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
Progress
Mission of Burma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down with sense
Nothing makes much difference
I'll surrender to this tragic mess
Spinning ball of randomness
Where Logos is the finest blasphemy
Men's lives pass like strips of film
I'd like to think that down through time
They'd compose a logical line
But chances are that's just a pile of shit
And I can't help but bow my head and cry
It took so long to finally realize
That all our hopes are based on such gross lies
Classroom lessons World War Two
Atrocities against the Jews
Never again our solemn vow
That's why we all share Cambodia
Isn't it great how far we've come since then?
And I can't help but bow my head and cry
It took so long to finally realize
That all our hopes are based on such gross lies
Dialectic's shit
Evolution's crap
Time and time again the masquerade is
Shown for what it really is:
Progress, progress it's a pleasant myth
Progress, progress it's a pleasant myth
Progress, progress
Pleasant myth
That makes my life worthwhile
The song Progress by Mission of Burma is an introspective commentary on the existential crisis of the modern human. The lyrics start off with a rejection of history and logic, and the nihilistic realization that "Nothing makes much difference." The singer is resigned to the "tragic mess" of human existence and compares life to a "spinning ball of randomness," where any logical line that could exist through time is likely "just a pile of shit."
The second verse of the song takes a darker turn, as the singer reflects on the atrocities of World War II and the Holocaust, and the seemingly hollow vow of "never again." The irony is heightened as the singer notes that despite this vow, the world has since witnessed horrific events in places like Cambodia. The singer bows their head and cries at the realization that "all our hopes are based on such gross lies."
The chorus of the song is a scathing rebuke of the notion of progress as a pleasant myth, as the singer denounces dialectic and evolution as crap. The final line of the song, "Progress, progress, pleasant myth that makes my life worthwhile," is a bitter acknowledgement that despite the harsh realities of life, we still cling to the idea of progress as a way to make sense of our existence.
Overall, the lyrics of Progress by Mission of Burma present a bleak and cynical worldview, where the human desire for progress and meaning is ultimately futile.
Line by Line Meaning
Down with history
Rejecting the value of the past
Down with sense
Denying the usefulness of logic
Nothing makes much difference
Feeling of hopelessness and insignificance
I'll surrender to this tragic mess
Accepting defeat and chaos
Spinning ball of randomness
Perceiving the world as a chaotic, unpredictable sphere
Where Logos is the finest blasphemy
Viewing logic and order as opposed to religious beliefs
Men's lives pass like strips of film
Human life passing like a blurred movie reel
Recorded gesture, acts of will
Documented actions and decisions made by people
I'd like to think that down through time
Desiring a sense of order in human history
They'd compose a logical line
Believing that events in history follow a rational sequence
But chances are that's just a pile of shit
Admitting the possibility of those beliefs being unfounded
And I can't help but bow my head and cry
Feeling despair and sorrow
It took so long to finally realize
Recognition of the truth after a long period of misunderstanding
That all our hopes are based on such gross lies
Realizing the foundation of beliefs and aspirations are flawed
Classroom lessons World War Two
Education about the Second World War
Atrocities against the Jews
Recognition of the Holocaust
Never again our solemn vow
Promising to prevent future atrocities
That's why we all share Cambodia
Pointing out that another tragedy had already occurred in Cambodia
Isn't it great how far we've come since then?
Sarcastic remark claiming that history has not taught us anything
Dialectic's shit
Dismissing the value of opposing arguments and theories
Evolution's crap
Rejecting the concept of biological evolution
Time and time again the masquerade is
The recurring nature of deception
Shown for what it really is:
Revealing the truth
Progress, progress it's a pleasant myth
Claiming that the concept of progress is a false idea
Progress, progress it's a pleasant myth
Reinforcing the idea that progress is an illusion
Progress, progress
The repeated emphasis of the idea that progress is a myth
Pleasant myth
Describing the idea of progress as a pleasant lie
That makes my life worthwhile
Suggesting that there is a need to question what is the purpose of life if the concept of progress is not true
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MOGINIE, MARTIN ROTSEY, PETER GARRETT, PETER GIFFORD, ROBERT HIRST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gowixxx1
Great band, fantastic song, awesome lyrics
Kris Sisu
Mission of Burma - Boston's best band!!
Mr. Cifuentes
beautiful
Emmet O'Donnell
Resonates powerfully in 2022
ronebofh
I noticed the sudden drop in volume on the right channel at the 2:35 mark on my album and had to come here to see if it was just me. Guess it's in the master...
Robert Medina
Egad! So good
Casandra V. G.
<3
Robert Bailey
kind of a dark view, imo
Michael T
Election song 2016.
seef
And 2020 and onward