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.
Long Days
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I grew them long
I grew them short
I wasted them all away
LONG DAYS...
I wasted them away
Count the hours
Look into that hole
Can you see what's in it?
LONG DAYS
I wasted them away
See them stretch
Far behind me
See them crouch
Right behind me
See them pass
Right beside me
See them stretch
Out before me
LONG DAYS...
I wasted them away.
The lyrics to NoMeansNo's song Long Days typically convey a sense of regret that comes with a life lived in futility. The opening stanzas of the song encapsulate the idea of wasted time and suggest that the singer may have squandered the opportunities that came their way, which gives the lead-up to the chorus an introspective feel. The chorus explicitly talks about how the singer wasted their life away, and it's clear they're filled with regret.
As the song continues, the lyrics take on an almost existential tone. The lead singer speaks about the passage of time and how it's always moving, making its way effortlessly past us, whether we're taking note of its progression or not. The line "see them crouch right behind me" describes the past, which lurks behind us, constantly reminding us of what we’ve lost. The line "See them stretch out before me" describes the future that is always coming towards us, no matter how fast we run from it. The song's bass-heavy sound perfectly complements the poignant lyrics, showcasing the emotional weight of the words, while the chorus highlights the frustration and overwhelming sense of loss that comes with the realization that we've missed out on life's opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
I grew days
I spent a lot of time and effort in my life
I grew them long
I spent too much time on things that did not matter much in the long run
I grew them short
I did not spend enough time on things that could have been meaningful in my life
I wasted them all away
I did not use my time wisely and regret it now
LONG DAYS...
I had many days that seem to last forever due to my own choices and actions
Count the hours
I am aware of how much of my life has passed by
Count the minutes
I am paying close attention to the passage of time
Look into that hole
Reflecting on my past choices and their consequences
Can you see what's in it?
Trying to understand how my actions led to my current situation
See them stretch
I can visualize my past and how it led me to where I am now
Far behind me
My past is something I have left behind
See them crouch
There are things that I regret doing in my past
Right behind me
My past is always present in my mind
See them pass
My past has influenced my present, but I am moving on
Right beside me
My past has shaped who I am now and is always a part of me
See them stretch
I am aware of the future and what opportunities it may hold
Out before me
The future is full of possibilities and potential
LONG DAYS...
My wasted time has accumulated and left me feeling regretful
I wasted them away
I realize now that I did not use my time wisely and cannot get it back
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heather S W
Every time I hear this my mind is blown. NoMeansNo is fucking amazing.
Huffchux
So good. Gives me chills every time John gets going on the drums.
Croppin theChoches
Never understood why these never got as big as bands like Fugazi. These are THE SHIT.
Emme Pi
At the time, they were.. I think they suffered (a lot) Andy kerr's departure, 1992? Fugazi got bigger after that
Elmo Andthestix
Nomeansno can achieve so much with so little. And when I say 'little' I obviously mean one of the greatest basslines in rock music.
jayl1
This song proves you don’t necessarily need a guitar. Fucking amazing
J SUTCLIFFE
NoMeansNo - Long Days 2328pm 6.8.22 indeed... whereas lords used no bass these guys take the guitar as being a mere prop - for such sings as this at any rate.... that other band wedonotnameforfearofbeingtarredashim did the same.. y'know, that band from prestwich in stoke... anyhow; how come baz's nomeansno filmed gear is on andymch channel?
HermanWaldorf
Once I saw Nomeansno opening a concert with this. In Milano, in a packed Leoncavallo. I was mesmerized
J SUTCLIFFE
NoMeansNo - Long Days 2333pm 6.8.22 i dont like or enjoy nomeansno record sleeve cover art... but i concur - the band nomeansno could pen a decent tune. and the band stills are cool - i was allus intrigued by the bassist as priest in sun glasses image. and, of course, however much she tries to inveigle her way into it - her simpering nancy boy persona reeks of desperation - BE STRONG BE WRONG still holds true.
hammies
1:51 incredible