The band was formed by Roger Miller (guitar), Clint Conley (bass), Peter Prescott (drums) and Martin Swope (tape manipulator/sound engineer). Miller, Conley and Prescott share singing and songwriting duties. Like many of their post-punk contemporaries, Mission of Burma's efforts are largely concerned with extending punk's original vocabulary without losing its essential rebellious spirit. Using rapid shifts in dynamics, unconventional time signatures and chord progressions along with tape effects, Mission of Burma challenges the prevailing idioms of punk while attempting to retain its power and immediacy.
In early years the band's audience was limited to the Boston area, with all their recordings released on the small Boston-based record label Ace of Hearts. Despite initial success, Mission of Burma disbanded in 1983 due to Miller's development of tinnitus caused by the volume of the band's live performances. The band released only one album in its original form, Vs.. Mission of Burma reformed in 2002, with Bob Weston replacing Swope, and has since recorded two more albums, ONoffON and The Obliterati.
Their wall-of-noise musical sound extended the vocabulary of punk while continuing to hold clear its sense of power and abandon. They used a number of tape effects, different chord progressions, and time shifts to highlight their formal training in music. Not only that but they are seen now as a highly influential band to both post-punk and experimental music to come after; many bands cite Burma as an inspiration, including Nirvana, Superchunk, Creed, The Grifters, R.E.M. (who regularly covered "Academy Fight Song" on their Green tour), Sonic Youth, Throwing Muses, Yo La Tengo, Soul Asylum, Pixies, Sugar, Catherine Wheel, Guided by Voices, Graham Coxon and Moby - the last two of which have covered ""That's When I Reach For My Revolver."
The band were due to tour in 1980 with Joy Division but the suicide of Ian Curtis, Joy Division's singer, canceled the tour. In 1983, after releasing their only full-length studio record Vs., the group disbanded due to Miller's worsening tinnitus.
The band found increasing relevance throughout the 90s, culminating in the publication of Michael Azzerad's essays Our Band Could Be Your Life which featured Mission of Burma. In 2002, they reunited and began playing reunion shows with Bob Weston of Shellac (and formerly Prescott's Volcano Suns bandmate) replacing Swope at the mixing board and tape manipulation. In an interview Miller relates that "when we approached Bob Weston to fill Martin's position, we told him he could use current digital technology which accomplishes Martin's antics in an easier fashion. However, Bob opted for maintaining the original integrity, and uses a tape deck."
A new album, ONoffON, was produced in 2004 by Weston with Rick Harte and the band, and released by Matador Records.
In 2009 the band recorded 14 tracks for their fourth full-length studio album, The Sound The Speed The Light. Matador released a two non-album songs on a 7″ single in August and the full album in October of that year.
In 2012 Mission of Burma parted ways with Matador and recorded their fifth full-length album, "Unsound", for Fire Records. The album saw release in July 2012, preceded by the single "Dust Devil".
In a 2019 Facebook post, it was revealed that the band has no plans to make further albums. As of June 2020, the band was officially finished.
See also:
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Volcano Suns
Kustomized
The Peer Group
Consonant
Dead Pool
Mission of Burma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heard a voice and changed my stance
All I needed was a clue
Had enough of golden rules
Now the days are open wounds
All I needed was a clue
Find a way to turn things back
Where did things go wrong?
Where did things go wrong?
Where did things go wrong?
Where did things go wrong?
Where did things go wrong?
Where did things go wrong?
The lyrics to Mission of Burma's song "Dead Pool" reflect the internal turmoil and regret of the singer. The opening lines, "Had the choice but lost my chance, heard a voice and changed my stance," suggest a sense of missed opportunity and indecisiveness. The phrase "all I needed was a clue" implies a sense of directionlessness in their life, and the desire to find a path forward. This feeling of aimlessness is further emphasized in the line "had enough of golden rules," indicating a rejection of societal expectations and norms.
The later lines "now the days are open wounds, all I needed was a clue, find a way to turn things back" express a sense of desperation and regret. The singer is overwhelmed by the sense that they have made the wrong choices and lost the opportunities they once had. There is a longing to go back and set things right, to find a way to heal from the open wounds caused by their past mistakes. The repeated refrain "where did things go wrong?" highlights the sense of confusion and self-doubt that the singer is experiencing.
In sum, "Dead Pool" is a song that explores the emotional landscape of regret, indecision, and the yearning for a sense of purpose and direction in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Had the choice but lost my chance
I had the opportunity to make a decision, but I didn't take advantage of it.
Heard a voice and changed my stance
I heard something that made me alter my opinion and perspective.
All I needed was a clue
I required some indication or evidence to make a judgment or decision.
Had enough of golden rules
I was tired of adhering to conventional principles and norms.
Now the days are open wounds
The current situation brings me emotional pain and vulnerability.
Find a way to turn things back
I need to discover a method to revert to a previous, more desirable state.
What never happened seems to last
Unrealized possibilities can sometimes have an enduring impact.
Where did things go wrong?
I'm trying to uncover the moment where things deviated from the expected course.
Where did things go wrong?
I'm still searching for the specific juncture where it all fell apart.
Where did things go wrong?
I can't help but wonder where the mistake was made or decision went awry.
Where did things go wrong?
I'm stuck ruminating on the point where everything started to unravel.
Where did things go wrong?
I'm trying to pinpoint the origin of the undesirable outcome.
Where did things go wrong?
I'm consumed with locating the moment where the situation became irreparable.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
guzbro
There is a lovely haunted quality to this song no one else can duplicate. One of my favorite tracks from an album I've enjoyed since it first came out thanks to a review in Trouser Press.
whatevershebrings
That feeling can be partially attributed to their use of vocal tape loops in the background.
percy blakeney
...and about 10 years later I discovered MoB thanks to the Trouser Press Record Guide.
Kool Legged
"What never happened seems to last."
...Damn.
Girolamo Castaldo
I bought the album immediately after listening to this masterpiece.
ZRN959
glad to hear it!
beepst
Burma's New Dawn Fades.
maarten bas
This is GREAT!
the300club
all time fave..Yeah CLINT!
jackson2578
This almost sounds like sludge metal at the beginning.