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.
Space
Mourning Widows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You contemplated leaving
Misdiagnosed as severed
We couldn't stop the bleeding
Space
System failed
System is overloaded
It's gonna blow
System is overloaded
Someone shut me down
24-7 dreaming the gift that keeps on giving
A life long romance vacation
Jampacked with suffocation
The lyrics to Mourning Widows's song "Space" appear to touch on themes of suffocation, overload, and the failure of systems. The first verse suggests a failed relationship as the singer and their partner are unable to stop the metaphorical "bleeding." The use of medical terminology - misdiagnosis, severed - suggests a deeper issue with communication or understanding between the two.
The chorus lyrics, "system failed / system is overloaded / someone shut me down / it's gonna blow," reinforces the sense of suffocation and inability to cope with overwhelming circumstances. The line "someone shut me down" could be interpreted as a cry for help or a desire to escape from the chaos. The repetition of "system is overloaded" drives home the sense of being overwhelmed and trapped.
The second verse paints a picture of a life that feels like a "jampacked" vacation, but not in a positive way. The use of the word "suffocation" suggests that the singer is unable to fully enjoy or breathe in their surroundings. The line "24-7 dreaming the gift that keeps on giving" could be interpreted as sarcastic or bitter - even their dreams are overrun with this sense of suffocation and overload.
Overall, the lyrics to "Space" convey a feeling of being trapped and overwhelmed by circumstances beyond one's control. The use of medical terminology and the repetition of "system is overloaded" create a sense of urgency and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
I contemplated breathing
I was lost in thought, pondering over the act of inhaling and exhaling air
You contemplated leaving
You were considering the option of departing, abandoning the situation
Misdiagnosed as severed
Mistakenly believed to be completely cut off or disconnected from each other
We couldn't stop the bleeding
We were unable to prevent the continuous flow of negative emotions and pain
Space
Feeling distant, disconnected and alone
System failed
The mechanism that kept everything running smoothly has ceased to function properly
System is overloaded
The system is processing more than it can handle, causing it to malfunction
Someone shut me down
I wish someone would turn off my emotions and shut me down completely
It's gonna blow
The situation is getting out of control and danger is imminent
24-7 dreaming the gift that keeps on giving
I am constantly imagining a perfect scenario that seems to evade me
A life long romance vacation
An endless journey of love and affection
Jampacked with suffocation
Full of pressure and constraints that make it hard to breathe
Contributed by Ellie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.