After releasing 300 copies of two of their songs, the band was discovered by, and eventually signed with, independent label Warp Records in 2004, releasing their critically-acclaimed debut album A Certain Trigger" in May 2005. Widely described as one of the best British albums of the year, the album helped the band develop a strong and diverse fanbase both in the UK and abroad, and also earned them a nomination for the coveted Mercury Music Prize. Three songs from the record, Apply Some Pressure (re-released), Graffiti and Going Missing, reached the Top 20 in the UK music charts in 2005. Maxïmo Park also contributed a song titled Wasteland to the War Child album Help: A Day in the Life, midway through that year. The final single from A Certain Trigger, I Want You To Stay, was released in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2006.
Maxïmo Park's second album, Our Earthly Pleasures was released on April 2, 2007. Singles included Our Velocity, Girls Who Play Guitars, Books From Boxes and Karaoke Plays. In August 2008 Paul Smith announced that the band had finished recording their third album and were looking for someone to produce it. It is expected for release in early 2009.
As a result of their rapidly increasing popularity both in the United Kingdom and overseas, 2005 also proved to be a highly exciting year for the band from a touring perspective, with a number of successful tours of Europe, as well as supporting The Bravery in the United States and performing a number of sellout shows in Japan and Australia. While performing across Europe at the Glastonbury and Lowlands music festivals and the Carling Weekend, their enormous success in the United Kingdom was confirmed through their place as support for Kaiser Chiefs on the NME Rock and Roll Riot Tour, and their appearance at the XFM Winter Wonderland shows in London in December of 2005. In a similar vein, the band headlined the NME Awards Tour in the UK, featuring Arctic Monkeys, Mystery Jets and We Are Scientists, and expanded their presence in Asia by performing in Thailand as part of the Rock 100 Festival in Bangkok.
The The National Health Songfacts reports that Maximo's Park fourth album relates to the state of society at large: "The nation is out of control," said Paul Smith, "and the record is about taking back control, and being a force for change in your own life. It can't speak for everybody but it has its eyes and ears all around us. Our songs are built on empathy. I would hope it's as vital a music as people would want to hear." The National Health will be released June 11, 2012.
The band also enjoys playing in their hometown, Newcastle. In early 2007, despite global success, they decided to play in three small venues and price tickets at only £5. These venues were The Head Of Steam, The Cumberland Arms and The Cluny. The band also headlined Freevolution 2007, a free outdoor music festival in Newcastle/Gateshead sponsored by Orange phones.
Wasteland
Maxïmo Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the place where your mind isn't wanted
Springs so cruel since it stops us pretending
Many a place for a good confrontation
There is no time for the lost generation
Inevitably it's a generalization
But innocence leaves like a trivialization
The devil in me made a pact with naivety
I keep you close with a memory
The devil in me keeps a record of his misery
I keep you close with a memory
Judging by your reaction
I'll be taking to no further action
It's then I know that I know when I need you
Then I know that I know when I need you
I know that I know when I need you
And not for no reason do they call this a wasteland
The century sighs because life's in the margin
The casual stance of the size is reluctance
Ritual needs like a cozy conclusion
Destiny screams till it turns to a whimper
You see it on screen but there's a flaw in the picture
Maybe there's space for the smallest suggestion
The devil in me made a pact with naivety
I keep you close with a memory
The devil in me keeps a record of his misery
I keep you close with a memory
Forging a new vocabulary seems like the only answer
Then I show that I know that I need you
When I show that I know when I need you
I show that I know when I need you
Judging by your reaction
I'll be taking to no further action
Then I know that I know that I when need you
Then I know that I know that I when need you
Forging a new vocabulary seems like the only answer
Then I show that I know that I need you
When I show that I know when I need you
I show that I know when I need you
I show that I know when I need you
Then I'll know
"Wasteland" by Maximo Park is a song that explores themes of loss, frustration, and the sense of emptiness in modern society. The opening lines, "Not for no reason do they call this a wasteland / This is the place where your mind isn't wanted," suggest a lack of fulfillment or purpose in life. The song then goes on to reference the lost generation, and how innocence can be seen as trivial in a world that values confrontation and ritual.
The chorus, "The devil in me made a pact with naivety / I keep you close with a memory / The devil in me keeps a record of his misery / I keep you close with a memory," highlights the idea of holding onto memories, and the importance of not losing touch with the past. The repeated line, "Then I know that I know when I need you," could also reference the comfort we find in familiar routines and people, and how they can help us feel less lost in a world that can sometimes feel like a wasteland.
The song also references the need for change and new perspectives, with the line "Forging a new vocabulary seems like the only answer." The idea that a new way of looking at things could help alleviate the sense of emptiness and meaningless in life is a recurring theme in Maximo Park's music.
Line by Line Meaning
Not for no reason do they call this a wasteland
This is a place where one's thoughts are not welcomed
This is the place where your mind isn't wanted
This is a place where one's thoughts are not welcomed
Springs so cruel since it stops us pretending
The season of spring is harsh since it makes us face reality and stop pretending
Many a place for a good confrontation
This is a place where confrontations can easily arise
There is no time for the lost generation
There's no time to waste for the generation that's lost
Inevitably it's a generalization
It's a general statement, but it's bound to happen
But innocence leaves like a trivialization
Innocence fades away quickly and easily just like trivial things
The devil in me made a pact with naivety
My evil side made an agreement with my innocence
I keep you close with a memory
I keep you in my thoughts
The devil in me keeps a record of his misery
My evil side remembers the pain it has caused me
Judging by your reaction
Based on your response
I'll be taking to no further action
I won't pursue any further action
It's then I know that I know when I need you
That's when I realize when I truly need you
The century sighs because life's in the margin
The century laments because life is on the edge, not where it should be
The casual stance of the size is reluctance
The nonchalant way things are is actually resistance to action
Ritual needs like a cozy conclusion
Rituals require a comfortable ending
Destiny screams till it turns to a whimper
Fate shouts until it becomes a faint cry
You see it on screen but there's a flaw in the picture
You see it portrayed but there's an imperfection in the representation
Maybe there's space for the smallest suggestion
Perhaps the tiniest suggestion can make a difference
Forging a new vocabulary seems like the only answer
Creating new ways to express oneself appears to be the only solution
Then I show that I know that I need you
That's when I demonstrate that I truly need you
I show that I know when I need you
I demonstrate that I recognize when I require your presence
Then I'll know
That's when I'll truly understand
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL LAYUS, JARED PALOMAR, JOSIAH ROZENCWAJG, JUSTIN SOUTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind