With their debut, Yerself Is Steam, the band gained an underground following, particularly in the UK. 1993's Boces was critically acclaimed for its alternative sound, and the band's next album, See You on the Other Side, begins a shift away from the extremes of sonic experimentalism towards the elaborately-orchestrated classic rock blueprint of their later work.
With their early records, Mercury Rev offered experimental, psychedelic rock, which gradually shifted to a melodic, ornate sound. Mercury Rev is often compared to The Flaming Lips, and in fact share close ties: soon after the band's formation, Donahue also joined the Flaming Lips as second guitarist and appeared on two of their albums; and since the 1990 album In a Priest Driven Ambulance, Dave Fridmann has co-produced every Flaming Lips studio album to date except 1993's Transmissions from the Satellite Heart.
Despite considerable critical acclaim, their early releases never gave Mercury Rev more than cult popularity, though they appeared on the smaller second stage at some 1993 Lollapalooza stops. Baker left after their second record, Boces (1993), citing musical and personal disputes; he later recorded an album as Shady. With his departure, the darker, more experimental and less accessible features of their music began to disappear.
The band's first post-Baker album, See You on the Other Side (1995), found them in transition, and the 1998 release of the acclaimed Deserter's Songs (which featured appearances by Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of The Band) made Mercury Rev unexpected pop stars. In the UK, NME Magazine made Deserter's Songs their Album of the Year. Donahue's earnest, high-pitched vocals and concentration on relatively concise, melodic songs gave the band's material an entirely new feel and much increased popularity (Deserter's Songs spawned three UK top 40 singles).
All Is Dream was issued in 2001. It managed a UK top 20 single, "The Dark is Rising," which reached #16 in the UK Top 40.
Mercury Rev's much-anticipated The Secret Migration was released on January 24, 2005. This was followed up in 2006 by a compilation album called The Essential Mercury Rev: Stillness Breathes 1991-2006 and the film soundtrack album Hello Blackbird. More recently, the band released a pair of albums on September 29, 2008: Snowflake Midnight, and a free MP3 album of instrumentals, Strange Attractor.
In 2011 the band performed Deserter's Songs in it's complete form live at several festivals in the UK.
Snorry Mouth
Mercury Rev Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunday night
The killer of the week
Sunday night
Sunday night
The killer of the week
Sunday night
I've finally found
Something to plug up this snorry mouth
Since the day ['cause today?] she said to me (she saw slee smore)
This house moves more than you (show so snow)
So I tell her I sleep (so so still snore)
To keep from thinking it through (bless me)
Now it's all I can do (___shovel snow ___)
When you pull the sheets up overhead (sometimes so you know)
And she sends me out
To shove snow drifts in my bed (she sings sun she snore)
You'll reach for the door
Arms feel weak
You'll make a mistake
And fly fly ahead
And it's all I can do
When you pull the sheets up overhead
And send me out
To shove snow drifts in my bed
Today she said to me (sneer snore seer soar)
Wanna get even with you more (sneer snore seer soar)
So I tell her she can (so show sea shore)
Even more than before (full mouth sneer roar)
You'll reach for the door
And your arms feel weak
You'll make a mistake
And fly fly ahead
And it's all I can do
When you pull the sheets up overhead
And send me out
To shove snow drifts in my bed
I've finally found
I've finally found
Something to plug up this snorry mouth
-?- see the sight
Posts [puffs?] around my bed
You thrust up and down
Arms around my head
Pressures not mine
Both in spirit and time
Whisper wine
I've finally found
I've finally found
Something to plug up this snorry mouth
So I bet she says to me (so show sneer snore)
Need to see [to my side?] (seal the sown shear stone)
But by the time I made the bed (sneer snore sheer shore)
Till you made up your mind (so so so so)
You'll reach for the door
Arms feel weak
You'll make a mistake
And fly fly ahead
And it's all I can do
When you pull the sheets up overhead
And send me out
To shove snow drifts in my bed
I've finally found
I've finally found
Something to plug up this snorry mouth
I've finally found
I've finally found
Something to plug up this snorry mouth
This snorry mouth ( x 16 )
The lyrics to Mercury Rev's song Snorry Mouth are a mix of surreal images and emotions. The repetition of "Sunday night, the killer of the week" sets the tone for a mournful and melancholic atmosphere. The singer describes a restless and sleepless night, where he feels trapped in his own thoughts and actions. He tries to avoid thinking by pretending to sleep, but it only makes him more aware of his surroundings. His partner is constantly reminding him of his shortcomings, making him feel weak and inadequate. The image of shoveling snow drifts in his bed reflects his struggle to find a solution to the problems in his relationship.
The phrase "something to plug up this snorry mouth" is repeated several times throughout the song, and it seems to refer to a desire to silence the singer's inner voice. However, the meaning of "snorry" is ambiguous, and it could be interpreted as a combination of "snore" and "sorry." This wordplay emphasizes the singer's feeling of guilt and regret, as well as his physical and emotional exhaustion.
Overall, the lyrics of Snorry Mouth create a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere, where the singer is unable to escape his own mind and finds himself trapped in a dysfunctional relationship. The repetitive structure of the song and the use of ambiguous words and images add to the sense of confusion and disorientation.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday night
The end of the week, often a time of rest and relaxation
The killer of the week
The final day of the week, signaling the end of something, like a work-week
I've finally found something to plug up this snorry mouth
Having found a solution to the problem of snoring, allowing for a peaceful rest
Since the day she said to me, she saw slee smore
Since the day she mentioned something about snoring, causing concern
This house moves more than you, show so snow
The house, or other factors, might be causing the snoring
So I tell her I sleep, so so still snore
Lying about not snoring to avoid an argument
To keep from thinking it through, bless me
Not wanting to confront the issue of snoring, hoping for a resolution
Now it's all I can do
Despite attempts to hide it, the snoring continues to be a problem
When you pull the sheets up overhead, sometimes so you know
Frequent motions and disturbances, leading to arguments while sleeping
And she sends me out to shove snow drifts in my bed, she sings sun she snore
Excessive snow and cold may be causing the snoring, causing further arguments
You'll reach for the door, arms feel weak, you'll make a mistake and fly fly ahead
The need to escape and leave when arguments become overwhelming
Today she said to me, wanna get even with you more
Expressing desire for revenge after continued frustration
So I tell her she can, even more than before, full mouth sneer roar
Giving in after being worn down, hoping for resolution
I've finally found something to plug up this snorry mouth
Expressing relief after finding a solution to the problem of snoring
-?- see the sight posts [puffs?] around my bed, you thrust up and down, arms around my head
Maybe referring to bad dreams or insomnia caused by the snoring
Pressures not mine both in spirit and time, whisper wine
Referring to the pressure put on the artist by the sleeping partner
So I bet she says to me, Need to see [to my side?] (seal the sown shear stone), but by the time I made the bed (sneer snore sheer shore)
Further evidence of the strain and frustration caused by the sleeping problems and snoring
This snorry mouth ( x 16 )
Repeating the refrain, emphasizing the problem of snoring and the search for a solution
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID BAKER, JAMES CHAMBERS, JONATHAN DONAHUE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind