While "Good" earned the band critical notoriety and substantial underground cred, they did not -- with this release or any subsequent -- break into the mainstream. After the release of Good, the band replaced Dupree with Billy Conway, a former bandmate of Sandman. Morphine's 1992 release of Cure for Pain, promoted by heavy touring, received some mainstream positive attention, selling over 300,000 copies worldwide and spawning a chart hit in many countries with the single Buena
Subsequent releases include Yes and Like Swimming.
On July 3, 1999, Mark Sandman collapsed on stage in Palestrina, Italy, a suburb of Rome. He was pronounced dead of a heart attack at the scene. He was 46. Morphine released The Night -- arguably their best effort -- posthumously in 2000.
After Sandman's death, the remaining band members reformed and continued to record as Twinemen and later as The Ever Expanding Elastic Waste Band
In 2004, the Mark Sandman box set Sandbox was released by Hi-n-Dry, Mark Sandman's own label. It contains two CDs and a DVD of previously unreleased material spanning Sandman’s musical career. The DVD features clips from early Sandman shows, interviews from the Morphine tours, and various videos from other Sandman solo and group projects, such as Treat Her Right.
"Some day there'll be a cure for pain,
And that's the day I throw my drugs away" - Mark Sandman
Links:
The Other Side - A Morphine Fanzine
Morphine at Myspace
Mail
Morphine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Delivered by carrier and train and planes
Sent and delivered through post
Regardless of sunshine or rains
Carriers delivered to home in person
Letters packages and paper
They may have some fun and arrive a little later
Trucks outdoor boxes and farms to assigned destination
Planes United States from Canada to Mexico destination as stated
Fuel gas from Texaco scheduled as noted
Train to outer station where mail bags deploy
The crew is allowed rations nothing is destroyed
Mail letters papers packages
Delivered by carrier train and plane
Sent and delivered through post
Regardless of sunshine or rains
Carriers delivered to home in person
Letters packages and paper
They may have some fun and arrive a little later
The lyrics of Morphine's song Mail are an ode to the postal system, which connects us with people and places far away, bringing letters, packages, and papers. The song describes how the mail is delivered by different modes of transportation: carrier, train, and plane, with no regard for the weather conditions (“Regardless of sunshine or rains”). The carriers deliver the mail to people’s homes in person, and despite the occasional delay, they take their job seriously and make sure every letter and package is delivered to its assigned destination, which can be a truck, an outdoor box, or even a farm. There is no alarm, no accurate devastation, just the routine of a well-oiled machine.
The song conveys a sense of appreciation for the postal workers who make the mail system work, highlighting the importance of their work in connecting people across the country and the world. It is a celebration of the simple pleasure of receiving a letter or a package from a loved one, and the anticipation and excitement that comes with it. In a world of instant digital communication, Mail reminds us of the value of the handwritten word and the human connections it creates.
Line by Line Meaning
Mail letters papers and packages
referring to the physical items sent through the postal service, such as letters, documents, and parcels
Delivered by carrier and train and planes
transportation methods used to move mail from one place to another, including mail carriers, trains, and planes
Sent and delivered through post
indicating that the items in question were sent via the postal service and delivered to a designated address
Regardless of sunshine or rains
implying that the postal service functions reliably regardless of weather conditions or other external factors
Carriers delivered to home in person
suggesting that mail carriers will deliver mail to an individual's residence, rather than leaving it outside or at a mailbox
Letters packages and paper
listing different types of items that are commonly sent through the postal service or delivered to a mailbox, such as mail, parcels, and documents
They may have some fun and arrive a little later
acknowledging that there may be delays or mishaps with mail delivery, but that such occurrences are not necessarily catastrophic or cause for alarm
Trucks outdoor boxes and farms to assigned destination
enumerating various locations and objects that may be part of the mail delivery process or make up a typical mail route, such as delivery trucks, mailboxes, and rural properties
There is no alarm no accurate devastation
asserting that the arrival of mail may not always be perfect or timely, but it is not something that should cause great concern or panic
Planes United States from Canada to Mexico destination as stated
indicating that planes are used to transport mail across borders, but are still targeted to specific destinations as determined by the sender and recipient
Fuel gas from Texaco scheduled as noted
possibly referencing the need for fuel to power transportation vehicles carrying the mail, which must be scheduled and accounted for
Train to outer station where mail bags deploy
describing one specific means of transportation for mail, which might involve trains carrying mail bags to a specific location before they are delivered to their final destination
The crew is allowed rations nothing is destroyed
suggesting that the people responsible for mail transportation are provided with basic necessities and that the mail itself is treated with care and preserved during transit
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ERNEST NOYES BROOKINGS, MARK J. SANDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind