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.
Some Bodies
NoMeansNo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like some bodies. I hate some bodies.
With some bodies I know I could go either way.
I'd like to have somebody some way.
I've seen them moving, I've seen the breathing,
And all of the things that my body can do.
Because I'm a body, I wan't a body, too.
Somebody like you, or you.
Give me your mind. Give me your soul.
Give me the blood. Give me the flesh.
And give me the rest. c'mon, give me the rest.
GIVE ME ALL THE REST.
Somebody warned me, "When you get a body you get it all."
Another body warned me, "When you get a body you get everything."
"Cause when you get a body you get some nice things,
But you get some things that aren't so nice at all, no!"
But that's allright by me, I just want some body.
Some body that will touch me. Touch my body.
Some body I can touch. I want to touch your body.
After one body what could come?
There's so many styles, so many to choose from.
I'll hunt the streets, try to select.
I could become a body collector.
Some bodies! Some bodies!
Some bodies, I hate 'em. Some bodies, I love 'em.
Just give me somebody. Anybody won't do.
I need somebody, somebody like you.
I'm doing nothing wrong. I just want to feel.
I just want to feel. I just need to feel.
Can you help me feel?
Recorded at Mushroom Studios, winter '85
All songs written, arranged and produced by NOMEANSNO.
Rob - Bass, croaks
John - Drums, keyboards, vocals
Somebody - Guitar, vocals
NoMeansNo's song "Some Bodies" explores the desire for human connection and physical companionship. The lyrics convey a sense of longing for another body to touch and be touched by, but also acknowledge the potential dangers and complications that come with having a body. The repetition of the phrase "give me" emphasizes this desire for physicality and intimacy, but also hints at a desperation that may lead to objectification or possession of another person's body. The lyrics also touch on the idea that the body is both a source of pleasure and pain, as well as a mystery to be explored and understood.
Overall, the song expresses a raw and honest portrayal of the human experience, with all its complexities and contradictions. It touches on themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and desire, while also questioning the societal norms and expectations that shape our relationships and perceptions of the body.
Line by Line Meaning
I like some bodies. I hate some bodies.
I have mixed feelings about people.
With some bodies I know I could go either way.
Some people have ambiguous personalities.
I'd like to have somebody some way.
I want to be in a relationship with someone.
I've seen them moving, I've seen the breathing, And all of the things that my body can do.
I have observed people closely.
Because I'm a body, I wan't a body, too.
I want someone to be with me.
Somebody like you, or you.
I want to be with someone like you.
Give me the muscle. Give me the bone. Give me your mind. Give me your soul.
I want everything about you.
Give me the blood. Give me the flesh. And give me the rest. c'mon, give me the rest. GIVE ME ALL THE REST.
I want to completely possess you.
Somebody warned me, "When you get a body you get it all."
Someone warned me about the consequences of a relationship.
Another body warned me, "When you get a body you get everything."
Another person warned me about the consequences of a relationship.
"Cause when you get a body you get some nice things, But you get some things that aren't so nice at all, no!"
A relationship has its ups and downs.
But that's allright by me, I just want some body.
But I am willing to take the risks for a relationship.
Some body that will touch me. Touch my body. Some body I can touch. I want to touch your body.
I want a relationship that involves physical intimacy.
After one body what could come?
What kind of relationship would follow?
There's so many styles, so many to choose from.
There are many types of relationships to explore.
I'll hunt the streets, try to select. I could become a body collector.
I will search for potential partners.
Some bodies! Some bodies!
There are many people to choose from!
Some bodies, I hate 'em. Some bodies, I love 'em.
There are people I like and dislike.
Just give me somebody. Anybody won't do.
I want to be with the right person.
I need somebody, somebody like you.
I want to be with someone like you.
I'm doing nothing wrong. I just want to feel. I just want to feel. I just need to feel. Can you help me feel?
I am searching for emotional fulfillment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Myles Falconer
This has been posted for 10 years and I'm the first to comment? Anyone know where I can find a body? These lyrics seem so alive and ageless, just like the body I'm looking for...
Kilgore Traut
there's bodies aplenty chum
Claire Sawyer
I was definitely surprised how few views this had!