Lineup includes Spider One (vocals), Evan9 and Velkro (guitar), X51 (bassist), and GFlash (drums).
In 1990, Spider dropped out of art school and bought a cheap 4-track home studio and drum machine. Working under the title "MC Spider", he recorded "Much Evil" with producer Lamar Lowder. Building on local success, he built a band under the name Powerman 5000. Their style was in the nature of rap/metal that had yet to gain popularity. In 1991, longtime guitarist Adam 12 (Adam Williams) joined the band. In 1994 and 1995, Powerman released two independent records, True Force and The Blood Splat Rating System. Both albums were local successes.
In 1997, the band signed to Dreamworks Records and released a re-recording of The Blood Splat Rating System (with two new tracks) titled Mega!! Kung Fu Radio. The band toured and released singles such as "Organizized" and "Tokyo Vigilante #1". In 1999, Guitarist M.33 (Mike Tempesta) joined the band as they got their biggest break. Creating a strange fusion of science fiction (which had always interested Spider) and "Action Rock" (the term for their own high-energy powerful rock), they released Tonight the Stars Revolt!, which contained the hit singles "When Worlds Collide", "Nobody's Real", and "Supernova Goes Pop". The album sold over a million copies and assured the band's success.
A follow-up album titled "Anyone For Doomsday?" was recorded and a single ("Bombshell") had been released to radio stations, but the album was cancelled just before its scheduled release. Due to being heavily downloaded illegally, Anyone For Doomsday? was later released under Spider's own new label, Megatronic Records, but has since gone out of print due to legal issues. Arguments exist as to whether the record was cancelled due to the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the negative title, but the album was finished and scheduled to be released in August of 2001, a full month before the attacks. Spider has said in interviews that the album was dropped because it sounded too much like the previous album and that he wanted to release something fresh and different instead of repeating himself. Conflicts thereafter caused longtime members Dorian 27 (Dorian Heartsong) and Al3 (Allen Pahanish) to leave the band. Ad7 (Adrian Ost) and Siggy Sjursen were brought in to replace them. Ironically, "Bombshell" resurfaced, as the entrance music for the (now-formerly WWE) tag-team wrestlers, The Dudley Boyz.
In 2003, the band released "Transform", a more punk-fuelled album, completely dropping the costumes that had been featured throughout the band's "Tonight The Stars Revolt!" era. Containing the hit singles "Free" and "Action", the album sounded much more live and less filled with industrial metal electronics. After the release of Transform, Dreamworks Records was bought out by Interscope Records, and Powerman 5000 decided not to make the move. Undeterred, Spider continued with his own offshoot label Megatronic Records. In 2005, new music was released, both in the form of a rarities album titled The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Vol. 1 and in new music from an upcoming album.
A new tour was also started, but M.33 had left the band and Adam 12, while present on the upcoming album, was not touring. Former Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso and former Halfcocked (the first band on Spider's label) guitarist Johnny Rock were brought in to round out the live show. The band has recently completed their new album, called "Destroy What You Enjoy". The band has announced that they are signed to DRT Enterainment, who released their album, of which the song "Wild World" is the new single and video.
On May 21, 2007, Powerman 5000 claimed via a MySpace blog post that they will be releasing a new studio album in 2007. The following is taken directly from said post: "Considering the bands track record of putting out cds once every three years it seems hard to believe that, yes we will put out a new disc in 2007!! It's all just beginning to develop and the wheres, whos and whats are to be determined but new rock is on the way!!" However, talk about the record soon simmered, and no new information was released.
Finally, in December 2008, the new track "Super Villain" premiered on the band's Myspace page, showcasing their return to their platinum-selling sound of the late 90s. On January 28, 2009, a preview of tracks from their upcoming 6th studio album were posted on the groups MySpace page, containing clips from the songs "Super Villain", "V is for Vampire", and "Horror Show". Powerman 5000 posted that "Super Villain" would become available for digital purchase on February 10 via iTunes and Amazon.com.
On April 7, 2009, Powerman 5000 released a blog on their MySpace page stating that Anyone For Doomsday? has officially been re-released. The legal battle ended and the album was released under the SKG Music License. The album is available on iTunes as a digital download. On April 21, the band released "V is for Vampire", the second single from their upcoming album, which is planned for a summer release.
On July 7, 2009, Powerman 5000 released a blog on their MySpace page[3] stating that the new album has been finished, and that a release date, track listing, artwork, and additional tour dates was coming soon. On July 27, 2009, Powerman 5000 appeared on Rockline, announcing the title of the new album as "Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere". A Tentative release date of October 6 was also announced. Three new songs were also premiered on the show, including "Timebomb", "Make Us Insane", and "Show Me What You Got". On Myspace Spider posted a blog talking about the three new songs filled with comments of the fans liking the music.
On September 6, 2009, Powerman 5000 released the album cover design along with the promotion of their upcoming tour starting on October 24. They also released two new promotional videos on YouTube for their new album, confirming its release date as October 6.
On October 1, the full track "Do Your Thing" was leaked onto YouTube. The song was apparently taken from the Megatronic Records Forum, in which frontman Spider One currently owns. The CD "Somewhere On The Other Side Of Nowhere" was officially released on October 6 in the U.S. and was available in Canada on October 20, two weeks after the reported release date.
The band embarked on a national tour during October and November in support of the album.
On December 7, Spider, the band's lead singer posted links on his Twitter page linking to FearNET.com which is hosting the bands music video for their first single "Super Villain". The video is also available on YouTube and stars Johnathon Schaech as the infamous Super Villain.
JUMP
Powerman 5000 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nothing gets me down
You got it tough,
I've seen the toughest around
And I know,
Baby, just how you feel
You've got to roll
With the punches to get to what's real
Oh, can't you see me standing here
I've got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Oh, can't you see what I mean?
Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
Go ahead, jump, jump
Go ahead, jump
Aaa-oh, hey you, who said that?
Baby, how you been?
You say you don't know, you won't know
Until you begin
Oh, can't you see me standing here
I've got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Oh, can't you see what I mean?
Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
Go ahead, jump, jump
Go ahead, jump
Jump
Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
Go ahead, jump, jump
Go ahead, jump
Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
Go ahead, jump, jump
Go ahead, jump
Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
Go ahead, jump, jump
Go ahead, jump
Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
The lyrics to Powerman 5000's song "Jump" are about not letting life's obstacles get in the way of achieving your goals. The singer declares that no matter what happens, he will not be kept down, and he encourages his listeners to do the same. He acknowledges that everyone faces challenges in life, but he believes that success comes through perseverance and a willingness to "roll with the punches." The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Might as well jump," can be interpreted as a call to action, urging listeners to take risks and pursue their dreams.
The second verse of the song is directed at someone who is hesitant to take a leap of faith. The singer asks them how they've been, and when they express uncertainty, he tells them that they won't know what they're capable of until they try. The phrase "Oh, can't you see me standing here" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's confidence and determination. Overall, the lyrics suggest that the key to success is taking action and not being afraid to fail.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up
I am motivated to take action and move forward.
And nothing gets me down
I am not easily discouraged or defeated by obstacles.
You got it tough,
I understand that you are facing challenges.
I've seen the toughest around
I have observed others coping with great adversity and know it is possible to overcome obstacles.
And I know,
I have knowledge and understanding about how to handle difficult situations.
Baby, just how you feel
I understand your emotions and empathize with your struggles.
You've got to roll
In order to succeed, you must be adaptive and flexible.
With the punches to get to what's real
You must be able to withstand tough circumstances in order to achieve your goals and find true meaning.
Oh, can't you see me standing here
I am here, present, and ready to confront any challenges.
I've got my back against the record machine
I am poised to take on any obstacle and push forward.
I ain't the worst that you've seen
I have abilities and strengths that can help me overcome any challenge.
Oh, can't you see what I mean?
Can't you see that I am motivated, determined, and ready to face challenges head-on?
Might as well jump, jump
You might as well take a chance on success and go for it wholeheartedly.
Go ahead, jump, jump
Don't hold back or hesitate, just take a risk and see what happens.
Aaa-oh, hey you, who said that?
Whoever is doubting you or trying to bring you down, don't pay attention to them.
Baby, how you been?
How have you been coping with challenges?
You say you don't know, you won't know
If you don't try, you'll never know what you're capable of.
Until you begin
You must take action and try in order to gain knowledge and experience.
Jump
Taking risks and facing challenges is necessary for true growth and success.
Contributed by Eliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.