During his three years of exile in Boston as a scholarship student at the Berklee School of Music, far from his Florida home, Jonathan Bates pulled further and further away from all that the city represented. “There wasn’t much to do except get drunk, do drugs, or get into fights,” he remembers. “And it always seemed to be snowing. So I started to write music.”
Beginning with … boredom never sounded so sweet, a home-brewed EP that he produced in 1999 and gave away to strangers on the street, Bates put together a body of work under the name mellowdrone. “I didn’t want to use my own name because people might come to expect me to do only one kind of music,” he explains. “With another name, I felt that I could do anything.”
The disc made its way to L.A., and Bates, convinced that “Berklee really sucked,” followed. Essentially homeless for several months, he crashed on the couches of friends, picked up odd jobs, but mainly concentrated on writing new material. Once he got his own place he pieced together a makeshift studio, with a bargain-basement computer, a tinny Casio keyboard from Radio Shack, and a few guitars.
From this jumble of mismatched gear came the second mellowdrone EP, glassblower, on January 1, 2001, which Bates sold exclusively on his website, mellowdrone.com. Word of this odd, somewhat solitary, and frighteningly talented artist began to spread: Ryan Ayanian spent three months tracking him down in order to sign on as his co-manager, and producer/A&R executive Tony Berg, whose track record includes discovering Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Beck, made mellowdrone one of his first signings after coming onboard at ARTISTdirect Records.
“Jonathan isn’t afraid to take on difficult subjects,” he explains. “He does not write with inhibition. And that individuality is also manifest in his recording process, which is the most unusual hybrid of DIY and state-of-the-art I’ve ever encountered. His recordings have a homespun quality, yet you’re dazzled by the sonics. That, coupled with his songwriting and his talent as a musician, distinguishes him from anybody I’ve ever heard. Plus, he can make me laugh at will – which gives him a power over me I’m not altogether happy about.”
As an opening act for Elbow, South, Remy Zero, Starsailor, and other headliners at West Coast shows, mellowdrone added stage chops to studio wizardry, both in group and solo settings. “One moment he’s playing something beautiful and mesmerizing,” says Ayanian, “then all of a sudden he’s a total smart-ass onstage. At one of his earliest shows a few girls sitting in the front were laughing. Jonathan stopped in mid-song and said, ‘Hold on…will you laugh again, please?’ He totally put this girl on the spot, but she did laugh, and he recorded it and wove the sample into the rhythm of his next song. He had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand.”
Citing influences that range from film score composer Danny Elfman through French avant-gardist Erik Satie to his “favorite Beatle” George Harrison, Bates has taken the next big step in his career with the EP a demonstration of intellectual property, an ambitious project conceived specifically to break free from pop clichés and force people to look at themselves and their world in unfamiliar ways.
“I don’t want to be preachy,” he insists, “and if I took myself too seriously I’d be the first guy to make fun of that. But with everybody sick of what’s going on but not doing anything about it, if I can say something through music that makes people really question the way things are, then that’s all I really want to do. But who gives a fuck what I think anyway.”
For more info on the band please visit the official home page.
http://www.mellowdrone.com
http://myspace.com/mellowdrone
Elephant
Mellowdrone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unrelenting nakedness
9/11 euphemy, in the middle
Angry label's emphases
Modern women
Drunken men
I remember when we met, in the middle
There, there's nothing you can do about now
So sing along, 'cause if it's you
You'll do for all
Elephant, oh elephant
Please don't forget your number
Elephant, oh elephant
One step ahead of time
This is America
American show
Elephant, oh elephant
One step ahead of time
Broken compass never works
Just like magic, and your church
They can sing it, so can we
In the middle
Sipping water blissfully
From her point of entry
I remember when we met
In the middle
There, there is something you can do about it now (do about it now)
So sing along, 'cause if it's you
You'll do for all
Elephant, oh elephant
Please don't forget your number
Elephant, oh elephant
One step ahead of time
This is America
American show
Elephant, oh elephant
One step ahead of time
I feel lighter, lighter
From the choir muse right here
I feel lighter, lighter
Baby won't you listen?
I feel higher and higher
From the choir trying
I feel high and higher
Baby won't you listen?
Elephant!
Don't you forget your number
Elephant, oh elephant
One step ahead of time
This is America
American show
Elephant, oh elephant
One step ahead of time
The lyrics to Mellowdrone's song Elephant are quite elusive and can be interpreted in a number of different ways. The singer seems to be referencing various cultural and societal phenomena in America, such as the aftermath of 9/11, gender roles, and religion. The repeated phrase "in the middle" suggests a feeling of being stuck in the middle of conflicting forces or issues.
The first verse seems to be referencing the media's coverage of 9/11 and how they euphemize or sugarcoat the tragedy. The second line, "unrelenting nakedness," could be interpreted as the exposed vulnerability of the country after the attacks. The next two lines mention "angry label's emphases" and "modern women/drunken men," which could be a commentary on the ways in which different groups are represented or marginalized in American society.
The chorus of the song references an elephant, which could be a symbol of something that is large and looming but also easily forgotten. The repeated phrase "one step ahead of time" suggests a constant need to keep moving forward and not get left behind.
The second verse references a broken compass and a church, both of which could be seen as symbols of guidance or direction. However, the singer seems to be suggesting that these things are unreliable or deceptive. The lines "sipping water blissfully/from her point of entry" are more difficult to decipher but could be interpreted as a moment of clarity or insight.
The overall message of the song seems to be somewhat ambiguous but there is a sense of urgency and a call to action. The repeated phrases "sing along" and "please don't forget your number" suggest a need for unity and a reminder that each person has a role to play.
Line by Line Meaning
In the middle, happiness
Describing the happiness in the middle of something
Unrelenting nakedness
Nakedness that can't be stopped or avoided
9/11 euphemy, in the middle
Referring to the aftermath of 9/11 as a soft or soothing word, in the middle of something
Angry label's emphases
The emphasis placed by record labels on angry music
Modern women
Women in modern times
Drunken men
Men who are drunk
I remember when we met, in the middle
Recalling the meeting that took place in the middle of something
There, there's nothing you can do about now
Accepting that the present situation cannot be changed
So sing along, 'cause if it's you
Encouraging listeners to participate in the song
You'll do for all
Everyone can relate to the message of the song
Elephant, oh elephant
Metaphorically referring to an elephant in the room, an issue that's present but not being discussed
Please don't forget your number
Be aware of your role, don't overlook your importance
One step ahead of time
Stay ahead of current trends or events
This is America
Commenting on the current state of America
American show
The life in America can be seen as a spectacle
Broken compass never works
A metaphor for having lost one's sense of direction in life
Just like magic, and your church
Comparing the loss of direction to the failure of religion to provide answers
They can sing it, so can we
Everyone can express themselves through music
Sipping water blissfully
Drinking water in a peaceful or contented manner
From her point of entry
Referring to a woman's perspective or experience
There, there is something you can do about it now (do about it now)
Emphasizing that there is still hope to make a change
Baby won't you listen?
Asking for someone to pay attention or understand
I feel lighter, lighter
Experiencing relief or release
From the choir muse right here
Being inspired by the sounds of a choir
I feel higher and higher
Feeling ecstatic or euphoric
From the choir trying
The choir is striving or putting in effort to achieve something through music
Contributed by Sophia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.