In 1990-91 Timony played guitar and shared lead vocals in the Washington, D.C.-based band Autoclave. She later relocated to Boston, where she graduated from Boston University with a degree in English literature and formed the band Helium in the summer of 1992, recording two albums and three EPs with the group between 1994 and 1997. Helium disbanded in 1997 or 1998, whereupon Timony embarked on her solo career, recording albums in 2000 and 2002 (Mountains and The Golden Dove).
In 2005 Timony joined with drummer Devin Ocampo; her 2005 CD Ex Hex, released on the Lookout! Records label, features the two performing together as a duo. In the same year, she contributed vocals to Team Sleep's premier self-titled album on the tracks "Tomb of Liegia" and "King Diamond."
Timony's music is often heavy and dark, frequently using drones, beats, and modal melodies that are reminiscent of European Medieval music. She uses a number of alternate guitar tunings, most prominent of which is DADGAE, which allows for the execution of melodic passages.
She had a cameo role in the movie All Over Me as lead singer/guitarist of the fictional girl rock band Coochie Pop, along with another real-life singer/guitarist, Leisha Hailey. They performed the Helium song "Hole in the Ground" in the movie.
Timony's 2007 album, The Shapes We Make, is out on Kill Rock Stars and is released under the name Mary Timony Band.
More recently Mary has formed the band Ex Hex, which released albums in 2014 and 2019.
Harmony
Mary Timony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you tell them that it hurts to offend?
So much is wasting my time,
We travel on the animal line.
But harmony is everlasting,
Filling our brains with plastic flowers!
I could sleep for hours.
I told him to get the hell out of my way,
So much is wasting my time.
We travel on the animal line.
But harmony is everlasting,
Filling my brain with flowers!
Can you feel time? It's passing!
Hours ahead lay far behind us...
Please stay, if you don't mind us
The opening verse sees Mary Timony addressing someone who has heard people talking about their best friend behind their back. She asks if they did anything to defend their friend or at least acknowledge that those words had hurt their friend's feelings. She then goes on to lament how much time is being wasted, as everyone seems to just follow their primal instincts, almost like animals. However, amidst all this chaos and confusion, harmony exists as something everlasting, something that fills our minds with beauty and wonder. It feels like a respite from everything else that's going on. In the chorus, she talks about how she can easily sleep for hours, which could imply that sleep might be a way to seek solace from the harsh reality of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
When you heard those chicks talking 'bout your best friend,
Did you defend your friend when you overheard others insulting them?
Did you tell them that it hurts to offend?
Did you make those who insulted your friend aware of the pain they can cause?
So much is wasting my time,
There are many things occupying me that are not productive, and it's frustrating.
We travel on the animal line.
We live primitive lives, driven by instinct and base desires, like animals do.
But harmony is everlasting,
Despite our bestial nature, humans have an innate longing for unity and peace with others.
Filling our brains with plastic flowers!
Our desire for connection with others is only superficial, like the artificiality of plastic flowers.
I could sleep for hours.
I am feeling restless and exhausted, such that I could sleep for an extended period.
I was tried by the man on judgment day.
I was judged by an authority figure, who condemned me for my actions.
I told him to get the hell out of my way,
I resisted the authority's judgment, refusing to accept their condemnation.
Can you feel time? It's passing!
Are you aware of how time is fleeting and constantly moving forward?
Hours ahead lay far behind us...
Time moves so quickly that we'll be looking back at the present as a distant memory in no time.
Please stay, if you don't mind us
If you're willing to accept us, please remain here and keep us company.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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