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

Laugh the World Away
Mission of Burma Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Laugh the world away
There's a bathroom
There's a voicebox
And a light bulb over my head
Laugh the world away
Everything is just as expected
No one thinks but they all talk
Laugh the world away

Well it seems like
I will never ever ever never ever never ever take the chance again
Never ever ever take the chance again take the chance again
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The chance
The

I can see the faces ...
Shining down with ...
And when I see them I can recall this
When I'm waking I feel ...

That's justice
That is justice
That's justice
That is justice

That's justice
That is justice

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mission of Burma's song "Laugh the World Away" present a bleak and nihilistic view of the world. The opening lines set the stage with references to a bathroom, a voicebox, and a lightbulb over the singer's head. These banal details emphasize the mundane nature of everyday life, which the singer suggests we can only escape by laughing it all away. The repetition of the phrase "Laugh the world away" reinforces this idea, as if laughter is the only defense against the absurdity and meaninglessness of life.

The second verse shifts focus to the singer's personal experience. He declares that he will never take a chance again, but the repetition of the word "chance" almost makes it sound like a mantra. Perhaps the repetition suggests that the singer is trying to convince himself that he is better off not taking risks. The next few lines are fragmented and difficult to parse, but they seem to convey a sense of disorientation and confusion. The repeated phrase "That's justice" adds to the sense of despair, as if the singer is resigned to his fate, whatever it may be.

Overall, "Laugh the World Away" is a cryptic and haunting song that reflects the disillusionment and alienation of post-punk music. The lyrics offer a bleak worldview that is both seductive and unsettling, drawing the listener in with their stark simplicity while also creating a sense of unease.

Line by Line Meaning

Laugh the world away
To ignore the harsh reality and find a way to cope with the world's problems by laughing them away.

There's a bathroom
Refers to the mundane and ordinary aspects of life which are often taken for granted.

There's a voicebox
Refers to the ability to communicate and express one's feelings, which can often be suppressed.

And a light bulb over my head
Refers to the moment of inspiration that can come unexpectedly and lead to creative innovation.

Everything is just as expected
The world is unchanging and predictable, lacking in excitement or new experiences.

No one thinks but they all talk
People are quick to speak their minds without giving much thought, leading to shallow conversations and misunderstandings.

Well it seems like I will never ever ever never ever never ever take the chance again
The singer has been hurt in the past and is reluctant to take risks to avoid being hurt again.

The chance
Refers to the opportunity for something new or exciting to happen, which is often risky.

I can see the faces... Shining down with...
The artist can remember the joyful and bright moments spent with loved ones that provide a source of comfort in dark times.

And when I see them I can recall this
The presence of loved ones can trigger happy memories and bring back feelings of joy and hope.

When I'm waking I feel...
The feeling of being refreshed and optimistic when waking up after a good night's sleep.

That's justice
Refers to the idea of fairness and equality, where everyone is given an equal chance to succeed.

That is justice
Reinforces the concept of fairness and equality, emphasizing its importance.

That's justice
Emphasizes the singer's belief in the importance of equality and fairness.

Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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