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.
Ghosts
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you really care?
Do you really care?
There is no reason to be afraid
All the bodies have been laid to rest
Nobody passes the test of time
The long climb into thin air, thin air
There is no one there
You think you have time
You have no time
An image may be left in place
Of what was felt there is no trace
In words recited without sound
By voices buried underground
There is no meaning to be found
Do you really care?
Do you really care
There is no one there
You think you have time
You have no time
There are no castles without ghosts
And no spirits without hope
But nobody passes the test of time
You stand in line, you have your place
The in the space of moments fall
From again and again and again to not at all
From again and again and again to not at all
I do not fear the buried sounds
Of words that echo underground
A memory is a loaded gun
And I remember everyone
I remember you
Do you really care?
Do you really care?
There is no one there
There is no one there
Why are you scared?
There is no one there
You're clean, strong and free like you always wanted to be
You're alone, alone, alone
There is no one there
The song "Ghosts" by NoMeansNo is a haunting reflection on the inevitability of death and the passing of time. The opening lines “Thin voices call out of thin air, do you really care?” poses a question of whether anyone truly cares when we are gone. The next lines, “There is no reason to be afraid, all the bodies have been laid to rest” imply that death is a natural part of life and nothing to be afraid of. However, the line “Nobody passes the test of time” reminds us that no one can escape the consequences of aging and the passing of time. The reference to “thin air” throughout the song reflects the idea that what we leave behind eventually fades away and becomes nothing.
The chorus of the song “You think you have time, you have no time” emphasizes the idea that we don’t have as much time as we think we do, and we must use it wisely. The line “An image may be left in place, of what was felt there is no trace” implies that we might leave behind an impression of ourselves, but the essence of who we were is lost with time. The verse “There are no castles without ghosts, and no spirits without hope” suggests that the memories we leave behind are like ghosts- they may be intangible and fleeting, but they are still present. The line “You stand in line, you have your place, then in the space of moments fall, from again and again and again to not at all” implies that even though we may have a place in society and feel important, eventually we will fall and disappear.
Ultimately, the song "Ghosts" is a reflection on the inevitability of death and the importance of making the most of the time we have. It encourages listeners to consider the legacy they will leave behind and asks whether they have made an impact on the world that will last beyond their own mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Thin voices call out of thin air
The voices that are being heard are almost non-existent and unclear to interpret.
Do you really care?
Are you actually concerned about what is happening around you?
Do you really care?
Again, are you genuinely bothered or are you just pretending?
There is no reason to be afraid
Nothing is happening that should make you feel scared or threatened.
All the bodies have been laid to rest
The dead have been buried and there is nothing to worry about in that regard.
Nobody passes the test of time
Everyone eventually succumbs to the effects of time.
The long climb into thin air, thin air
A metaphor for life being a difficult journey with no clear destination, much like trying to breathe in thin air.
There is no one there
No one is around to help you or support you.
You think you have time
You may believe you have all the time in the world, but that's not necessarily true.
You have no time
In reality, you have very little time left to do what you want or need to do.
An image may be left in place
Sometimes all that remains of a memory is a vague impression, rather than any concrete recollection.
Of what was felt there is no trace
Even strong emotions can fade with time and leave no discernible evidence behind.
In words recited without sound
The words that are left unsaid can still echo in our minds and hearts.
By voices buried underground
The voices of those who have passed away can still be heard in our thoughts and memories.
There is no meaning to be found
Sometimes events occur with no clear reason or significance behind them.
There are no castles without ghosts
Even places that seem grand and impressive can be haunted by negative feelings or emotions.
And no spirits without hope
Even when things seem bleak, it's important to hold onto hope and keep moving forward.
You stand in line, you have your place
We all have our roles to play in life, and we must accept them and do our best.
The in the space of moments fall
Things can go from good to bad or vice versa in a very short amount of time.
From again and again and again to not at all
A repetition of events can suddenly come to an end or stop altogether.
I do not fear the buried sounds
The artist is not afraid or intimidated by the memories of the past.
Of words that echo underground
Memories can persist, even if they are buried deep in our subconscious.
A memory is a loaded gun
Memories can be powerful and have significant emotional weight and impact.
And I remember everyone
The artist has strong and vivid memories of every person they have encountered in life.
Why are you scared?
There is no reason to be frightened.
You're clean, strong and free like you always wanted to be
You have achieved your goals and are now in a good place in your life.
You're alone, alone, alone
Despite this success, you may still feel isolated and unsupported by those around you.
There is no one there
You cannot rely on anyone else to fill this void or provide you with companionship or comfort.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COUSINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
deadeye
Powerful shit. I wish they’d come back but, I hope they are well.
Dr Lee Percussion
Awesome song and the drums are killer!
Fernando benítez valencia
and the lyrics are awesome, too: best description of a ghost i've ever heard or read: 'there is no meaning to be found... there is no one there...'
diaablo777
fucking awesome
Do e
Post-grunge, comedy rock, experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, math rock, art rock
reardensteel
I like neo-psychedelia, they're mind readers to be honest...
David Gormley
Wrong on all counts. Sorry
david stewart
Metaphysics of presence/absence... And life is short
deadeye
…Something about round pegs in square holes?
Ohmloud
Jazz punk funk