration and hopelessness. The song is about feeling stuck in one's circumstances and not knowing how to move forward. The singer uses metaphor and imagery to convey their emotions, comparing themselves to a horseshoe on a losing mare, a needle in a haystack set on fire, and a pipecleaner that has been stripped down to a thin wire. The language used is visceral and vivid, with images of fury, mud, and broken-bread contributing to the overall sense of despair.
The singer also describes feeling trapped in their own body, comparing themselves to a river flowing straight into a flood and a roll on a lawn where all that's green isn't grass. They express their heartbreak and the pain they feel inside, wishing they could be a key that could unlock a door, but feeling like they are unable to do so. The final lines of the song are a bit cryptic, suggesting that there might be a brief moment of clarity, but it is fleeting and ultimately insignificant.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel so damn downtrodden
I am overwhelmed with negative emotions.
Like a horseshoe on a losing mare
I feel like an unlucky symbol on an already unlucky situation.
So how am I to wake up
I am struggling to find motivation.
And take it off from there
I need to start making progress from this point.
I'm like a needle in a haystack
I feel small and insignificant in a vast and overwhelming situation.
That's been set ablaze on fire
My situation has become even more difficult and painful.
I am a pipecleaner that's been
I feel bent and malleable, like my situation is shaping me.
Tripped down to a long, thin wire
I am vulnerable and hanging by a thread.
I'm a river flowin' straight into a flood
My emotions are growing too powerful to control.
An overflow of fury & mud
My negative feelings are overwhelming and dirty.
A donkey's tail pinned 5 feet
I feel trapped and stuck in a humiliating position.
Away from the ass
I am far away from where I want to be.
I' a roll in the lawn
I am rolling around aimlessly, unsure of my direction.
Where all that's green ain't grass
Everything around me seems appealing, but it's not what I need or want.
And inside of my chest my heart
My emotions and feelings are intense and painful.
Is breakin'
I am going through a difficult period of emotional pain.
Like the broken bread down on the floor
I am broken and scattered, like a broken piece of bread.
And oh to be a key
I wish I had the power to unlock my situation and make it better.
That won't unlock a single door
Despite my efforts, I am unable to change my situation.
If there was a moment....
If there was a chance for me to make things right...
So quick that it blurred, it'd be the only
Even if it was brief and unclear, it would be my only...
One-liner......that you
...hope or chance of making things better.
Ever heard!
But unfortunately, that chance may never come.
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TR-yi8up
It was like 100 degrees for this show. I have sweat and grime on me that I’ve never been able to clean off