Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachus… Read Full Bio ↴Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. Initially splitting in 1983, the band reformed in 2002. 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.

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

Fun World
Mission of Burma Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you are young
They kick you in the head
And when you grow up, they're still fucking with your head
And when I found out
What it was I didn't want
I start to run and
I start to hunt
'Cause at the bottom of the well

There a seed is a pit and it
Makes me wanna make the world nervous as shit
'Cause I'm made of gold, brass
And I wanna break it like glass, glass, glass
So when I was young
It didn't make any sense
And when I grew up
It made just as little sense
So when I found out
What it was I didn't want
I got new armour
And I started to hunt
'Cause at the bottom of the well
There a seed is a pit and it
Makes me wanna make the world nervous as shit
'Cause I'm made of gold, brass
And I wanna break it like glass, glass, glass

Funworld
Funworld

Overall Meaning

The song "Fun World" by Mission of Burma is a reflection on the disillusionment and confusion that comes with growing up. The first lines "When you are young they kick you in the head" speaks to the violence and harsh reality of childhood, where one is often subjected to mistreatment and abuse by the adults around them. However, even as one grows up and gains independence, the world can still be overwhelming and hostile, represented in the line "when you grow up, they're still fucking with your head."

The singer comes to a point where they understand that there is something they do not want in their life, at which point they resolve to "start to run and start to hunt." This could be interpreted as a search for meaning or purpose, and a desire to break out of the cycle of violence and confusion that they have experienced. The image of the seed and pit at the bottom of a well further reinforces the idea of the singer uncovering something hidden or suppressed within themselves, which they are now determined to confront and conquer.

The repetition of the line "I'm made of gold, brass, and I wanna break it like glass" highlights the conflicted nature of the singer's identity, and their desire to transform themselves and the world around them. The chorus "Funworld" could be interpreted as both a sarcastic comment on the state of the world and a nod to the twisted, confusing nature of the singer's inner world.

Line by Line Meaning

When you are young
Being young often exposes one to abuse and mistreatment, which can be quite traumatizing.

They kick you in the head
You are subjected to all sorts of physical abuse from the people who are supposed to protect and nurture you.

And when you grow up, they're still fucking with your head
Unfortunately, things don't get any better as you grow up. People will still manipulate and toy with your emotions, leaving you angry and frustrated.

And when I found out What it was I didn't want
As I grew older, I realized that some circumstances and people were not worth my time and effort.

I start to run and I start to hunt
I began searching for alternatives and ways to distance myself from the people and circumstances that weren't beneficial to my well-being.

'Cause at the bottom of the well There a seed is a pit and it Makes me wanna make the world nervous as shit
Every bad experience has planted a seed within me that has the power to make me the best version of myself, capable of overcoming challenges and proving my worth to the world.

'Cause I'm made of gold, brass And I wanna break it like glass, glass, glass
I am precious and valuable, and I will not allow anyone or anything to diminish my worth. Instead, I am determined to break through barriers and achieve greatness.

Funworld Funworld
The world can be a great place, but it can also be an unforgiving and cruel place. Nevertheless, I will enter it with a positive outlook and a fierce determination to succeed.

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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