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.
My My
Menomena Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I could forget everything they said
Could I be then who I really am?
What if I sold everything I own
And ran away from everyone I know
Could I make another place my home?
Who would I dump over the months?
What if everyone is right?
Should've taken their advice
But I can't change my mind
If I let go all of my ghosts
Who would I dump over the months?
(What if everybody else is right)
(Should've taken more of their advice)
The lyrics of Menomena's song My My seem to be expressing thoughts about the burdens of the past and the desire to start afresh without any baggage. The first verse expresses the wish to forget the harsh words of enemies and move beyond their influence. The second verse takes this longing further by suggesting the possibility of giving up everything and starting anew in a different place. Both these verses betray a sense of frustration with the present, as it seems to be weighed down by the past.
The chorus complicates matters by raising the possibility that maybe the doubts and fears about the present are justified. Perhaps the advice of others should have been taken into consideration. But the singer cannot change their mind now and is left with the difficult task of figuring out what to do next. The repetition of the lines "If I let go all of my ghosts/Who would I dump over the months?" suggests that this is an ongoing struggle that the singer is grappling with in their daily life.
Overall, the song seems to be expressing a deep sense of restlessness and uncertainty that comes from trying to live in the present while being haunted by the past. The lyrics are open-ended enough that they can be interpreted in many ways, but they seem to be speaking to a universal human experience of trying to move forward while feeling stuck.
Line by Line Meaning
What if all my enemies were dead
What if all the people who hold grudges against me were no more
And I could forget everything they said
And I could release myself from all the hurtful things they have said
Could I be then who I really am?
Would it free me to be true to myself?
What if I sold everything I own
What if I gave up all my material possessions
And ran away from everyone I know
And abandoned all people I am familiar with
Could I make another place my home?
Would I find comfort and belonging somewhere else?
If I let go all of my ghosts
If I am able to release myself from all my inner demons
Who would I dump over the months?
Who would be the target of my problems instead?
What if everyone is right?
What if all people's opinions are valid?
Should've taken their advice
Maybe I should have listened to their opinions
But I can't change my mind
But I am unable to change my perspective
What if everybody else is right
What if all people's opinions are valid?
Should've taken more of their advice
Maybe I should have paid more attention to their opinions
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brent Knopf, Daniel Frederic Seim, Justin Andrew Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind