Nuno Bettencourt - guitars, vocals, producer, drums on 1st record (credited as "Billy Vegas")
Donovan Bettencourt - bass
Jeff Consi - drums from the 1st record tour onwards till the end of the band.
Mike Mangini - drums, played at least one show in London previously to the 1st record. Mike was supposed to be the full-time drummer but decided to leave before recording to pursue other projects. It may be a controversy whether he should be considered a member of the band, since when he played Nuno still hadn't named the band.
On December 16, Mourning Widows, Bettencourt's new band, whose name was inspired by a writing he had seen on a church wall back in Portugal, had a self-titled debut album released in Japan on Polydor Records. It sold 45,000 in the first month.
In May 1999, Mourning Widows rehearsed in Melbourne, Australia for their tour in Japan later that month. The band featured Donovan Bettencourt on bass and New York drummer Jeff Consi. They played to sold out crowds.
In 2000, Mourning Widow's follow-up, Furnished Souls for Rent originally released in Japan, and then in the U.S. Both Mourning Widows releases cultivated a strong following in Japan and in the New England areas.
Nuno first met Donovan shortly after Donovan was born (Nuno's brother Robert is Donovan's father - I did say the beginning, didn't I?). Much later, whenever Nuno was over at Robert's house practicing, he would continuously prompt Donovan to take up music and join them. After breaking with his band Extreme and releasing a solo album - Schizophonic, Nuno got Donovan to join him in his touring band as bassist.
The first 'official' show they played was in January 1997 for the NAMM convention in Los Angeles for the Washburn showcase, in which they also introduced Schizophonic to the anxiously awaiting world (rumors of a solo album by Nuno had started back in the early '90s). Together with a band of enthusiastic local Boston musicians - which included Nuno's brother Paulo, they toured across North America in 1997.
In 1998, Nuno formed a new permanent band, which was his original intention after leaving Extreme. Nuno got Donovan signed on as bassist again and Mike Mangini (also of Extreme fame)hopped on as drummer; it would be a power funk trio. They played a London, UK Mad About Music show in June before Mike announced he would pursue other musical projects, leaving the newly-formed band drummerless.
Polydor Japan, who was quick to sign Nuno to a recording contract as soon as he had opted out of his contract with A&M Records (Extreme and Schizophonic label), pressured him for a release for Christmas '98. So in October - without a drummer, Nuno went into the recording studio and chose the name "Mourning Widows" for the band.
In mid-December, the self-titled "Mourning Widows" debut album was released in Japan only. It quickly reached sales of 40 000 in the first month and the band was slated to tour to support it. Nuno still needed a permanent drummer.
Meanwhile, posts around New York City and Boston in music schools and stores advertised for a new drummer who could hit hard and play funky.
...enter one Jeffrey Consi, drummer with "Opium for the Masses". At the urging of a friend who saw a notice in a NYC music store, Jeff submitted his drum demo. He was the only drummer called and they knew in that meeting that he would be the one. He joined the band officially in February.
In May '99, the band left to rehearse in Australia and then flew to Japan to begin their first club tour, where they played to sold out crowds. With just the threesome on stage (note: Joe Pessia played additional guitar on some songs), the vocally quiet Donovan was given a microphone and coerced into singing back up vocals with Jeff.
No Regrets
Mourning Widows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
AND THEY WANT YOU BAD
YEAH THEY WANT YOU WAVING SOCIETY'S FLAG
YOU'RE A PERFECT MATCH
IN A PERFECT WORLD
WHERE THE LIVING DEAD DREAM OF LIVING AS GHOSTS
JUST DO IT ALL
IT'S YOUR LIFE
DON'T YOU FORGET IT
THINK TWICE
YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT
BUT YOU HAVE TO HIDE
FROM THE CORPORATE JIVE
OR YOU'LL LOSE YOUR POWER TO KEEP LIFE ALIVE
YOU'RE YOUR OWN JUDGE
BUT YOU POST NO BAIL
LIKE AN EMPEROR MAKES HIS PALACE HIS JAIL
HEY ALL YOU TRAFFIC JAM ZOMBIES
JUST HONK YOUR HORNS
DON'T OBEY THE TEACHER
WHO TELL YOU TO SHUT UP
WHO'LL MOLD YOU INTO USELESS ROBOTS
WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FEEL
JUST QUIT YOUR JOB TOMORROW
JUST QUIT YOUR JOB TODAY
YOU TAKE A PERMANENT VACATION
YOU'RE DYING EVERYDAY
BIRTH - SCHOOL - WORK - MARRIAGE - FAMILY - DEATH
IT'S YOUR LIFE
DON'T YOU FORGET IT
THINK TWICE
YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT
The song “No Regrets” by Mourning Widows is a call to action for those who want to break away from the societal norms and expectations. The song advises listeners not to conform to society's standards if it means sacrificing their own values and individuality. The opening lines “And they know your name, And they want you bad, Yeah they want you waving society's flag” suggests that society tries to manipulate individuals to fit into their mold instead of allowing them to be themselves.
The chorus “It's your life, Don't you forget it, Think twice, You're gonna regret it” emphasizes the importance of making one's own decisions and not giving in to external pressures. The song encourages listeners to make choices that align with their true selves and to reject the conformist mindset that society tends to impose on individuals. The lyrics urge listeners to take control of their lives and not be afraid to take risks and follow their dreams.
"Don’t obey the teacher, who tells you to shut up, Who’ll mold you into useless robots, Who are not allowed to feel” encourages rebellion against the authoritative and robotic nature of the education system at the time. The song alludes to the idea that individuals are encouraged to conform to a certain standard and to stifle their own emotions and creativity for the sake of fitting into societal norms. The ending of the song which mentions birth, school, work, marriage, family, and death indicates the cyclical nature of life that keeps going in a cycle and it is up to the individual to make their own choices.
Line by Line Meaning
AND THEY KNOW YOUR NAME
People recognize you and have knowledge about you.
AND THEY WANT YOU BAD
People have a strong desire to have you on their side.
YEAH THEY WANT YOU WAVING SOCIETY'S FLAG
People want you to embrace and represent the accepted beliefs and values of society.
YOU'RE A PERFECT MATCH
You fit well within the norms and expectations of the society you live in.
IN A PERFECT WORLD
In an idealized, but non-existent world.
WHERE THE LIVING DEAD DREAM OF LIVING AS GHOSTS
Where people who are alive but feel spiritually and emotionally dead hope to exist as if they were already dead.
AND DON'T DO THIS AND DON'T DO THAT
Do not conform or restrict yourself to the rules and expectations imposed by society.
JUST DO IT ALL
Live your life on your own terms, without fears or hesitations.
IT'S YOUR LIFE
You have control over your own existence.
DON'T YOU FORGET IT
Do not allow yourself to be misled or influenced by others.
THINK TWICE
Reflect and consider the consequences of your choices.
YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT
You will experience remorse or sorrow if you make uninformed or unwise decisions.
BUT YOU HAVE TO HIDE
You need to be cautious and conceal your true intentions and beliefs to protect yourself.
FROM THE CORPORATE JIVE
Avoid being swindled by manipulative, dishonest corporate practices.
OR YOU'LL LOSE YOUR POWER TO KEEP LIFE ALIVE
If you fall victim to corporate greed, you will lose the ability to sustain and flourish in your existence.
YOU'RE YOUR OWN JUDGE
You are responsible for assessing and passing judgment on your own thoughts and actions.
BUT YOU POST NO BAIL
You do not provide any excuses or justification for your choices and actions.
LIKE AN EMPEROR MAKES HIS PALACE HIS JAIL
Similar to how a powerful ruler can become trapped within their own lavish lifestyle and obsessions, you too can become confined and limited by your own desires and ambitions.
HEY ALL YOU TRAFFIC JAM ZOMBIES
A call to all those who feel trapped and deprived of their individuality while stuck in traffic.
JUST HONK YOUR HORNS
Express your frustrations and emotions in any way you can, even if it seems futile.
DON'T OBEY THE TEACHER
Do not blindly follow or comply with those in authority without thought or consideration.
WHO TELL YOU TO SHUT UP
Those in power may try to silence and suppress your thoughts and voice.
WHO'LL MOLD YOU INTO USELESS ROBOTS
Those in power may try to shape and sculpt you into a conforming and robotic member of society.
WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FEEL
Those in power may try to discourage and suppress your emotions and passions, as they threaten their control.
JUST QUIT YOUR JOB TOMORROW
Break free of the oppressive societal structure and expectations by leaving or rejecting your current employment.
JUST QUIT YOUR JOB TODAY
Do not wait or hesitate to make changes in your life that align with your own desires and beliefs.
YOU TAKE A PERMANENT VACATION
Retire from the unfulfilling and exhausting aspects of life, and focus on pursuing your own passions and interests.
YOU'RE DYING EVERYDAY
Continuing to live a life that you do not find meaningful or fulfilling is a slow death of the soul.
BIRTH - SCHOOL - WORK - MARRIAGE - FAMILY - DEATH
The expected and traditional stages of life as dictated by society.
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.