Heavily influenced musically and politically by mid-1990s vegan straight edge metal/hardcore acts such as Earth Crisis, Day of Suffering, Loxiran and Morning Again, their music also displays influences from metal acts such as At the Gates, Metallica, Sepultura and Slayer.
The year of 1999 saw Maroon releasing a demo cassette entitled The Initiate, signalling a new era of vegan straight edge culture in Germany. All four of the songs were to be found on later releases.
Their first cd, Captive in the Room of the Conspirator, was recorded at Headquarters Studion in Berlin in spring 2000 and released that year on the now-defunct Kerosene Recordings label, featuring songs like The Solution strongly advocating a vegan lifestyle and support for animal liberation and earth liberation. The band began touring Europe, opening for many hardcore acts including their idols Earth Crisis and Morning Again.
Later in the year Maroon released an untitled split 7" with Absidia on the Crap Chords label, featuring the song Wasted. That winter the band went back to the studio to record a split CD with Self Conquest entitled The Key, this time using 101 Studios, also in Berlin. On the heels of this recording, released by Beniihana Records the band went back on the road once more, touring Europe and opening for bands including Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban.
In November 2001 Maroon entered Rape of Harmonies Studios to record their debut full-length, Antagonist, released on legendary US vegan straight edge hardcore label Catalyst Records (http://www.xcatalystx.com). Catalyst is run by Kurt Catalyst, frontman for defunct hardcore legends Birthright and a newer band, Risen. Antagonist featured Maroon's best work to date both musically and lyrically, delivering a number of hard-hitting songs including the vegan straight edge anthem Still Believe in What Has Fallen Apart and a cover of Canon's classic animal liberation rallying call Declaration. The album soon became one of Catalyst's biggest sellers in both the US and Europe, leading to more European tours.
After some line up changes Maroon switched labels to Alveran Records in 2003, who then re-released Antagonist. February 2004 saw the band at Denmark's Antfarm Studio recording a new full length album entitled Endorsed by Hate. Following the recording, original guitarist Marc Zech left the band, and was replaced by Sebastian Rieche. The album was released in Europe in June, and between June and December of 2004 Maroon played 60 shows across Europe, including major festivals such as With Full Force and Pressure Fest. In October the band switched labels again, signing to Century Media Records. In early 2005 Century Media/Abacus released Endorsed by Hate in North America.
Many of Maroon's die-hard vegan straight edge fans felt let down by Endorsed by Hate due to its general lack of overtly topical lyrics, especially after the inspiring "Antagonist". As opposed to previous releases, the new album makes no mention of veganism, straight edge, animal liberation or earth liberation in the lyrics, liner notes or artwork. Another disappointment for these fans was the change of Maroon's website address from "http://www.xmaroonx.com" to "http://www.maroonhate.com", leading many fans to believe that Maroon have "sold out" on straight edge.
2006 saw the release of the new Maroon CD entitled When Worlds Collide which lead to some back-to-the-roots changes a least regarding the lyrics. 24 HourHateor Wake Up In Hell (one of the disco-smashers 2006, deal with animal liberation, while
Like Sword And Bullet advises a life without drugs.
Regarding the music, the new album is more diverse than any of the others. Maroon combine both their old trademarks with some new features (even featuring clean metal-style vocal on Annular Eclipse, even though it somehow lacks the spirit of the older Maroon releaes due to its very clean and sterile production.
In 2009, they released their fifth and last album, called Order.
They announced that they will play their last Tour in 2014, with their last show at the Summerbreeze (15th of August).
The Tourist
Maroon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like It′s Seen A Ghost.
I Guess It's Seen The Sparks A-Flowin,
No-One Else Would Know.
Hey Man, Slow Down, Slow Down,
Idiot, Slow Down, Slow Down.
Sometimes I Get Overcharged,
That′s When You See Sparks.
At A 1000 Feet Per Second,
Hey Man, Slow Down, Slow Down,
Idiot, Slow Down, Slow Down.
Hey Man, Slow Down, Slow Down,
Idiot, Slow Down, Slow Down.
The first line of the chorus in Maroon's song "The Tourist," "It Barks At No-One Else But Me, Like It's Seen A Ghost," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics give the impression that the singer is hallucinating or experiencing some intense psychological distress. The next line, "I Guess It's Seen The Sparks A-Flowin, No-One Else Would Know," suggests that the singer is aware of their own instability and is trying to keep their thoughts together. The second chorus is a repetition of the first, which emphasizes the singer's sense of anxiety and despair.
The third verse conveys a sense of urgency and danger. The singer speaks of being overcharged and the sparks flying. The line "They Ask Me Where The Hell I'm Going?" implies that the singer is facing some kind of external pressure, which is contributing to their distress. The repetition of the words, "Slow Down, Slow Down, Idiot, Slow Down, Slow Down" gives the impression that the singer is trying to calm themselves down or is being ordered to do so by someone else.
Overall, "The Tourist" is a song that deals with anxiety, paranoia, and the struggle to keep one's emotions and thoughts in check. The driving beat of the music and the repetitive lyrics serve to reinforce the singer's sense of unease and disorientation.
Line by Line Meaning
It Barks At No-One Else But Me,
The dog is only barking at me, as if it’s seen something supernatural.
Like It′s Seen A Ghost.
The dog seems to be seeing something that scares it, like a ghost.
I Guess It's Seen The Sparks A-Flowin,
The dog must have witnessed a spark, which has heightened its senses and caused it to bark.
No-One Else Would Know.
No one else would understand why the dog is barking if they haven't seen the sparks.
Hey Man, Slow Down, Slow Down,
The artist is telling someone to slow down.
Idiot, Slow Down, Slow Down.
The singer is frustrated with the other person for not slowing down.
Sometimes I Get Overcharged,
The singer sometimes feels overwhelmed and overworked.
That′s When You See Sparks.
When the artist is overworked, there are sparks that fly, causing the dog to bark.
They Ask Me Where The Hell I'm Going?
People often ask the artist where they're headed at such a fast pace.
At A 1000 Feet Per Second,
The artist is moving at an incredibly fast pace of 1000 feet per second.
Hey Man, Slow Down, Slow Down,
The person with the singer is once again told to slow down.
Idiot, Slow Down, Slow Down.
The artist is irritated with the other person for not comprehending the need to slow down.
Writer(s): Edward John O'brien, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke, Colin Charles Greenwood, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood
Contributed by Ethan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.