Erik started making music at a young age, but it wasn’t until age 16 that he started playing shows with his punk band, The Orphans. Influenced by “Fresh Fruit”-era Dead Kennedys and “Worlds Apart”-era Subhumans, the band had released a 7” (“Anthems for Doomed Youth,” 1996) before half of them were even old enough to drive. They officially disbanded in 2000 and Erik continued to make music…digging into the past for a more traditional sound to mix with punk ideals. The result was “Mirth,” a demo of acoustic punk influenced by medieval danses and raucous Romany dust-raising ditties (2000). The tape was rough and scratchy - yet it was clear that there were solid anthems buried under that hiss, which was evident by the scope of the tape, spanning city and state. Logically, a live show was expected – and despite the drums and extra instrumentation on the tape (all layered on a four-track recorder), there was no band. Over the years, seeing “Mischief Brew” on a flyer meant you were just seeing Erik Petersen with an acoustic guitar or mandolin. There was no PA in the beginning, just a roomful of West Philly’s finest rabble-rousers singing along to the “Mirth” songs. And for quite some time, this is how things stayed until it was necessary to deliver a proper recording.
“Bellingham & Philadelphia” (2003) is a split LP/CD with Washington state’s roving songcrafter Robert Blake. Meanwhile, Fistolo Records (the label Erik co-founded and runs with his wife Denise) released the “Bakenal” CDep. It was hard to believe that all the songs were recorded in the same session and split between two releases, as they were completely different experiences soundwise. “Bellingham” was more Phil Ochs/Bob Dylan-style political folk, while “Bakenal” delivered gypsy-punk swing, Poguesy drinking songs, and even a drunken tango. Two years of touring followed, from punk bars to basement shows. Meanwhile, Erik visited the studio here and there to record a few acoustic tracks for the Orphans discography (“Raise the Youth,” 2004), and the Mischief Brew “Oh Sweet Misery b/w All About the Class War” single (2005).
For an official full-length, Mischief Brew needed a non-traditional studio (by punk standards), since the songs required a more varied instrumentation to bring forth the gypsy melodies and circus beats. Impressed by the work of Israeli producer Tamir Muskat (Balkan Beat Box, Firewater, Big Lazy…), Erik visited the Brooklyn studio that he runs. Vibromonk has produced records by such festive acts as Gogol Bordello, World/Inferno Friendship Society, Firewater and more…the kind of place that knows how to mic a marimba. For this record, a backing band was assembled consisting of bass, drums, accordion, clarinet, and junk percussion. Guest appearances by Sturgeon (Leftover Crack), Peter Hess (Guignol), and Franz Nicolay (World/Inferno, The Hold Steady) bring the album even more character. “Smash the Windows” (2005) includes the folk-punk anthems “Nomads Revolt” and “Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell” – but also the epic tale “The Gypsy, The Punk, and The Fool” and the klez/ska rendition of “A Liquor Never Brewed.” The album closes with “Departure Arrival,” a sweet folk lament about leaving the comforts of home for uncharted cities and towns. “Departure” was also featured on “Up the Stairs and Through the Hall,” a 2xCD compilation of independent artists and bands from Philadelphia.
But wait, there’s more! Meanwhile, Mischief Brew released a split 7” with David Dondero (an influence on Bright Eyes) and another with -Bread & Roses (Boston-based labor folk at its best). The newest recording, “Songs from Under the Sink,” is a batch of anarcho-folk songs written between 1997-2002…finally put on LP and CD once and for all. If it had to all fit under one banner, it would read, "Carnivalesque!"
Anti-Lullaby
Mischief Brew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are bouncing and dancing as you sing your lullaby,
Shouting "move" when you say "stay".
That lays us all down to be brave.
They love you we hate you.
They made you we break you today.
Breaking away.
We are painting the walls.
Making jokes out of laws.
Hiding sleeping pills under our tongues.
Shut the light, close the door, we spit them to the floor.
Then we are humming and strumming and a' banging on drums.
What did you know when you said we are wasting away?
How could you say?
How could you say we just waste away, waste away?
Big table not big enough.
How could you say we just waste away, waste away?
Humming and strumming and banging, a' banging on drums.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
We will not be lulled into slumber by you.
We will not be lulled into sleep.
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place,
And it's treasures we intended to keep.
We will not be lulled into slumber.
We will not be lulled into sleep.
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place,
And it's treasures we intended to keep.
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place,
And it's treasures we intended to keep.
So now when they say we just waste away, waste away.
You can say "Hey it's not so".
Why is it then that we're growing, and growing, and growing,
And growing and showing them all what we know?
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
We will not be lulled into slumber by you.
La-dadada
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place.
La-dadada
We will not be lulled into sleep.
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place,
And it's treasures we intended to keep.
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place,
And it's treasures we intended to keep.
The song "Anti-Lullaby" by Mischief Brew is an anthem for resistance against those who seek to lull us into conformity and obedience. The opening lines sarcastically mock the idea of wasting away, using a wicked laugh to show the absurdity of such a notion. The song then shifts focus to those who would enforce this kind of societal slumber, using music as a metaphor for manipulation. The flute, typically associated with gentle melodies and soothing sounds, becomes a deadly weapon in this context. The chorus makes it clear that the defiance of the singer and their cohort will not be overcome, as they seek to actively resist any attempt to put them to sleep. The closing lines reiterate this point, with an emphasis on the idea of protecting the treasures they have discovered in this "wondrous place," despite attempts to take them away.
The lyrics of "Anti-Lullaby" are a call to arms against complacency and conformity, urging listeners to stay awake and resist the forces that seek to lull us into submission. Throughout the song, Mischief Brew uses music as a powerful metaphor to illustrate the dangers of manipulative tune-making. The biting sarcasm and rebellious energy of "Anti-Lullaby" make it a powerful protest song, inspiring anyone who hears it to stay awake and fight against injustice.
Line by Line Meaning
Hehuh, waste away waste away.
An evil laugh which suggests that something terrible is happening.
We are bouncing and dancing as you sing your lullaby,
We are not being put to sleep by your attempts to calm us down. Instead, we are mocking you and having a party.
Shouting "move" when you say "stay".
We are actively rebelling against your attempts to control us and impose your will on us.
The tune of your flute is a rifle you shoot.
Your peaceful music is as deadly as a weapon, causing harm and destruction.
That lays us all down to be brave.
Your attempts to pacify us and make us feel safe are actually making us more courageous and willing to stand up for ourselves.
They love you we hate you.
The people who are trying to control us and put us to sleep may be loved by some, but we are not among their admirers.
They made you we break you today.
We will not be controlled or manipulated by the people who created you and set you loose on us. Instead, we will dismantle your system and set ourselves free.
Breaking away.
We are finally breaking free from your hold on us and charting our own course in the world.
We are painting the walls.
We are no longer content to let things stay the way they are. Instead, we are creating something new and exciting.
Making jokes out of laws.
We are not taking the rules and regulations that have been imposed on us seriously. Instead, we are mocking them and refusing to be bound by them.
Hiding sleeping pills under our tongues.
We are not letting the people who want to put us to sleep win. Instead, we are hiding our defiance and keeping ourselves alert and ready for anything.
Shut the light, close the door, we spit them to the floor.
We are not going to give in to the people who want to put us to sleep. Instead, we are going to spit out their sleeping pills and keep going, no matter what.
Then we are humming and strumming and a' banging on drums.
We are creating our own music and making our own way in the world. We refuse to be confined by the limitations that others have tried to place on us.
How could you say we just waste away, waste away?
We are not wasting away. Instead, we are growing and thriving, despite your attempts to put us to sleep and make us conform.
Big table not big enough.
No matter how hard you try to control us, your power is not sufficient to contain our energy and creativity.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
An expression of our joyful defiance and our refusal to be tamed.
We will not be lulled into slumber by you.
We will not let you control us or put us to sleep with your soothing words and music.
For we've had a taste of this wondrous place,
We have experienced the beauty and wonder of the world, and we refuse to let anyone take that away from us.
And it's treasures we intended to keep.
We will fight to keep the things that are important to us, no matter what anyone else may say or do.
So now when they say we just waste away, waste away.
We reject the idea that we are wasting away. Instead, we are growing stronger and more independent every day.
You can say "Hey it's not so".
We don't care what other people say about us. We know who we are and what we stand for.
And growing and showing them all what we know?
We are not afraid to share our knowledge and our vision with others. We want to inspire them to break free and create something new.
La-dadada
A joyful, celebratory refrain that emphasizes our determination to keep going, no matter what anyone else may say or do.
Contributed by Dominic T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.