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.
Junk
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He thought he was putting his things in the right place
Everything had a name and everything had a place
But now there's so much of this stuff around
That when we look down on the ground
There is nothing there to see
Well, you're probably saying to yourself,
"I guess they buried it somewhere else"
Just bend your neck, just crane your neck, just twist your neck
But don't break your neck
And look above you, look above you
Above us is the garbage, below us is the earth
Above us is the garbage, below us is the earth
And each day, each hour, each minute, each second
We're crawling, crawling, clawing, falling
More, more, more, more
It's junk
These lyrics from NoMeansNo's song Junk appear to be a reflection on society's obsession with material possessions and consumerism. The singer of the song believed that he was organizing his belongings effectively by giving everything its own designated place. However, he soon realized that he had accumulated so much stuff that it had become cluttered and disorganized. The line "when we look down on the ground, there is nothing there to see" is a powerful metaphor for how material possessions can distract us from the beauty and simplicity of the natural world.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this point further, with the repetition of "above us is the garbage, below us is the earth." This line is a poignant reminder that, in the grand scheme of things, our possessions are fleeting and insignificant compared to the natural world.
The final lines of the song, which repeat the word "junk" over and over, drive home the message of the song. The singer is disturbed by the constant accumulation of possessions and the way they seem to take over his life.
In summary, the lyrics to NoMeansNo's Junk are a commentary on the dangers of consumerism and materialism, and a call to appreciate the natural world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
He thought he was putting his things in the right place
At one point in time, he believed he was being organized by putting his possessions in their appropriate places.
Everything had a name and everything had a place
He was meticulous about ensuring that every item he owned had a designated location, as well as an identifying label.
But now there's so much of this stuff around
However, over time, he accumulated a vast amount of possessions, and the situation became overwhelming.
That when we look down on the ground
The resulting clutter is so enormous that when we look downwards, we cannot see anything but the mess.
There is nothing there to see
The accumulation of junk has now reached a point that a clear view is no longer possible.
Well, you're probably saying to yourself,
The writer anticipates that the listener could be thinking,
"I guess they buried it somewhere else"
"Perhaps the items were relegated to another location".
Wait a minute, wait a minute, Please wait a minute
However, the writer requests the listener to pause for a moment and wait.
Just bend your neck, just crane your neck, just twist your neck
To gain greater understanding, they advise the listener to manipulate their neck and look upwards.
But don't break your neck
The writer issues a warning not to harm oneself while examining the area above.
And look above you, look above you
The writer urges the listener to examine the space overhead.
Above us is the garbage, below us is the earth
What they will see is an abundance of debris above them, while the planet lies below.
And each day, each hour, each minute, each second
The situation worsens throughout every moment of every day.
We're crawling, crawling, clawing, falling
The writer depicts the individuals as beginning to struggle and plummeting due to the predicament at hand.
More, more, more, more
The issue continues to worsen as more and more material accumulates.
It's junk
The accumulation is now so great that it is only appropriate to refer to it as junk.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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