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.
Wood Guitar
Neutral Milk Hotel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
found inside a wood guitar
That splits the seams wide open
Oh Oh
‘cause I know who you are
You paint the doors and walls
and listen for the bell-chime calls
And life is nothing more at all than
And Oh
It's real, and never fading
Listen to the strings you've strung
and all the words you're saying now
Sing a song, a song with feeling
that sounds best when you've hit the bong
and concludes deeper meaning
Oh Oh
‘cause I know sometimes
All the thoughts can sometimes hit
Confusion as the record skips
But how needs fools to think you(‘re) hip
When all the world is full of shit
And Oh
I hear the timbres you're playing
It sits inside the summer sky
It's softly cascading
The song "Wood Guitar" by Neutral Milk Hotel is a melancholic reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the power of music to evoke emotions that surpass language. The opening lines of the song set the tone: "Here we are, a final moment / found inside a wood guitar / That splits the seams wide open." The image of a guitar splitting open suggests a release of pent-up emotion, as if the music being played is too powerful to be contained. The repetition of "Oh Oh" adds to the sense of urgency and longing.
The second verse seems to touch on themes of domesticity and routine, with the lines "You paint the doors and walls / and listen for the bell-chime calls / And life is nothing more at all than / tea-cup drips and bouncing balls." The "bell-chime calls" could be a reference to a job or other obligation that dictates the rhythms of one's day. The repetition of "And Oh / It's real, and never fading" suggests a defiance of these mundane circumstances, a refusal to be subdued by them.
The chorus is a call to action, urging the listener to "Sing a song, a song with feeling / that sounds best when you've hit the bong / and concludes deeper meaning." The juxtaposition of drug use with deeper meaning is somewhat ambiguous - is the song advocating for escapism or transcendence? The later lines "But how needs fools to think you(‘re) hip / When all the world is full of shit" suggest a growing disillusionment with societal norms and trends.
Overall, "Wood Guitar" is a song that communicates a sense of yearning for deeper connection and meaning in life, and a recognition of the power of music to evoke those emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we are, a final moment
We are experiencing a significant and perhaps memorable moment.
found inside a wood guitar
This moment is found or contained within the wooden guitar.
That splits the seams wide open
The intensity of this moment is causing the seams to split wide open.
Oh Oh
This is an exclamation or expression of surprise or wonder.
‘cause I know who you are
The artist has a deep knowledge or understanding of who the listener is.
You paint the doors and walls
The listener is creative and enjoys decorating their space.
and listen for the bell-chime calls
The listener is attuned to the sounds and rhythms of the world.
And life is nothing more at all than tea-cup drips and bouncing balls
The artist believes that life is made up of simple and mundane things, like the sound of tea dripping and balls bouncing.
And Oh
An expression of wonder or awe.
It's real, and never fading
This moment is real, and will not fade or disappear.
Listen to the strings you've strung
The listener should pay attention to the music they have created or contributed to.
and all the words you're saying now
The listener's words and ideas are important and should be heard.
Sing a song, a song with feeling
The singer encourages the listener to sing a song that is full of emotion.
that sounds best when you've hit the bong
The singer suggests that the listener may enjoy the song more if they are under the influence of marijuana.
and concludes deeper meaning
This song has a deeper meaning or significance.
Oh Oh
An expression of wonder or awe.
‘cause I know sometimes
The artist understands that sometimes things can be confusing or difficult for the listener.
All the thoughts can sometimes hit
The listener can be overwhelmed or bombarded by their thoughts.
Confusion as the record skips
The listener experiences confusion or disorientation, perhaps like a skipping record.
But how needs fools to think you(‘re) hip
The artist believes it is foolish to try to impress others and be considered cool.
When all the world is full of shit
The world is full of problems and difficulties, making it foolish to focus on being cool.
And Oh
An expression of wonder or awe.
I hear the timbres you're playing
The singer is listening closely to and appreciating the unique qualities of the listener's music.
It sits inside the summer sky
The music has a quality that is light and expansive, like the summer sky.
It's softly cascading
The music flows gently and continuously.
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DexterousDiggs
Thank you so much for uploading all these awesome rare demos and live performances. I want to let you know that I really appreciate it and frequently listen to the content you share. They have so many cool songs that never saw an official release. Anyway, you're awesome, keep doing what you're doing!
positive juice motel
Its no problem. :) I was very surprised when I found them. At face value, NMH seems like a band with only two albums worth of music (Two and a half these days, I guess, with their recent collection out), but you look closely and they have sooo much more. I've been happy to share it with people, and when this darn copyright nonsense is over, I'll be sure to get back to full concerts. Glad you're enjoying what you're hearing!
James Maple
@positive juice motel Absolute legend
ThePolarBearProductions
Sounds like a Beatles song.
Jorge Lopes
Great poet! Great lyricist! Much better than Lennon and McCartney! I´m a big fan from Brazil!
sounds fan
ayy lmao you're cool everyone here is so cool I love you
AtlanticSpamHammer
Oh this is "Here We Are!"
META DONK
Jeff Mangum's only mistake was naming his band Neutral Milk Hotel, but who needs fools to think you're hip?