Formed in Dublin in the late 1990's, mrnorth have had quite an odyssey leading up to the release of their debut record Lifesize. The four-piece, made up of two brothers, a first cousin and a next door neighbor, started playing together when they were young teens. After making some noise on the Dublin scene, the boys left Ireland for Vicenza, Italy. The trip was supposed to last for 3 months, just long enough for a producer to put down some tracks for a record. Instead, the band became local favorites and toured all of Italy for the next two years. Then, the band met up with an American manager who brought them to New York City. With constant performances, mrnorth built up a great fan base in New York and eventually all over the Northeast. Next, the band caught the eye of several record executives. mrnorth scored a record deal and went into the studio with Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads, Live, No Doubt). The result was Lifesize, 12 moving tunes of epic proportions. Lifesize allows the listener to feel an enormous lift with each song from start to finish, just as it is delivered by mrnorth in the live performance. The record exhibits an incredible unity and tightness among its four members. Smith delivers the songs with one of the most powerful and original voices in music today and is often compared to Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke and Freddie Mercury. Audiences are constantly blown away by the charismatic singer's vocals combined with his energetic performances. mrnorth broke out of the Northeast in 2003 with tours in the Southeast, Midwest, West Coast and Hawaii including support shows with Liz Phair, Puddle of Mudd, Sheryl Crow, Evanescence, Bruce Willis and 'Lollapalooza 2003. 2004 saw them taking part in Lollapalooza, Nashville Rivers, Camp Jeep and Music Fest as well as supporting The Who, Van Halen, Live and Brian Adams. The band have spent the last few months writing and recording the follow up to Lifesize.
Silver Mouth
Mr. North Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the foaming mouths that bark
Wielding your great spark
To unite the trailer parks
Why not put a gun in the hands of anyone
And take him out as you see fit
Yeah
Bright enough so they don't flinch
When it's their time to hit
A deep paternal voice
Is your weapon of choice
Familiar as cold beer
Just as sure to get your cheers
Why not put a gun in the hands of anyone
And take them out as you see fit
Yeah
Your silver mouth will shine for all on the front lines
Bright enough so they don't flinch
When it's their time to hit
Oh, I'd like peel you 'till you're raw
So sickened by what you saw
You can't take anymore
Yeah
So why not put a gun in the hands of anyone
And take them out as you see fit
Yeah
Your silver mouth will shine for all on the front lines
To bring us everything we need
Everything we need
'Cause you've planted your seed
Now watch your babies bleed
Everything we need
(Why not put a gun)
'Cause you've planted your seed
Now watch your babies bleed
Everything we need
(Your silver mouth will shine)
'Cause you've planted your seed
Now watch your babies bleed
Everything we need
'Cause you've planted your seed
Now watch your babies bleed
The lyrics of Mr. North's song Silver Mouth seem to be criticizing the idea of using violence as a solution to problems, and the people who advocate for it. The opening lines describe someone who is scared of the dark and the aggression they see in others. The subsequent lines talk about how this person empowers themselves by taking up a weapon and trying to unite others using their "silver mouth", or their persuasive words. The chorus is repeated twice, and it suggests that the person advocating for violence is doing it simply because they can, and their words and actions are hurting others.
The second verse is even more pointed in its critique. It suggests that the person's "weapon of choice" is their deep, paternalistic voice that is comforting to some people, but also dangerous. The line "familiar as cold beer, just as sure to get your cheers" drives home the point that people are drawn to the person's rhetoric because they find it reassuring, even if it is ultimately harmful. The final lines of the verse ask why not give a gun to anyone and let them use it as they see fit, which is a rhetorical question that criticizes the notion of vigilante justice.
The bridge of the song is a direct address to the person being criticized, telling them that they are so sickened by what they've seen that they can't take it anymore. The final chorus is modified slightly to add the lines "you've planted your seed, now watch your babies bleed" which is a metaphorical way of saying that the person's ideas have consequences, and they will reap what they sow.
Line by Line Meaning
Frightened by the dark
You are scared of the unknown
And the foaming mouths that bark
People who are aggressive make you nervous
Wielding your great spark
You believe you have the power to ignite change
To unite the trailer parks
You are trying to bring people together, regardless of social status
Why not put a gun in the hands of anyone
You think it's easy to solve problems with violence
And take him out as you see fit
You believe you are capable of making life and death decisions
Your silver mouth will shine for all on the front lines
You think your words inspire bravery
Bright enough so they don't flinch
Your words will stop individuals from feeling scared
When it's their time to hit
You think others need to be strong enough to fight
A deep paternal voice
You are trying to appear authoritative
Is your weapon of choice
Your words have the power to persuade or control others
Familiar as cold beer
You are trying to make yourself approachable
Just as sure to get your cheers
You expect others to agree with your ideas
Oh, I'd like peel you 'till you're raw
You want to expose someone to the harsh reality of life
So sickened by what you saw
You believe seeing the truth will make someone understand
You can't take anymore
You hope this exposure will change the person's perspective
To bring us everything we need
You think violence is necessary to achieve goals
'Cause you've planted your seed
You believe you have already set a plan in motion
Now watch your babies bleed
You are willing to see innocent people suffer for your cause
Everything we need
You believe that violence is the answer, regardless of consequences
('Your silver mouth will shine')
Repetition of a previous line
('Cause you've planted your seed)
Repetition of a previous line
Now watch your babies bleed
Repetition of a previous line
Everything we need
Repetition of a previous line
('Cause you've planted your seed)
Repetition of a previous line
Now watch your babies bleed
Repetition of a previous line
Everything we need
Repetition of a previous line
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN JOHN MORDAUNT, COLIN LEO THOMAS SMITH, EMMETT CIARAN O'MALLEY, OISIN SEAN O'MALLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dudes N Space
This has always been my favorite from you guys. Great job from Amanda. I hate that I never got to see Colin do it! -Travis
Kendra Rae Hite
This should be at 146,000,000 views. Amanda...yes!!! Can't believe I just now saw this. I lost 4 months of fun. Love.