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.
Heaven is the Dust Beneath My Shoes
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they said I couldn't come because I was too fat
I was really hurt at theat time, very angry but then I thought
I really don't have anything against gravity
But it really does weight me down
Heaven's is not a hearth fire
Heaven's not a home
It's not together or alone
Heaven's isn't distant
Heaven's isn't close
Heaven's not in heaven
Heaven's in the dust between my shoes
You were still asleep when I woke up this morning
So I took all your clothes and buried them in the yard
Then I phoned your mother and father and told them
Where you were and that you were naked
But all they said was that they were very, very busy
And they would try to see you later
Heaven's is not a heartache
Heaven's not a stone
Heaven's never open
Heaven's never closed
Heaven has no angels
Heaven is no goal
Heaven's not in heaven
Heaven's in the dust between my shoes
A wise man said that you can't step in the same stream twice
But I find that wet feet get soon caked with sand and grit, that's very unpleasant, especially between the toes
So, when I go for a stroll I always stay on the sidewalk
And I always wear a pair of nice warm boots
Heaven's not a kingdom
Not a land on which to roam
Heaven's not a palace
Where God sits upon a throne
Heaven has no treasue
There is nothing there to lose
Heaven, heaven,
Heaven has no choices
There is nothing there to choose
Heaven's not in heaven
Heaven's in the dust between my shoes
The lyrics to NoMeansNo's song "Heaven is the Dust Beneath My Shoes" are riddled with irony and sarcasm. The first verse addresses someone being excluded from a party because of their weight. The singer claims to have nothing against gravity, but acknowledges that it weighs them down. This could be interpreted as a sarcastic response to weight shaming, effectively saying that bodily weight doesn't define the person, instead it's the weight of social exclusion that is the true burden.
The chorus speaks to the lack of traditional understanding of heaven. It posits that heaven is not a physical place and alludes to the idea that heaven is relative and unique to the individual. The third verse talks about being cautious, avoiding getting one's feet wet or dirty, and making the choice to wear protective gear like boots. This could represent the idea of being cautious and protective of one's self, avoiding risky or messy situations, but ultimately learning that sometimes you have to get down and dirty to live life.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday all my friends decided to have a party
My friends organized a party yesterday
But they said I couldn't come because I was too fat
I was denied entry to the party because of my weight
I was really hurt at theat time, very angry but then I thought
Initially, I was upset and angry but then I reflected
I really don't have anything against gravity
I don't have any qualms with gravity
But it really does weight me down
Gravity does slow me down
Heaven's is not a hearth fire
Heaven is not a cozy, warm fire
Heaven's not a home
Heaven is not a dwelling place
Heaven has no reason
Heaven has no purpose
It's not together or alone
Heaven is neither united nor lonely
Heaven's isn't distant
Heaven is not far away
Heaven's isn't close
Heaven is not near
Heaven's not in heaven
Heaven is not in the afterlife
Heaven's in the dust between my shoes
Heaven is found in the ordinary parts of life
You were still asleep when I woke up this morning
When I woke up this morning, you were still asleep
So I took all your clothes and buried them in the yard
I hid your clothes in the backyard
Then I phoned your mother and father and told them
I informed your parents
Where you were and that you were naked
I shared with them that you were clothesless
But all they said was that they were very, very busy
Your parents were uninterested since they were preoccupied
And they would try to see you later
They promised to make time for you later
Heaven's is not a heartache
Heaven is not a source of pain and sorrow
Heaven's not a stone
Heaven is not a lifeless object
Heaven's never open
Heaven is not accessible
Heaven's never closed
Heaven is not shut off
Heaven has no angels
Heaven is not inhabited by divine beings
Heaven is no goal
Heaven is not a destination to aim for
Heaven's not in heaven
Heaven is not found in the next world
Heaven's in the dust between my shoes
Heaven is situated in the everyday realm
A wise man said that you can't step in the same stream twice
An intelligent person opined that you can't repeat the same experience
But I find that wet feet get soon caked with sand and grit, that's very unpleasant, especially between the toes
However, damp feet are uncomfortable and can quickly accumulate dirt, which is exceptionally uncomfortable when it clings to one's toes
So, when I go for a stroll I always stay on the sidewalk
Therefore, I always walk on the pavement when I go for a walk
And I always wear a pair of nice warm boots
Additionally, I always don good-quality, warm boots
Heaven's not a kingdom
Heaven is not a political entity
Not a land on which to roam
It's not a region to wander about
Heaven's not a palace
It's not a grand building
Where God sits upon a throne
Nor is it where the divine ruler sits
Heaven has no treasure
There are no valuable possessions to be found in heaven
There is nothing there to lose
There are no objects to lose in heaven
Heaven, heaven,
Heaven, oh heaven,
Heaven has no choices
There are no options in heaven
There is nothing there to choose
There's nothing to select in heaven
Heaven's not in heaven
The true location of heaven isn't in the afterlife
Heaven's in the dust between my shoes
Rather, heaven is present in commonplace, unremarkable features of everyday life
Contributed by Ryan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bo Bo Nomad
I LOVE NOMEANSNO. ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS EVER.
mariorossipuzza
john's snare sound remains the same in twenty years... that's amazing! i will see them in 2 weeks! thank you for posting!
The Jephries
mariorossipuzza do you know what kind of snare it is?
mariorossipuzza
ayotte
drzazgi
@The Jephries sounds like ludwig supraphonic
lars lovelot
Goddammit I love this band so much.
defconor13
nomeansno so happy I found this band
Guy Saunders
Can some one explain this song to me, because there's a niggling feeling that I'm missing something, like a key. Just a key, to understanding the MONSTROSITY AROUND ME. IT SURROUNDS ME AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT
imnotyou andimglad
this is great!!!
kuchitsu4
great great song!