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.
Too Late
Mourning Widows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You thought for sure you were in Rome
And then I showed up with myself
One second lasts forever
It's too late
But I should have known better
It's too late
It's too late
Yeah, I should have known better
Where do we go from here?
Last time I saw you, your throat was a savage
It opened up my whole chest
My heart fell onto the ground and it
Bruised the grass, made a mess
I remember how the moon was cracked
The clouds were dirty so you went
And drank the light till it was dark
A sudden snow in summer
Too late
But I should have known better
It's too late
You know, I should have known better
It's too late
Yeah, I should have known better
Where do we go from here?
I saw the vertical plunge of a dream
The human pain,the work of art
I fell for your skeleton,diving in deep
The love was deep
Your love was quicksand
I feel the wisdom of your feet
The miles and miles they walked
The night you held the earth between your knees
I couldn't stop the bleeding
It's too late
The song "Too Late" by Mourning Widows is a heartbreaking song about a missed opportunity for a relationship. The first verse sets the scene of the two characters, with one believing they are in Rome and the other showing up unexpectedly, causing one second to feel like an eternity. The second verse talks about the physical pain the other character caused when they left, with the imagery of the heart falling out of the chest and bruising the grass, making a mess. The chorus repeats the phrase "It's too late" three times, with the singer admitting that they should have known better. The third verse continues the themes of pain and regret, with the reference to a dream and the love being quicksand. The song ends with the singer feeling the wisdom in the other person's feet, as they walked miles and miles, and the bleeding that can't be stopped.
The lyrics in "Too Late" offer a deep insight into the human condition of missed opportunities and heartbreak. The emotions come through powerfully in phrases like "one second lasts forever" and "the heart fell onto the ground", painting a vivid picture of the pain felt. It is worth noting that the song is from the perspective of the one who was left, not the one who did the leaving, highlighting the different sides of the story.
Line by Line Meaning
There you were a mile away
You were distant and separate from me
You thought for sure you were in Rome
You were lost in your own thoughts and couldn't see the reality
And then I showed up with myself
I came to you as I am without any illusions or pretenses
One second lasts forever
Every moment is significant
It's too late
The opportunity has passed
But I should have known better
I regret not choosing wisely
You know, I should have known better
I accept that I made a mistake
Where do we go from here?
What's the next step in our relationship?
Last time I saw you, your throat was a savage
The last time we met, you were aggressive and hurtful
It opened up my whole chest
Your behavior deeply affected me
My heart fell onto the ground and it
My emotions were scattered and overwhelmed
Bruised the grass, made a mess
My feelings caused an impact
I remember how the moon was cracked
I recall a damaged and imperfect world
The clouds were dirty so you went
The environment was unpleasant and you sought an escape
And drank the light till it was dark
You consumed positivity until it was depleted
A sudden snow in summer
An unexpected and unusual occurrence
I saw the vertical plunge of a dream
I witnessed the loss of a desired outcome
The human pain,the work of art
Our emotional struggles are a masterful creation
I fell for your skeleton,diving in deep
I loved your essence and explored it fully
The love is deep
Our connection is profound
Your love was quicksand
Your affection was suffocating and dangerous
I feel the wisdom of your feet
I sense your grounded and insightful nature
The miles and miles they walked
Our journey has been long and vast
The night you held the earth between your knees
The time when you seized control of your destiny
I couldn't stop the bleeding
I was unable to prevent the emotional harm
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NUNO BETTENCOURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind