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.
Mr. In Between
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every step you take I'm there
I'm the one you can't hide
I stand always by your side
When you walk I trip you up
When you talk I mix you up
I'm the dreamer, you're the dream
Who? Mr. In Between
It's not pretty but it's true
Look at his face
I am you
I'm the trick thats up your sleeve
I step in and then you leave
I do everything for you
Ask your girlfriend if it's true
When you talk I have to laugh
I'm the head and you're the ass
When you're lying i come clean
I'm the famous Mr. In Between
Who? Mr. In Between
You don't like it, but it's true
Look in these eyes
I am you
The lyrics to NoMeansNo's song Mr. In Between are about an individual who is constantly present in someone's life, whether they like it or not. The singer claims to be the one who trips the other person up when they walk and mixes them up when they talk. They say that they are the "dreamer" while the other person is the "dream" and that they are the "trick that's up [the other person's] sleeve."
The singer in the song also acknowledges that they are not always likable, stating that they don't care if the other person loves or hates them. They claim that they do everything for the other person and that they are always standing by their side. The singer is revealed to be "Mr. In Between," a famous figure who seems to be a sort of trickster or shadowy presence.
The lyrics suggest that Mr. In Between represents the darker side of the other person's personality. They are the part of themselves that they don't want to acknowledge or confront, and yet they cannot escape. In this way, the song could be seen as an exploration of the Freudian concept of the "shadow self."
Line by Line Meaning
Love or hate me i don't care
I am indifferent to your feelings towards me
Every step you take I'm there
I am constantly present, watching your every move
I'm the one you can't hide
You cannot conceal anything from me
I stand always by your side
I am loyal and always present for you
When you walk I trip you up
I intentionally hinder your progress
When you talk I mix you up
I cause confusion and miscommunication
I'm the dreamer, you're the dream
I am the one making things happen, and you are just a pawn in my plan
I'm the famous Mr. In Between
I am notorious for being the mediator or instigator of situations
Who? Mr. In Between
I am questioning my own identity to emphasize my notoriety
It's not pretty but it's true
The following statement may not be appreciated, but it is accurate
Look at his face
Observe my face and see the resemblance to yours
I am you
We are more similar than you realize
I'm the trick thats up your sleeve
I am a hidden tactic or plan that you may not even be aware of
I step in and then you leave
I take control and you are left out of the decision-making process
I do everything for you
In reality, I am doing everything for my own benefit
Ask your girlfriend if it's true
Confirm what I'm saying with someone who knows you well
When you talk I have to laugh
I find your words amusing and unworthy of serious consideration
I'm the head and you're the ass
I am in charge and you are a follower
When you're lying i come clean
I expose your lies and reveal the truth
You don't like it, but it's true
You may not agree, but it is still accurate
Look in these eyes
Focus on my gaze to understand my message
I am you
I share your thoughts and actions, in some way or another
Contributed by Ava N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
WalterO'Dim19
Fuxk i love this
Sean Smith
Wait, this isn't Burl Ives.
andrew bridges
i concur my learned friend