Origins
Jeff Mangum was a member of The Olivia Tremor Control, along with his friend Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss, appearing on their first release, the California Demise 7".
Prior to recording for friends under the NMH moniker, Mangum recorded at least one cassette under the name Milk: the only known tape was called Pygmie Barn in E Minor. This is the earliest known recordings that Mangum initiated and executed himself, on the cover there is "all songs: j.m '89. art: w. cullen hart". There is only an estimated dozen or so copies ever made of this tape, none of which have been made public. The tracklist etc. are also unknown.
Neutral Milk Hotel began life in Ruston, Louisiana, United States in the early 1990s, simply as a recording project for Mangum. He produced several demo cassettes, among them 1991's Invent Yourself a Shortcake, 1992's Beauty and 1993's Hype City Soundtrack, along with two more from this period, seemingly unnamed. Although easily found on the internet, these demos capture the project at a very embryonic state: songs are played in between various sound collages and tape experiments, and even, at one point, a six minute conversation between Mangum and Hart.
During this period, Mangum was wandering the country, staying in the closets of friends, and in a state of permanent unemployment. It was in these circumstances that the band's first formal releases took shape. Strictly speaking, however, the 'band' usually consisted of Mangum and whoever else was present at the time. This is obvious on Neutral Milk Hotel's first release, a 7" entitled Everything Is, recorded when Mangum was spending time in Seattle, Washington, released on Cher Doll Records in 1994.
On Avery Island
A full album, On Avery Island, followed, this time recorded mainly in Denver, Colorado, where Mangum was backed by Robert Schneider of the Apples in Stereo, Rick Benjamin of the Perry Weissman Three and Lisa Janssen of Secret Square. Merge Records released it in 1996. On On Avery Island, Mangum's unique vocal style and the band's quirky but playful arrangements create a carnival atmosphere of moods ranging from excitement, suspense, and melodrama.
After the release of On Avery Island, Neutral Milk Hotel became a fully-fledged band, as Julian Koster, Scott Spillane and Jeremy Barnes joined Mangum, the band now being based in New York. Soon after this, they moved to Athens, Georgia, where many of Mangum's friends had begun to settle, and the Elephant 6 recording company began, fully, to take shape. After this, the band went back to Denver, to record a proper follow up to On Avery Island.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
The band's second LP, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, released in 1998, is notable as a critically acclaimed work and a widely popular recording. It is a spiritually motivated work, conceptually based on the beauty to be found in the horrific fate of Anne Frank and similarly overwhelming tragedies. (Mangum has, during live performances, including the one released under the title "Live at Jittery Joe's", described some of the songs off this album as based on urgent, recurring dreams he had of a European family during the 1940s.) The album was highly praised by critics for its wildly inventive instrumentation and Mangum's provocative and impassioned lyrics. Although it met with scant response from the general public when it was released, the recording has continued to gain momentum in indie music circles and has become a cult classic, selling well over 100,000 copies according to Merge Records. However, the record along with the year of constant touring that succeeded it took its toll on Mangum. The band quite abruptly went on hiatus turning down all requests for shows, including a support slot for R.E.M.. All of a sudden, the band appeared to go silent and very little has been heard from Mangum since 1999.
Hiatus
Although all the members are still active with one another in other projects, it is unknown whether any more Neutral Milk Hotel albums will be released. There were plans to release a Neutral Milk Hotel rarities album on the Orange Twin label; however, after an announcement in 2005 on the Orange Twin website claiming that Jeff Mangum had in fact eventually decided against the project, it is unclear if this will ever happen.
There has been, however, some activity since In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. First, Orange Twin re-released Everything Is...., complete with extra bonus tracks, as well as Live at Jittery Joe's, a bootleg recording of a show Mangum played in a coffee house in Athens in 1997. The Major Organ and the Adding Machine album, a rather secretive project released by Orange Twin in 2001 and consisting mainly of experimental musical collage, features Mangum, along with Julian Koster, Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes, Elf Power's Andrew Reiger and the Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System's Will Cullen Hart and Eric Harris. There was also the release of Orange Twin Field Works, Vol. 1, Mangum's field recording of a Bulgarian folk festival, also on Orange Twin in 2001. Additionally, he plays drums on the first Circulatory System album.
Since the start of the hiatus Neutral Milk Hotel, Jeff Mangum has only played live properly again once, under the pseudonym 'World of Wild Beards, Inc.', at the Kings Arms pub in Auckland, New Zealand, at the request of the Tall Dwarfs' Chris Knox. He has also made appearances with Elf Power, and appeared onstage at the first of The Olivia Tremor Control's New York shows on their 2005 reunion tour, to sing briefly. Further releases from Neutral Milk Hotel, however, are indicated to be unlikely.
The other members are all still releasing or recording material: Julian Koster as The Music Tapes, Scott Spillane as The Gerbils and Jeremy Barnes as A Hawk & A Hacksaw, Bablicon and Marta Tennae.
In 2005, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea saw its re-release by Domino Records in the UK, in a sleeve featuring praise from, among others, Franz Ferdinand and The Arcade Fire, both very much influenced by the band. On Avery Island was re-released in the US in January of 2006 with live bonus tracks. Mangum has also been fairly busy creatively - following a charity auction on eBay of an acoustic guitar decorated by Mangum himself, more guitars hand-decorated by Mangum were sold via Orange Twin Records for $900 apiece. In addition, a number of Mangum's original drawings, this time costing only $10 each, were sold via Neutral Milk Hotel's website.
In 2013, made a reunion tour of the United States, Australia, Taiwan and Japan. The band subsequently played concerts sporadically until going on indefinite hiatus in mid-2015.
Engine -
Neutral Milk Hotel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through endless revisions to state what I mean
For sweetness alone who flew out through the window
And landed back home in a garden of green
You're riding alone in the back of a steamer
And steaming yourself in the warm shower spray
And water rolls on off the round captain's belly
And sweet babies cry for the cool taste of milking
That milky delight that invited us all
And if there's a taste in this life more inviting
Then wake up your windows and watch as those sweet babies crawl away
Oh oh dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee
The lyrics to Neutral Milk Hotel's song "Engine" are heavily metaphorical and reflect a sense of confusion and struggle in communication. The singer compares themselves to an engine, that is constantly undergoing "endless revisions" in order to accurately express themselves. The idea of "sweetness alone" is contrasted with the image of someone (or something) flying out through a window, suggesting a sense of loss or escape. However, the image of "landing back home in a garden of green" suggests a sense of paradise or renewal.
The second verse continues this theme of isolation and confusion, as the singer describes someone "riding alone in the back of a steamer". The person is "steaming" themselves in the warm shower, which could represent a desire for purity or cleansing. The captain of the ship is talking to tigers, which could be interpreted as a sign of madness or delusion. The image of "sweet babies cry[ing] for the cool taste of milking" is a powerful one, representing a basic human desire for nourishment and comfort. However, the final lines of the verse suggest a sense of loss or resignation, as the babies crawl away.
Overall, the lyrics to "Engine" are complex and open to interpretation. They touch on themes of isolation, confusion, and the struggle to communicate effectively.
Line by Line Meaning
For I am an engine and I'm holding on
I am a machine trying to remain functional amidst constant updates and revisions to convey my purpose.
Through endless revisions to state what I mean
I am constantly changing and adjusting in order to communicate my intended message with clarity and accuracy.
For sweetness alone who flew out through the window
The innocent and pure joy of life has been lost, escaping without warning or reason.
And landed back home in a garden of green
That purity and innocence found a new home in a place of natural beauty and simplicity.
You're riding alone in the back of a steamer
You are traveling on a vessel, removed from your usual surroundings and companions.
And steaming yourself in the warm shower spray
You are trying to find comfort in the midst of a challenging and uncertain situation.
And water rolls on off the round captain's belly
You observe the physicality of a weathered and experienced leader, his body reflecting the impact of his life's work.
Who's talking to tigers from his cafeteria tray
This seasoned leader has the confidence and imagination to engage with even the most unlikely of creatures or situations.
And sweet babies cry for the cool taste of milking
Innocent and powerless beings yearn for the nurturing and comfort of a simple act, one that has been a part of life for generations.
That milky delight that invited us all
The sustenance and comfort provided by the simple act of nourishment is something that is shared across all of humanity.
And if there's a taste in this life more inviting
Despite all the distractions and hardships of existence, the primal, basic needs of life remain the most attractive and fundamental.
Then wake up your windows and watch as those sweet babies crawl away
The passing of time and the harshness of reality will inevitably take away the simple pleasures of childhood and innocence.
Oh oh dee dee dee dee dee dee dee
These nonsensical sounds merely emphasize the emotional depth and meaning contained in the other lines.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN DAVIES CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ElectricD44
For I am an engine And I'm rolling on
Through endless revisions to state what I mean
For sweetness alone who flew out through the window
And landed back home in a garden of green
You're riding alone in the back of a steamer
And steaming yourself in the warm shower spray
And water rolls on off the round captain's belly
Who's talking to tigers from his cafeteria tray
And sweet babies cry for the cool taste of milking
That milky delight that invited us all
And if there's a taste in this life more inviting
Then wake up your windows and watch as those sweet babies crawl Away
Mmm
@brownbenplumm9027
Sooooo, not five minutes ago, I just played this song all the way through on guitar. Itโs the first song Iโve been able to play in its entirety, having picked up a guitar for the first time a year ago, at age 23. Thank you so much NMH. Iโve loved your music with a passion after discovering it 6 or so years ago. Your music inspired me to learn an instrument as an adult, and Iโve been practicing โIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaโ every day since the week I bought my guitar last January. I still have a ways to go, but I was able to get this one down within one night, and itโs so motivating in such a tough time in my life. I doubt any member of the band will ever see this, but I needed to express the impact NMH has had on me. Thank you.
@fathairlesscat2673
I feel this
@brownbenplumm9027
@@athelstan99 Bless you too!
@RhysRapin
Hello twin
@liammcooper
greatest singing saw in Louisiana 1990s indie-rock history
@bradleynaylor2713
always thought the chord progression in this song sounded like a struggling engine trundling forward...very poignant, very beautiful x
@brittanykantack2811
God, I love it. His voice is hauntingly beautiful. I get this song stuck in my head all the time.
@ElectricD44
For I am an engine And I'm rolling on
Through endless revisions to state what I mean
For sweetness alone who flew out through the window
And landed back home in a garden of green
You're riding alone in the back of a steamer
And steaming yourself in the warm shower spray
And water rolls on off the round captain's belly
Who's talking to tigers from his cafeteria tray
And sweet babies cry for the cool taste of milking
That milky delight that invited us all
And if there's a taste in this life more inviting
Then wake up your windows and watch as those sweet babies crawl Away
Mmm
@sunrisesurprise3176
in my opinion, this is easily one of the top 5 NMH songs
@joopipeppi
Some random guy recommended me this song long time ago. It's always a pleasure to find good music in mysterious ways woop