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
Is This Where?
Mission of Burma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down across a waste of thinking power
It's precisely those who can
Who should be doing something else
Little heard, nothing to gain
Tell me which side's which again
Silent wars that we cant use
Dirty world
Look away
Disappear
Turn the page
Let's hang up
On what we're not
They're not us
It can't hurt like it would to us
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Cherries, almonds, dates and apricots
Mesmerized by Cali's dream geometries
Highway 5's ghastly slaughter fields
Roll the window up
Your nightmare's come to take your breath away
Breath away
Dirty world
Look away
Disappear
Turn the page
Let's hang up
On what we're not and what we'll never be
It can't hurt like it would us
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
In the song "Is This Where?" by Mission of Burma, the lyrics explore themes of disillusionment, confusion, and detachment in the context of modern society. The song starts with a reference to crossword puzzles done in ink, suggesting that people are overly invested in trivial pursuits that waste their mental energy. The second line, "Down across a waste of thinking power," reinforces this idea, suggesting that many people are not using their intelligence to make a positive impact on the world. The following lyrics, "It's precisely those who can, who should be doing something else," suggest that those with the ability to make a difference are not fulfilling their potential.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of turning away from uncomfortable realities and disassociating oneself from the problems of the world. The imagery of "dirty world" and "ghastly slaughter fields" highlights the negative aspects of society, but the refrain of "look away" and "turn the page" suggests that people would rather ignore these issues than confront them. The final lines of the song, "Is this where I'm supposed to cry," suggest that the singer is struggling to connect with their emotions and feel a sense of empathy for the suffering around them.
Overall, "Is This Where?" is a commentary on the disconnect and isolation that is prevalent in modern society, and the tendency to prioritize personal comfort and convenience over engaging with difficult truths about the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Crossword puzzles done in ink
Activities that are difficult to undo or reverse
Down across a waste of thinking power
Stuck with little productivity, despite one's mental ability
It's precisely those who can
Those who possess the necessary ability
Who should be doing something else
Should be engaged in more meaningful activities
Little heard, nothing to gain
No matter how much one speaks or tries, there's no progress
Tell me which side's which again
Unclear which group is right or wrong
Silent wars that we cant use
Dispute or conflict that can't be effectively fought or resolved
Come in colors we refuse to see
The reality of the situation is not something we want to acknowledge
Dirty world
A world filled with filth and corruption
Look away
Avoid facing the reality of the situation
Disappear
Ignore the problem and hope it goes away
Turn the page
Move on from the issue without addressing it
Let's hang up
Put an end to any further discussion on the matter
On what we're not
On what we lack, or what we're not capable of
They're not us
Those who are different from us and don't share our values
It can't hurt like it would to us
Others may not be affected as much as we are
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this the point where I'm expected to emotionally react
Cherries, almonds, dates and apricots
Indulging in the luxuries and comforts of life
Mesmerized by Cali's dream geometries
Distracted by artificial and temporary pleasures
Highway 5's ghastly slaughter fields
The harsh reality of life that's difficult to ignore
Roll the window up
Shut out the outside world and retreat into our own bubble
Your nightmare's come to take your breath away
The realization of a terrible situation that takes one's breath away
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this the point where I'm expected to emotionally react
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this the point where I'm expected to emotionally react
Is this where I'm supposed to cry
Is this the point where I'm expected to emotionally react
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stelios Klothakis
Beautiful intro, the rest of the song is kinda crap tbh. This goes for the whole album, it has some great moments, but for the most part is really underwhelming. Starts of quiet strongly with "2wice" (although those "lalala"s are kinda out of place), moves on to a the filler track "Spider's Web"(the most similar song on here to old MoB tracks). Then goes on to the flat "Donna Sumeria" (it also features those Beatle-esque vocal melodies that make me whince). I can't go over all the tracks (because I'm bored), but the only other worthwhile songs on here are "1001 Pleasant Dreams" and "13". If I where you, I would skip this release and stick with there old material