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!"
Tell Me A Story
Mischief Brew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me a cause for the foreign wars.
Wrap me up in our flag,
And let the bombs fall where they may.
Tell me a tale, make the puzzle whole.
Give it to the pilgrim without a soul.
Sell it to the miner who can't afford his coal
And may the history factory never close.
You can make a nation from the ashes of the dead. Tell them a story:
God blood and glory,
Brew up an enemy:
They're comin' to steal your bread.
And let the bombs fall where they may
On faces I don't see with names I cannot say.
For I trust the storyteller with my vote.
I, pilgrim was sold a golden soul,
Sold a soul, sold his soul.
The first thing I remember?
Waking up and seeing you there.
Comfort like a fire, like an answer to a prayer.
Like a beacon in the blackness,
Solace from the racket.
Take your shears to the briars.
Kill the chaors, make it clear.
Tell me why the buildings fall and everybody dies.
I have so many questions,
Just tell me where to sign...
And I'll take up arms and lock all the doors
And I'll tell them a story 'bout the good guys
Of the war, of the war.
Tell me a story to help me slip away.
I drank up an enemy.
So let the bombs rain from our parade
And fall where they may.
In the song "Tell Me A Story" by Mischief Brew, the lyrics tell a story of blind patriotism and the danger of blindly following a narrative without questioning it. The opening line "Tell me a story, settle the cards" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is asking for a story that will justify war and violence. He is asking to be wrapped up in the flag and wants the bombs to fall where they may. There is a desperation in his request for a story that will justify the violence happening around him.
The lyrics then shift to the idea of building an army out of a rabble and creating a nation from the ashes of the dead. The storyteller is being trusted with the voter's vote, and the pilgrim was sold a golden soul, essentially selling his soul to the narrative being presented to him. The song questions the validity of the stories being told and the danger of blindly following them. The chorus repeats the idea of letting the bombs fall where they may, on faces he doesn't see with names he cannot say. The song ends with the singer asking for a story to help him slip away from the harsh realities of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me a story, settle the cards.
Narrate to me a fanciful tale to distract me from the harsh reality.
Give me a cause for the foreign wars.
Provide a motive that justifies waging war in foreign lands.
Wrap me up in our flag, And let the bombs fall where they may.
Blind me with patriotism and justify the collateral damage of war.
Tell me a tale, make the puzzle whole.
Entertain me with stories that give meaning to life's complexity.
Give it to the pilgrim without a soul.
Tell stories to those who lack understanding of the world's workings.
Sell it to the miner who can't afford his coal, And may the history factory never close.
Sell fanciful stories to the oppressed to keep them busy and ignorant to their real struggles.
You can build an army of this rabble yet. You can make a nation from the ashes of the dead. Tell them a story: God blood and glory, Brew up an enemy: They're comin' to steal your bread.
Rouse the oppressed by inventing a common enemy that threatens their livelihoods and security.
And let the bombs fall where they may On faces I don't see with names I cannot say.
Justify destruction and loss of life of people who are unknown and irrelevant to those in power.
For I trust the storyteller with my vote.
I believe in the power of narratives to persuade people to vote in my interest.
I, pilgrim was sold a golden soul, Sold a soul, sold his soul.
I, like many others, was fooled into believing in a narrative that does not benefit me in reality.
Tell me why the buildings fall and everybody dies. I have so many questions, Just tell me where to sign...
Questioning the meaning of the violence and death caused by war while blindly accepting the false narratives that justify it.
And I'll take up arms and lock all the doors And I'll tell them a story 'bout the good guys Of the war, of the war.
Join the fight with a false sense of righteousness and superiority over the enemy.
Tell me a story to help me slip away. I drank up an enemy. So let the bombs rain from our parade And fall where they may.
Seeking escapism by embracing narratives that fuel hatred and justify violence.
Contributed by Charlie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
PastryPam C
Mischief brew is important to me because these folk songs can last through the bombs if enough of us learn to play them.
Sleazus Christ
Mischief Brew (among others like Pat) is important to me because some days they were a beacon in the blackness and solace from the racket.
erickdircks
Excellent piece of work!! Thank you very much for Sharing!!!!! What a way of meeting people and get to see their talent. At first was reluctant being on youtube, but getting to do this has brought me into the houses of some very special people. You are one of them. Life; isn't it wonderful!!! Keep up the good work. Hope You Are Having A Splendid Day!!!! A New Friend Erick
James Conklin
such an amazing song
Hailee Harrington
RIPUNK-Rock Erik<3 you will be missed
Zzy
@drgonzito613 Leftover Crack and Mischief Brew......pure awesomeness. I actually heard of Mischief Brew through a Leftover Crack show and have been in love with them ever since
JDawg4DeyFo
Erik Peterson was so talented bruh
aa274631
This is intense.
Thomas Curtis
It might not be rap but break this one down #mattwalsh #dailywire #breakdown
cool stuff for boys
erik petersen was an ardent leftist with a passion for the labour movement and anti-imperialism. i think you're barking up the wrong tree.