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.
Going Nowhere
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was the greatest, I had my share of fame
The girls, they loved me, you know I had them all
But now, they don't love me, now they don't care at all
I thought I could not fail
I had it by the tail
But now I'm headed down, I'm
Standing by the roadside
Up against a wall
Now I'm going nowhere
Nowhere at all
I was the strongest, I pushed the world around
I stood the tallest, I turned it upside down
I thought I had it, I thought I knew it all
Why couldn't I see it, the writing on the wall
I wanted everything
I had it on a string
I soared above the ground
But now I'm coming down, I'm
Standing by the roadside
Up against a wall
Now I'm going nowhere
Nowhere at all
Now I'm going nowhere
Nowhere at all
Now I'm going nowhere
Nowhere at all
Hey buddy, you've seen me, you know my face and name
Hey, buddy, listen to me, don't turn and walk away
I thought I had it made
I thought I'd never fade
I thought I'd live forever
I guess I should've know better, I'm
Standing by the roadside
Up against a wall
Now I'm going nowhere
Nowhere at all
The lyrics to NoMeansNo's song "Going Nowhere" tell the story of a man who used to be on top of the world but now finds himself at a crossroads in his life, with nothing to show for all his past successes. He remembers how he used to be the greatest, famous and loved by many girls, but now, all that is in the past. The man who was once strong enough to push the world around is now standing by the roadside, up against the wall and going nowhere. He believed he owned the town and thought he had it all, but the writing was on the wall and he failed to see it. He wanted everything on a string, and he soared above the ground, but now he is coming down. He thought he'd never fade and live forever, but he should have known better. In the end, the man is facing a bleak future with no prospects.
The lyrics are poignant and relatable to anyone who has experienced the highs and lows of life, and it serves as a reminder that nothing is permanent. Fame, success, and fortune do not last forever, and we must always be prepared for the inevitable changes that will come.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, buddy, you know me, I guess you've heard my name
Introducing oneself to someone who might recognize them from past fame.
I was the greatest, I had my share of fame
Listing their past accomplishments and successes.
The girls, they loved me, you know I had them all
Describing the singer's past success with attracting romantic partners.
But now, they don't love me, now they don't care at all
Noticing a change in the way people treat the artist in their current situation.
I thought I could not fail
Feeling overconfident in their abilities and past successes.
I had it by the tail
Expressing their belief that they had control of everything in their life.
I thought I owned this town
Believing that they had power and influence over their environment.
But now I'm headed down, I'm
Acknowledging their decline or loss of control.
Standing by the roadside
Describing their current physical location.
Up against a wall
Feeling trapped or stuck in their current situation.
Now I'm going nowhere
Expressing their belief that they are not making progress or moving forward in their life.
Nowhere at all
Emphasizing the artist's sense of being stuck and without direction.
I was the strongest, I pushed the world around
Recalling a past sense of invincibility and power.
I stood the tallest, I turned it upside down
Describing their ability to overcome obstacles and make a big impact on their environment.
I thought I had it, I thought I knew it all
Confidently believing that they had everything figured out.
Why couldn't I see it, the writing on the wall
Questioning themselves about why they did not notice or foresee their downfall.
I wanted everything
Admitting their excessive ambition for success and material possessions.
I had it on a string
Feeling like they had control over everything they wanted.
I soared above the ground
Recalling a past sense of excitement and adventure in their life.
But now I'm coming down, I'm
Feeling a sharp contrast to their past heights of success and excitement.
Hey buddy, you've seen me, you know my face and name
Reintroducing oneself to someone who may have seen them in their glory days.
Hey, buddy, listen to me, don't turn and walk away
Asking someone to pay attention to them despite their current state of decline.
I thought I had it made
Reiterating their past belief that they had everything under control.
I thought I'd never fade
Expressing their belief that they would always remain in their prime.
I thought I'd live forever
Believing that they were invincible and that their success could not be challenged.
I guess I should've know better, I'm
Reflecting on their past mistakes and misjudgments.
Now I'm going nowhere
Returning to the overarching theme of being stuck and without direction in their life.
Nowhere at all
Reiterating their sense of being lost and having no clear path forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Hc/Punk from Canada