The song "Colony of Birchmen" from the band's third album (released in 2006), Blood Mountain, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2007. Blood Mountain was followed in 2009 by Crack the Skye, and in 2011 by The Hunter, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved major commercial success in the United States. The Hunter features the song "Curl of the Burl", which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2012. Mastodon's 2014 album, Once More 'Round the Sun, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and features the band's third Grammy-nominated song, "High Road". The band's seventh album, Emperor of Sand, was released on March 31, 2017, and features the band's most commercially successful song to date, "Show Yourself", which peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June 2017. The followup single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart in October 2017. The album's opening track, "Sultan's Curse", earned the band their first Grammy award. Emperor of Sand was the band's first album to receive a Grammy nomination; it was nominated for Best Rock Album.
Mastodon was formed on January 13, 2000, after drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher moved to Atlanta from Victor, New York, and met bassist/singer Troy Sanders and guitarist/singer Brent Hinds at a High on Fire show. They discovered they had a mutual appreciation of sludge metal bands Melvins and Neurosis, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, and 1970s hard rockers Thin Lizzy, and shortly thereafter formed Mastodon. In an interview in 2009, Kelliher revealed that the first time Hinds attended a practice with the band, he "showed up so wasted he couldn't play".
The band recorded a demo in 2000, which featured Eric Saner on vocals. Saner left the band for personal reasons after just a couple of months. After recording a four-song demo and a 7-inch picture disc through Reptilian Records, Mastodon landed a record deal with Relapse Records in 2001. Mastodon released the EP Lifesblood in 2001, and its first full-length album, Remission, in 2002, with the singles "March of the Fire Ants" and "Crusher/Destroyer" (which was also featured on Tony Hawk's Underground). On each of Mastodon's first three full-length albums, the last track was an instrumental composition with a title that related to the Elephant Man.
Artist Paul Romano was responsible for all of the band's album art and backdrops up to 2011. The artwork for the band's fifth studio album The Hunter was made by AJ Fosik, a woodcarver who was also responsible for the backdrop the band used live at the time. Oakland-based artist Skinner, who, in his own words, specializes in "psychedelic nightmare paintings", has taken the reins on Once More 'Round the Sun. "It's going to be a work of art for sure. It's going to be very eye-opening", said bassist Troy Sanders before the album's release. "Very striking. It's from another dimension, and a lot of our music is geared toward that idea—taking you to another planet on songs. It's out there, and I think it's incredible."
Studio albums
Remission (2002)
Leviathan (2004)
Blood Mountain (2006)
Crack the Skye (2009)
The Hunter (2011)
Once More 'Round the Sun (2014)
Emperor of Sand (2017)
Hushed and Grim (2021)
EPs
Lifesblood (2001)
Cold Dark Place (2017)
Aunt Lisa
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I see is beauty shine
Not much time to say goodnight
I can hear you scream in the sky
Nephew do you feel all right
Always up in overdrive
They would try to smother you
Live out loud
Live out loud
Live out loud
Live out loud
I'm sniffing your garden
I'm sniffing your rose
She's stuck in the middle
You know how it goes
They're crawling across now
They'll give him some blow
We'll do him a favor
We'll give him some gold
I remember your eyes came out
I can see you run and shout
Don't know where to place the blame
You knew how to hide your pain
We just want to see you alive
Taught me how to speak my mind
Release you in atmosphere
It was just too small in here
Live out loud
Live out loud
Live out loud
Live out loud
Hey ho, let's fucking go
Hey ho, let's get up and rock n' roll
Hey ho, let's fucking go
Hey ho, let's get up and rock n' roll
Hey ho, let's fucking go
Hey ho, let's get up and rock n' roll
Hey ho, let's fucking go
Hey ho, let's get up and rock n' roll
In Mastodon's song "Aunt Lisa," the lyrics delve into issues of self-expression and the struggle to be heard in a world that often stifles individuality. The opening lines suggest a positive outlook, with the singer seeing "beauty shine" and not succumbing to fear. The subsequent lines address the nephew in the song, underscoring their concern for his well-being and urging him to "live out loud" and express his true self.
The line "I'm sniffing your garden, I'm sniffing your rose," can be interpreted as someone trying to understand and appreciate another's perspective, while "She's stuck in the middle, you know how it goes" seems to convey a sense of being trapped between different influences or expectations. The song then veers towards a darker tone, with references to drugs and violence, such as "They'll give him some blow" and "I remember your eyes came out." These lines suggest a connection to a world that is often violent and dangerous, but also one that can foster a spirit of rebellion and resilience.
The closing lines of the song, which repeat the "Hey ho, let's get up and rock n' roll" refrain, are a powerful call to action, urging listeners to embrace their inner selves and express their individuality in a way that is confident and fearless. The song's central message seems to be that while the world may try to stifle our voices and smother our feelings, we have the power to rise above these challenges and live our lives on our own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't see the fearsome fright
I am not afraid of anything
All I see is beauty shine
I see nothing but beauty
Not much time to say goodnight
There's not enough time to say goodbye
I can hear you scream in the sky
I can hear your screams in the sky
Nephew do you feel all right
Do you feel okay, nephew?
Always up in overdrive
You're always doing things at a high level of energy and intensity
They would try to smother you
They tried to prevent you from being yourself
Never let your feelings through
They never let you express your feelings.
Live out loud
Be bold and unapologetically yourself.
I'm sniffing your garden
I'm invading your personal space
I'm sniffing your rose
I'm examining something important to you
She's stuck in the middle
She's caught in a difficult situation
You know how it goes
You know what I'm talking about
They're crawling across now
They are advancing slowly
They'll give him some blow
They'll offer him cocaine
We'll do him a favor
We'll help him out
We'll give him some gold
We'll give him something valuable
I remember your eyes came out
I remember how shocked you were
I can see you run and shout
I can see you running and screaming
Don't know where to place the blame
I'm not sure who or what to blame
You knew how to hide your pain
You knew how to keep your pain hidden
We just want to see you alive
We just want to see you live a full life
Taught me how to speak my mind
You taught me to always speak my truth.
Release you in atmosphere
Letting go of someone in a peaceful, cathartic way
It was just too small in here
This place wasn't big enough for you
Hey ho, let's fucking go
Let's get up and take action
Hey ho, let's get up and rock n' roll
Let's get up and let loose.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRANN TIMOTHY DAILOR, TROY JAYSON SANDERS, WILLIAM BREEN KELLIHER, WILLIAM BRENT HINDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind