The band formed in late 2000, when ex-member Brent Knopf graduated from Dartmouth College and returned to Portland to collaborate with Harris and Seim. They played their first show in July 2001, at The Meow Meow, a now-defunct all ages venue in Portland.
Menomena self-released their debut album, I Am the Fun Blame Monster!, on May 20, 2003. The album was elaborately packaged in an 80-page flipbook that Seim designed and individually hand-assembled. It later received nationwide distribution through FILMguerrero in 2004. The title is an anagram for The First Menomena Album.
In 2005, Under an Hour was released as a three-track album of instrumental music written for and performed with Monster Squad, an experimental dance company based in Portland.
In August of 2006, Menomena signed with Barsuk Records although the band still maintains a relationship with their old label, FILMguerrero. It was stated that FILMguerrero would still be involved in their old catalog and future vinyl releases.
Menomena released their next album in 2007, titled Friend and Foe. It received relative critical acclaim -- while some websites like Pitchfork Media praised the album for its effective modular pop, others like PopMatters criticized it for presenting a sense of feigned maturity. Their record release show was held in their home town of Portland, Oregon. The packaging features artwork by graphic novelist/cartoonist Craig Thompson, consisting of die-cut shapes, decoder rings, and hidden messages. It was nominated for "Best Recording Package" at The Grammy Awards.
The band's following album, Mines, was released in July 2010.
In January 2011, Brent Knopf's departure was announced. He left the band under good terms in order to focus on his other project Ramona Falls.
Without Knopf, Menomena released their most recent album, Moms in September of 2012.
The band's name was chosen for "the way it rolls off the tongue, sexually, or something" and has no specific meaning, although it is often assumed to refer to the Piero Umiliani song "Mah Nà Mah Nà", a staple of The Muppet Show.
Danny Seim also has a side project began in the late 90's titled Lackthereof.
Evil Bee
Menomena Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And on that walk, I gave my hand
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
With this ring that I wear today
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand
The lyrics to Menomena's "Evil Bee" are deceptively simple, yet pack a lot of emotional weight. The song seems to be playing with themes of loneliness, isolation, and the human desire to be useful and wanted. The opening lines depict the singer taking a walk with an invisible friend, which could be interpreted as a manifestation of their own loneliness or lack of connection with others. The line "And on that walk, I gave my hand" suggests a longing for intimacy and human connection, even if it's just with an unseen entity.
The repeated refrain of "O, to be a machine/ O, to be wanted/ To be useful" hints at a sense of dehumanization or feeling like a cog in a greater machine. The desire to be wanted and useful is a universal human trait, but the use of the word "machine" implies a certain coldness or lack of humanity. The final line, "With this ring that I wear today/ My whole world is your property," adds a layer of ambiguity to the lyrics. Is the singer referring to a romantic partner, or someone else who has control over their life?
Overall, "Evil Bee" is a haunting and introspective song that touches on topics of identity, loneliness, and longing for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a walk with an invisible friend
I spoke to a person who was not really there and went for a stroll with them.
And on that walk, I gave my hand
I extended my arm and offered it to the imaginary friend, as if they were a real, physical companion.
O, to be a machine
Oh, how wonderful it would be to function like a mechanical device, without any emotional attachments or distractions.
O, to be wanted
Oh, how excellent it would be to receive attention or approval from others, which would fulfill one's need for validation.
To be useful
To have a purpose or value in society, which would give one a sense of significance and accomplishment.
With this ring that I wear today
By wearing this particular ring on my finger, I am symbolically giving ownership and control of my life to someone else.
My whole world is your property
By giving someone else ownership and control over my life, they also have control over everything that matters to me and affects my existence.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brent Knopf, Daniel Frederic Seim, Justin Andrew Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick Moore
Lyrics:
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
With this ring that I wear today
My whole world is your property
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand.
SuperSleepy77
I took a walk with an invisible friend (meaning Jesus)
And on that walk, I gave my hand (accepting Christ's promise of salvation and repenting from sin)
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful (to be productive and have a purpose to fulfill, as in serving God)
With this ring that I wear today
My whole world is your property (Jesus referred to himself as the "bridegroom", this referred to the relationship you build with him and in that relationship you give everything you are to him.)
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand.
Chris Finestone
Wow. Can't remember the last time I saw a music video with this much depth in it.
voladora92
AMO A ESTA BANDA
gNarLy cEe
Wow, amazing imagination, creativity & execution on this theme/story! Song has been stuck in mind for a couple days & i Just now saw this video.
seek
I feel this video is the struggle of everyday life, living to work, working to live. the bees that escape are finally happy just as you are when you finally get off work and are able to spend time with your loved ones
Nick Moore
Lyrics:
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
With this ring that I wear today
My whole world is your property
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
To be useful
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand.
TeKkn0VikinG
Amazing Video,Amazing Sound,Amazing Band.......
ELBSeattle
This is one of those videos that I have to come back to and watch again and again.
Odinffs
Awesome vid. Been wanting to buy the Menomena records for a while now, though it's hard getting a hold of them here in Norway.
Walter
This video was the one in particular that I remembered somewhere in the back of my head and I stumble upon it out of nowhere. What luck!
ttvPseuderity
POWERFUL