The band have never had, or have ever seemed to pursue, strong mainstream success, but they do have a devoted underground following in North America and Europe. They tour fairly often on both continents and maintain a dedicated fan base.
The band was formed in 1979 by brothers Rob Wright (bass guitar and vocals) and John Wright (drum set, keyboards and vocals). Their name derives from an anti-date rape slogan. For their first four years the duo's music would seem to be influenced as much by jazz and progressive rock as punk rock. The musical press described their earliest recordings as "Devo on a jazz trip, Motörhead after art school, or Wire on psychotic steroids." NoMeansNo have been credited with being an influence on, and perhaps even the genesis of, math rock.
The brothers Wright began recording as a two-piece in their parents' basement in 1979. These recordings, heard on their first two self-released 7"s, consisted of full rock band arrangements and had a new wave, warped-pop sound, different from subsequent recordings. When, in the early 1980s, the duo began gigging simply with bass, drums and vocals, the present form of their distinct sound slowly took shape. The songs they played in this period are documented on the "Mama" LP (re-released in 2004 on their own Wrong Records.)
In 1984, they added Andy Kerr (who played with John Wright in Infamous Scientists) on guitar and vocals. Kerr preferred pseudonymity and used such pseudonyms as "Buttercup" or "None-Of-Your-Fucking-Business". He brought a distinct hardcore punk edge to the group, and stayed until 1991. He is often erroneously credited for penning the lyrics of NoMeansNo songs on which he sang, perhaps due to deliberately vague liner notes and frequent vocal moonlighting (Kerr sings lead or co-lead vocals on nearly half the songs on Wrong for example). Kerr's vocals were a necessity for a period of time in the 1980s when Rob Wright was recovering from nodules on his vocal cords. While Rob Wright is the band's lyricist and main songwriter, all members have contributed songs to NoMeansNo records, and nearly all their material is credited to the entire band.
Wrong is widely considered the band's best and most representative record ("The playing is incredibly skilled, with the Wright brothers effortlessly shifting tempos and time signatures and Kerr's razor sharp lyrics clicking right into place").
After Kerr's departure, the Wright brothers recorded "Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy?" as a duo. They subsequently recruited guitarist Tom Holliston from Showbusiness Giants and The Hanson Brothers, and have continued touring and releasing records, including "Worldhood of the World (as such)", "Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie", "One", and most recently, "All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt" which was released on August 22, 2006. The album was released by AntAcidAudio in the United States and Southern Records in Europe.
The album "One", released in 2000, featured "two stunning covers that only make sense coming from NoMeansNo": a slow stoner rock-styled version of The Ramones' Beat On The Brat, and rather authentic fifteen-minute version of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, (complete with electric piano and congas) featuring lyrics by Rob.
NoMeansNo initially released records with seminal punk rock record label Alternative Tentacles. This relationship ended in 2002. The band has since been reissuing old albums through Southern Records under their own Wrong Records imprint.
Even their earliest recordings demonstrate impressive instrumental technique ("some of the most complex instrumentation you're ever likely to find in punk rock"). Jazz has been an influence on the group; Rob's basslines have a loping, melodic quality often reminiscent of Charles Mingus, and John's drumming sometimes sounds a bit like Elvin Jones or Art Blakey.
NoMeansNo's output features a seemingly endless flow of "Wright/wrong/right" puns, and significant measures of black humour, with "pointedly warped lyrics", such as on "Dad" from Sex Mad. The song was a minor college radio hit, and has been called "a bit chilling, even though it's spit out at slam-pit's pace". The first person narrator details a rampaging father's physical and sexual abuse, ending with what's been called a "killer end touch—the baldly delivered line 'I'm seriously considering leaving home.'". One critic (while noting the group's "savage intelligence") suggests that NoMeansNo might well be "the secret influence on a fair amount of both early-'90s math rock and emo, what with the barely controlled fervour of the singing and the sudden jerks back and forth in the rhythm section."
Equally striking about the band's back catalogue is their ability to jump from style to style and still maintain their musical identity. They leap from dirge to thrash, complication to simplicity, discordant to melodic and still sound like themselves.
John's drumming style has been mentioned as an influence to others, including Dave Grohl.
NoMeansNo's alter ego is TheHanson Brothers, a quartet with John singing and different drummer. Nearly a Ramones tribute band, the Hanson Brothers play fun punk rock as a mock group of backward Canadian ice hockey fans. The lyrics centre on ice hockey, beer and girls. The name comes from characters in the 1977 George Roy Hill film Slap Shot, starring Paul Newman.
Rob Wright's alter ego is Mr. Wrong, who dresses as an authoritarian priest and often poses with a shotgun. Mr. Wrong is simply Wright on bass and vocals with no other instrumentation. It is rumoured that Wright also plays upright bass in a traditional jazz band who play standards, but he keeps this side of his life fuzzy in interviews.
Tom Holliston released several albums with his band Showbusiness Giants as well as three solo albums.
Andy Kerr and John Wright played in the early 1980s in the Infamous Scientists. Kerr, after leaving NoMeansNo, released a solo CD and collaborated with Victoria musician Scott Henderson in Hissanol. Kerr most recently has begun a duo called Two Pin Din in the Netherlands.
Ashes
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sausage lips and greasy tips
It's that sweet fried prok
Spitting on the spit, spitting on the spit
You can't stem the blood and fire
By squeezing it in your hand
I've got the desire, I've got the desire
My hair is on fire
Ashes to ashes
My blood is boiling
I've got the stiff stand straight up my ass
Smell the gas, smell the sewer gas
You can't stoke the coals
Whithout a couple of third degree burns
Her the wheels of indstry turn, turn, turn
My ass is burning
Ashes to ashes
Fire burn low, down we go
This little piggy went to the market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roasted beef
This little piggy had none
Break out the fire arms, let's do some harm
Rake the pit for the remnants, get it all
Back up the truck, we've got to get our ashes hauled
Ashes to ashes
Fire burn low, down we goes
The song "Ashes" by NoMeansNo is a vivid portrayal of the social, political and economic decay of modern society. The opening line "I smell something burning... it's us" is a metaphor for the self-destructive nature of humanity, while "sausage lips and greasy tips" suggests the gluttony and greed that has consumed us. The mention of "sweet fried pork" and "spitting on the spit" highlights our insatiable appetites, which have led to the exploitation of resources and the destruction of the environment. The chorus "ashes to ashes" alludes to the biblical quote "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and speaks to the inevitable end of humanity's destructive behavior.
The second verse of the song focuses on the physical and emotional toll of our collective actions. The line "my blood is boiling" suggests anger and frustration, while "smell the gas, smell the sewer gas" is a commentary on the pollution created by industrialization. The verse also implies that the pursuit of progress comes at a personal cost, with "a couple of third degree burns" and "my ass is burning" referencing the painful sacrifices made by individuals for the sake of societal advancement.
The final verse of the song seemingly references the nursery rhyme "this little piggy," suggesting that we have reduced ourselves to animals in pursuit of our own self-interest. "Break out the fire arms, let's do some harm" is a call to action, while "rake the pit for the remnants, get it all" implies a reckless, "scorched earth" approach to problem-solving. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus "ashes to ashes, fire burn low, down we go" suggesting that we are our own worst enemies and our current trajectory is leading to inevitable destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I smell something burning... it's us
I detect a situation that's about to get out of hand, and it's all because of us.
Sausage lips and greasy tips
Our indulgence in greasy food and gluttony has led us to this burning state.
It's that sweet fried prok
Our uncontrolled desire for the taste of this delicious pork has led to our current state of disarray.
Spitting on the spit, spitting on the spit
The pork is cooking over the spit, but it's too late to put it out as it is already engulfed in flames.
You can't stem the blood and fire
By squeezing it in your hand
I've got the desire, I've got the desire
My hair is on fire
It's impossible to put out the fire with a simple act like squeezing it with your hand. And despite the danger, my desire trumps my common sense, leading to my hair being engulfed in flames.
Ashes to ashes
We have succumbed to the consequences of our actions, and are now reduced to ashes.
My blood is boiling
I've got the stiff stand straight up my ass
Smell the gas, smell the sewer gas
The intensity of our situation is causing my blood to boil, and I am paralyzed with shock as the scene unfolds. We can also smell the gas which is the cause of this disaster.
You can't stoke the coals
Whithout a couple of third degree burns
Her the wheels of indstry turn, turn, turn
My ass is burning
Trying to fix the situation will only result in further harm, just like the coals that will burn us upon being ignited. And the industry that has led us here continues to turn, even as my backside is painfully burning.
Fire burn low, down we go
The intensity of the fire is dying down, as we succumb to its destructive power and burn down in the process.
This little piggy went to the market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roasted beef
This little piggy had none
Break out the fire arms, let's do some harm
Rake the pit for the remnants, get it all
Back up the truck, we've got to get our ashes hauled
We can't become complacent or regret our actions now; let's embrace the chaos and destruction and use our weapons and tools to cause more damage. We must take everything that remains in the pit and then escape with what little we have left.
Ashes to ashes
Fire burn low, down we goes
We have reached the end, and as the fire dwindles, we are burning down and there is no turning back.
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.