The band's musical adventures first began in 1982 when McCarthy and Harris, along with drummer David Gooday, formed the group whilst still at school in Chelmsford. Listening to the likes of Abwärts, Neubauten, Malaria, DAF, Cabaret Voltaire, Killing Joke and Bauhaus among many others the boys began experimenting with synthesizers and samples culminating in the release of four singles on their own Power Of Voice Communications label (a joint venture with Pet Shop Boys producer Phil Harding) before Daniel Miller was impressed enough to sign them to his own label Mute.
Nitzer Ebb's debut album, 1987's brooding 'That Total Age', displayed a brutalist yet polished élan. Following the powerful opening singles 'Murderous' and 'Let Your Body Learn', the band's club reputation was truly secured with the release of 'Join In The Chant', which in a version remixed by Phil Harding, became a staple in Britain's acid house and techno clubs.
Having won over club-land the band turned their attentions to the live arena and at the invitation of label mates Depeche Mode, supported them on their huge Music for the Masses tour. Meanwhile original drummer Gooday departed to be replaced for live performances by Julian Beeston, whilst McCarthy and Harris returned to the studio with producer, Flood, to record the follow up to 'That Total Age' for the album that would eventually become 'Belief' and set in progress a highly creative partnership that would extend over four albums.
The new album once again retained the musical and visual aggression of their previous work. Yet 'Belief' also hinted at the band's growing ability to display a sense of wit, imagination and sheer caustic comment within their music. There were no sacred cows in terms of subject matter or indeed the band's merciless capacity for piss taking.
Upon its release 'Belief' not only attracted much domestic critical praise but also saw their stock rise in Europe. In part this was aided by the series of remixes provided by the band for the singles 'Control I'm Here', 'Hearts & Minds' and 'Shame'. Along with additional mixes by William Orbit they helped maintain the band's popularity in the clubs and encourage the burgeoning fascination in Europe with what was then known as EBM (Electronic Body Music).
In 1990 the band and Flood once again returned to the studio with every intention of upping the ante even further. The resulting album 'Showtime' showed further evidence of the band's progression, combining their trademark energy with a growing musicality that added menacing depths to tracks such as 'Getting Closer' and 'Lightning Man'. The album also spawned a most improbable, though brilliantly effective remix of 'Fun To Be Had' by George Clinton, the visionary behind two of the greatest freak-funk bands ever - Parliament and Funkadelic.
Arguably the success of this collaboration acted as a spur for the band's next release, the EP 'As Is'. This saw McCarthy and Harris working with four different mixers to reveal the different musical aspects at work within band. Their collaborators included Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke, a recording artist whose musical aggression was even more noted than their own, and Alan Wilder, then of Depeche Mode, who applied his noted production skills to enhance the melodic potential within the band.
It was this potential that the band sought to develop on their 4th album, 'Ebbhead'. Released in 1991 the album was a full-blooded affair and with Alan Wilder joining Flood in the production hot seat it was perhaps no surprise to hear the rich musical instrumentation now firmly part of the band's armoury. Any suggestion though that the Ebb were somehow softening up were blown away by the full on pulverising assault of 'Godhead', an assault that had by now successfully overcome audiences in the US.
Though it appeared that the main external battles had been won, the band were arguably now having to battle with the internal tensions that naturally had arisen following a decade sustaining an intense level of shared creativity. Four years in the making 'Big Hit' finally made the light of day in 1995. The diverse and experimental nature of the band was still there, and in the lead-off single 'Kick It', the Ebb showed that they could still easily conjure up those moments that would batter the listener into submission yet make it a strangely rewarding process at the same time. Unfortunately, the band's decicion to update their sound with grunge-inspired guitars fails throughout most of the album, as the big rock-styled choruses proved incompatible with the band's signature electronics. Once ahead of their time, but now left behind, Nitzer Ebb found their last release headed straight to the cutout bins.
The cracks that appeared between McCarthy and Harris during the making 'Big Hit'--as well as longtime producer Flood's inattentiveness to the group's material--proved to be decisive and shortly after its release it became clear that another album would not be forthcoming. In fact it would take seven years before the band could bring themselves to talk to each other. Perhaps it was this enforced silence that encouraged critics to reassess the precocious impact and originality of the band, as a number of subsequent artists lined up to cite them as a major influence, or less honourably, simply exploiting the Ebb's musical template for their own individual gain. Whilst such a situation may be a cause of great annoyance to most bands, the Ebb maintain a healthy level of stoicism. As they say, “That's the problem with being ahead of the game - the pioneers get the arrows and the settlers get the land.”
In the end of 2005 when the quantity of requests for new Nitzer Ebb live acts went beyond the limits McCarthy and Harris met to discuss the possibility of reunion. Since the beginning of 2006 they started to give concerts and since summer Nitzer Ebb are on reunion tour. A 2CD compilation of best tracks and a bunch of remixes "Body Of Work" was released in may and later, in july, a remixes album "Body Reworked" followed. For the tour Nitzer Ebb hired a new drummer - Kourtney Klein, mostly known for her work in CombiChrist. In august of 2006 it was officially confirmed that Nitzer Ebb are working on the new material. The recording actually started in March 2007. New record is going to be produced by british producer Jagz Kooner and should be issued, according to Douglas McCarthy, at spring 2008.
Hear Me Say
Nitzer Ebb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clouding up my mind like all its fears
I'm leaving you
You want me to
But how
I got no shame
So call my name
Call now
just hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
Don't turn away
Hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
Don't push away
another tear, another day
Another year and I'll say
There's nothing left for me
And though it's clear that I'll pay
There's a fear that I'll say
I'll stay
Yeah, pick up that knife
And cut up my life
There's nothing you can't touch
So if you see some part
That you think may start
Don't stop
hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
Don't turn away
Hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
Don't push away
I've turned it into something
A puppet on your string
I don't know myself
Is that part of your stealth
I know what you do
When I say this to you
It means nothing at all
You are deaf to my call
I know what to do
I am turning from you
Love's been drummed out of me
My love's deaf to your plea
just hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
I've turned away
Hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
I've pushed away
hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
I've turned away
Hear me say
Yeah, hear me say
I've pushed away
The lyrics of "Hear Me Say" by Nitzer Ebb are about a relationship that has reached its end. The singer is struggling with the decision to leave their partner, who wants them to go. Mentally clouded by the weight of their emotions, the singer asks their partner to listen to them and not push them away. There’s an underlying theme of frustration, as the singer feels unheard throughout the song - "You are deaf to my call", "I know what you do, When I say this to you, It means nothing at all". There's also a sense of anger and detachment as the singer feels like they have been turned into a puppet on a string, losing their identity in the process. The lyrics hint at self-destruction - "Pick up that knife and cut up my life" - and the idea that the singer feels like they have lost everything dear to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Cigarette smoke's hanging on my tears
My tears are clouded with the smoke from the cigarettes that I've been smoking
Clouding up my mind like all its fears
The cigarette smoke is making my mind foggy, like the fears that I'm trying to ignore
I'm leaving you
I'm ending our relationship
You want me to
You've been pushing me to end our relationship
But how
I don't know how to end this without causing more pain
I got no shame
I'm not ashamed about ending this relationship
So call my name
You can contact me anytime
Call now
Call me now
just hear me say
Please listen to what I have to say
Don't turn away
Please don't ignore my feelings
Don't push away
Please don't push me away
another tear, another day
I keep feeling pain every day
Another year and I'll say
If I stay in this relationship for another year, I will definitely leave
There's nothing left for me
There's no reason for me to stay in this relationship anymore
And though it's clear that I'll pay
Even though there will be consequences for leaving, I know I must do it
There's a fear that I'll say
I'm scared that I'll say something that will hurt you
I'll stay
I'll continue to stay in this unhappy relationship
Yeah, pick up that knife
I'm suggesting that you hurt me, rather than staying in this relationship
And cut up my life
End our relationship by hurting me
There's nothing you can't touch
You have control over everything in this relationship
So if you see some part
If you want to leave, you can take whatever you want from me
That you think may start
If there's something you want that will help you end this relationship, take it
Don't stop
Don't hesitate to make a move
I've turned it into something
I've made this relationship into something it shouldn't be
A puppet on your string
You have complete control over me
I don't know myself
I've lost who I am in this relationship
Is that part of your stealth
Are you intentionally manipulating me?
I know what you do
I'm aware of the things you've done to hurt me
When I say this to you
When I tell you how I feel
It means nothing at all
You don't take my feelings seriously
You are deaf to my call
You ignore my attempts to talk to you about my feelings
I know what to do
I know that I need to leave
I am turning from you
I'm leaving you
Love's been drummed out of me
Our relationship has drained the love out of me
My love's deaf to your plea
Even if you beg me to stay, my love for you is gone
I've turned away
I'm walking away from this relationship
I've pushed away
I'm pushing you away from my life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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