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
Red
Mission of Burma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a window in my heart.
I look out of them when I'm sleepy
And then I fall apart.
Things are crumbling outside of me
And they're crashing at my door.
There's a crest that keeps arriving.
I strip my face off of the mirror
The animals are still screaming, dreaming
Screaming for a human's death.
The lyrics to "Red" by Mission of Burma are both introspective and hauntingly evocative. The song opens with the line, "There's a window in my head," which seems to reference the act of looking inward, of examining one's own thoughts and feelings. The following line, "There's a window in my heart," furthers this sense of introspection and self-reflection, as if the singer is peering into their own emotions and trying to make sense of them.
As the song progresses, the mood shifts from contemplative to frantic. The singer's world seems to be falling apart around them, and they describe this chaos in vivid terms. The line, "Things are crumbling outside of me / And they're crashing at my door," creates a sense of imminent danger and urgency. The repeated mention of "screaming" - first in reference to the animals and later in reference to a "human's death" - adds to the song's sense of dread and unease.
Overall, "Red" is a complex and unsettling song that uses vivid imagery and introspective lyrics to create a powerful emotional effect. It's a testament to the skill and artistry of Mission of Burma, and remains one of their most enduring and memorable tracks to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a window in my head.
I have a perspective or viewpoint that shapes my thoughts and actions.
There's a window in my heart.
I have emotions and inner feelings that affect how I experience life.
I look out of them when I'm sleepy
When I am not fully conscious or aware, my thoughts and emotions become more prominent.
And then I fall apart.
I lose control or become overwhelmed by my thoughts and emotions.
Things are crumbling outside of me
External events or circumstances are causing stress and chaos in my life.
And they're crashing at my door.
These events or circumstances are having a direct impact on me and my daily life.
There's a crest that keeps arriving.
There is a recurring pattern of stress and chaos that I am unable to avoid or escape.
I strip my face off of the mirror
I try to distance myself from my own self-image or identity as a coping mechanism.
And then I take another breath.
I try to regain control and composure by taking a moment to pause and breathe.
The animals are still screaming, dreaming
The simplest and most primitive parts of myself are still experiencing fear and distress.
Screaming for a human's death.
These basic instincts are urging me to give up or surrender to my circumstances, even if it means my own demise.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY PARTRIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind