The combination of original guitarist Cameron Dean's diverse and intricate guitar riffs along with the powerhouse combination of Julia Ruzicka's bass lines were the perfect backdrop to Turner's often upfront and outspoken views on UK politics and society as a whole.
They released two full length records, firstly 'A Song To Ruin' in 2003 to critical acclaim. The band went into a brief hiatus after losing Dean on guitar to be replaced by friend of the band Tom Fowler who at the time was also playing twin-bass punk monoliths Palehorse with drummer Ben Dawson. After two years from the first album the band returned with what was their second and final LP 'Harmony No Harmony' in 2005.
The second album did not garner as much acclaim from the public as before, perhaps because of changing tastes and perhaps due to the change in sound that the band had taken. It was still Million Dead but to some it was different. If asked about the drop in show sizes and attention any member of the band would tell you it galvanised them into accepting and relishing the prospect of being a working punk band once more, without the hype and expectations of success that had been lavished on them before (and which they themselves had fallen prey to believing).
Shortly after the release of the album the band decided to throw in the towel due to personal grievances within the band. Frank Turner started to more heavily pursue his solo efforts consisting of alternative folk pieces far removed from what Million Dead had set out to be in sound (though not necessarily in spirit). Julia Ruzicka and Tom Fowler moved from London to Brighton to start another band together and Ben Dawson continued with Palehorse and joined the Hardcore Punk band Armed Response Unit, the experimental bands Mothlite and Queen of Swords and is working on a metal project with Derya Nagle from The Safety Fire. He has also been working as a session and live drummer for many other artists including, most recently The Big Pink on their single 'Stop The World.'
The band released a deluxe edition of 'A Song to Ruin' in 2009 which comprised of the album plus five bonus tracks and a DVD including Cameron Dean's last show, the band's last ever London show and all their promotional videos.
Frank Turner's solo projects projected him onto heights of touring as support for Green Day and playing the UK and Europe festivals. In 2012 what many believe to be the return to his roots he formed Mongol Horde with Ben Dawson who have a similar sound to Million Dead.
The band comprised of;
Frank Turner - Vocals.
Julia Ruzicka - Bass.
Ben Dawson - Drums.
Cameron Dean - Guitar (2000-04)
Tom Fowler - Guitar (2004-05)
Current projects;
Frank Turner is now a solo musician -
(www.myspace.com/frankturner)
Lead singer for Mongol Horde (with Ben Dawson on drums)
Ben Dawson now plays drums for -
Pale Horse (www.myspace.com/thispalehorse)
Armed Response Unit (www.myspace.com/thearmedresponseunit)
Mothlite (www.myspace.com/mothlite)
Queen of Swords (www.myspace.com/queenofswordssound)
Mongol Horde (with Frank Turner on vocals)
Julia Ruzicka has played bass for Future of the Left since 2010. In the autumn of 2016 she released a solo album as this becomes us.
Julia Ruzicka & Tom Fowler have now formed -
The Quiet Kill (www.myspace.com/thequietkill)
I Gave My Eyes to Stevie Wonder
Million Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Processed meat and a national waste disposal system:
The scale of deception begs the question
What it is we're burying.
Cosmetics, contact lenses and plastic surgery:
Bulk orders for yet more imperial finery.
Double-glazing for phasing out suspicions
It seems this season the cool kids
Are sporting white canes
And braille zines.
And when I close my eyes
Am I invisible?
An embarrassed smile
And you assume I'm being rhetorical.
But if I don't see it die
This animal is invincible.
I won't catch your eyes tonight
I will stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter...
Stutter my way through naked poverty
Until I'm across the street safe
I justified giving my eyes to Stevie Wonder
With some spiel about a sense of wonder to discover,
But I was hiding under cover of the excuse of helplessness.
I fell in line with the cool kids
And spared my eyes
Instead of change.
I just called to say
That someone moved my furniture around
And so i fell down
And I hatched a plan here sprawled on the ground.
So hey
So what do you say
We pack our things and call it a day
So come round
Let's lose that frown
And you and I will leave this town
Behind
Leave this
Leave this town behind
Leave this
Leave this town
The lyrics in Million Dead's song "I Gave My Eyes to Stevie Wonder" address the deceptive nature of modern society, with reference to various modes of concealment and superficial practices. The opening lines mention credit cards, sealed lifts and covert sanitation, which suggest the ways in which people try to hide their actions or dispose of waste through sanitized, but ultimately unsustainable, methods. This leads to the central question of the song, which is "What it is we're burying?" - alluding to the idea that society's wastefulness and dishonesty are leading to a hidden accumulation of problems.
The lyrics then go on to criticize the prevalence of cosmetic surgery, contact lenses and double-glazing - alluding to the idea that people are trying to hide their flaws and vulnerabilities behind artificial enhancements. The mention of "white canes and braille zines" is perhaps the most striking line in the song, as it suggests that even blindness has become a fashion statement. The singer laments about the fact that by refusing to see the truth around them, people are letting the animal (i.e. nature or society) become invincible.
The climax of the song follows the singer's admission that they too, gave their eyes to Stevie Wonder - i.e. they chose to ignore the signs and join the cool kids, rather than standing up and making a change. The final lines of the song seem to suggest that the singer intends to leave behind the town and society that they have become disenchanted with, hoping to find a new perspective elsewhere.
Line by Line Meaning
Credit cards, sealed lifts and covert sanitation,
The use of modern amenities is causing people to forget about the waste they're producing.
Processed meat and a national waste disposal system:
Even though the country has a waste disposal system in place, it doesn't seem to properly function.
The scale of deception begs the question
The level of deception in society makes people question everything.
What it is we're burying.
People are too oblivious to notice what they're tossing away.
Cosmetics, contact lenses and plastic surgery:
People are too obsessed with their looks to care about waste.
Bulk orders for yet more imperial finery.
The idea of looking good powers the system of exploit and consume.
Double-glazing for phasing out suspicions
People will do anything to ignore the truth, even if they know they're in denial.
That this is really happening.
The truth is too hard for many to bear, so they ignore it.
It seems this season the cool kids
The younger generation is more apt at noticing what's truly going on.
Are sporting white canes
Their observation is so keen that they're able to see the blinding truth.
And braille zines.
They read between the lines and detect the hypocrisy in glad-handing.
And when I close my eyes
Ignoring something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Am I invisible?
Just because something isn't seen doesn't mean it's not taking place.
An embarrassed smile
Feeling ashamed for not noticing the truth.
And you assume I'm being rhetorical.
People often think that these are poetic expressions without actual meaning behind them.
But if I don't see it die
The truth is unescapable even if people don't want to acknowledge it.
This animal is invincible.
People's indifference to animal welfare gives them an invincibility as they could continue doing what they like without any consequences.
I won't catch your eyes tonight
It's a choice to ignore what's actually going on around oneself.
I will stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter...
Their inability to speak up gave an upper hand to the oppressors.
Stutter my way through naked poverty
People try to ignore the less privileged so as to not get involved.
Until I'm across the street safe
People prefer to be safe even if at the cost of ignoring what's going on around them.
I justified giving my eyes to Stevie Wonder
Just because someone is blind, doesn't mean they can't see better than many who have their sight.
With some spiel about a sense of wonder to discover,
People often come up with excuses for their ignorance.
But I was hiding under cover of the excuse of helplessness.
People hide under a facade as it's easier than facing the truth.
I fell in line with the cool kids
The youth is often more aware of what's going on in the society.
And spared my eyes
People chose to ignore the unjust truths.
Instead of change.
People prefer to ignore issues instead of taking action.
I just called to say
The world is moving forward.
That someone moved my furniture around
Change is inevitable.
And so i fell down
Change often takes time and may be uncomfortable.
And I hatched a plan here sprawled on the ground.
Only when we're prompted to act, do we actually begin to conjure a plan.
So hey
Change isn't necessarily a bad thing.
So what do you say
Change can only be prompted when people are willing to listen.
We pack our things and call it a day
Sometimes, being in denial is easier than facing the unpleasant truth.
So come round
Opening up is a slow and gradual process.
Let's lose that frown
People need to stop running away from the truth and face it with an open mind.
And you and I will leave this town
Change starts with one person and then grows rapidly.
Behind
Let go of the past to move into a better future.
Leave this
Let go of the need to be right and be prepared to learn.
Leave this town behind
Change the narrow mindset and move forward to a better and more stable future.
Contributed by Thomas T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.