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
Outlaw
Mission of Burma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have slipped into
Saw those creatures in the back of my heart
Opened the door and attacked them at the start
Pushed my blood into a deeper trance
It consumes my thought, it alters my stance
I have slipped into a mighty stream
I saw you sleeping with your coat on a hill
While my face lay at the windowsill
I walked down the street on the sidewalks so cold
I walked down the street into the coat that folds
You turned around, screamed at the scene
Grabbed my hand and leapt out of the screen
I won't be there when the monster flips
I'll have it buried with an axe and a pick
I have seen you in your jacket
Now I am an outlaw
Outlaw
Mission of Burma's song "Outlaw" is an intriguing and enigmatic piece of music that is open to interpretation. The song's lyrics are full of vivid imagery that is both mysterious and menacing. The song is an intense portrayal of the struggles and fears that come along with growing up and maintaining relationships. It's about the internal conflicts that one must face when confronting their insecurities and dealing with the harsh realities of the world.
The song's opening lines, "I have slipped into / I have slipped into / Saw those creatures in the back of my heart / Opened the door and attacked them at the start," create a sense of unease and paranoia. It's about the internal struggle that we all have to face at some point in our lives. The line "Pushed my blood into a deeper trance / It consumes my thought, it alters my stance" is about how we can become consumed by our thoughts and emotions, and how they can affect our behavior and our decisions. The lines "I have slipped into a mighty stream / Open my fins, open my scream" are about surrendering to the flow, letting go of control and giving in to the moment.
The second half of the song is about relationships and the difficulties they bring. The lines "I saw you sleeping with your coat on a hill / While my face lay at the windowsill" are about the separation and distance that can develop between two people, and the feelings of loneliness and isolation that can result. The lines "I walked down the street on the sidewalks so cold / I walked down the street into the coat that folds" are about the mundanity of everyday life, and how it can be a comfort and a curse at the same time. The line "I won't be there when the monster flips / I'll have it buried with an axe and a pick" is about the fear of the unknown, and the desire to keep it buried and out of sight.
Overall, "Outlaw" is a haunting and intense song that is open to interpretation. It's about our internal struggles, our relationships, and the fear of the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
I have slipped into
I have unintentionally entered into a situation or mindset
I have slipped into
I have unintentionally entered into a situation or mindset
Saw those creatures in the back of my heart
I recognized the negativity and fear that I had been suppressing within myself
Opened the door and attacked them at the start
I confronted my inner demons and began to work towards overcoming them
Pushed my blood into a deeper trance
I became completely immersed in my thoughts and emotions
It consumes my thought, it alters my stance
My thoughts and feelings have taken over and changed the way I perceive the world around me
I have slipped into a mighty stream
I have become caught up in a powerful force or trend
Open my fins, open my scream
I am fully embracing this new experience and expressing myself without restraint
I saw you sleeping with your coat on a hill
I observed you from a distance while you were wrapped up in a protective layer on a high point
While my face lay at the windowsill
I was an observer, watching from inside and feeling separate from the scene
I walked down the street on the sidewalks so cold
I walked down the path of life with a sense of detachment and a lack of warmth
I walked down the street into the coat that folds
I became enveloped in a protective shell
You turned around, screamed at the scene
You suddenly became aware of and reacted to the situation unfolding and causing discomfort
Grabbed my hand and leapt out of the screen
You pulled me out of my detached state and brought me fully into reality
I won't be there when the monster flips
I won't stick around for the negative consequences that come with reckless behavior
I'll have it buried with an axe and a pick
I'll take proactive steps to eliminate the cause of my fears and negativity
I have seen you in your jacket
I have observed you wrapped up and protected
Now I am an outlaw
I have rejected conventionality and embraced a new way of being
Outlaw
I am now someone who is outside of the law or established norms
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT SIDNEY JR. HALLIGAN, JOAN JETT, KENNETH BENJAMIN LAGUNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind