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.
The One And Only
Powerman 5000 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
The only one
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
To burn the sun
Everybody, this is it
The one and only megatronic super villainous
It seems so simple
You can't survive think it over
Realize it's all the time you've got
Everybody can you see
The one and only, one and only, one and only me
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
The only one
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
To burn the sun (sun)
Everybody gather round
Pick yourself and your feet
>From off the ground and sink into the system (sink into the system)
To find a world without an end
You come around and back again
To sing the song of truth one last time
It seems so simple, seems so right
But it's mostly just a lie
Am I the only one that knows what this means?
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
The only one
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
To burn the sun (sun)
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
The only one
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
To burn the sun
Forbidden planet
Forbidden hope
Electric gods a machine or a rope
Earth needs a killer
To burn the sun
Automatically adopted as the one
(Yeah, that's right, that's right)
Everybody understand
I speak the truth
Cause I lie more than any man
Expend expendable
You'll never last
Destroy the now
Cause it's here and it's going fast
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
The only one
Yeah! Yeah!
The one and only
Yeah! Yeah!
To burn the sun around (round, round)
The lyrics to Powerman 5000's "The One And Only" reflect an individualistic approach to life, encouraging listeners to embrace their uniqueness and strive to make their mark on the world. The opening lines, "The one and only / To burn the sun," establish a sense of ambition and determination to catapult oneself to greatness, suggesting that the singer aims to be the most exceptional and powerful force in the universe.
The song's chorus, with its repetitive and catchy "Yeah! Yeah!" refrain, reinforces the idea that the singer truly is the "one and only" and drives home the message that individuality is something to be celebrated and cherished. Meanwhile, the verses highlight the challenges that come with this pursuit of greatness, including the need to "sink into the system" and conform to society's expectations, as well as the risk of being labeled a "megatronic super villainous."
Ultimately, the singer acknowledges the difficulty of pursuing their dreams but asserts that they are the only one who truly knows what it means to do so. The song as a whole is a call to action for listeners to embrace their unique identities and strive to make a lasting impact on the world, even if it means going against the grain.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah! Yeah!
Showing excitement and enthusiasm
The one and only
Indicating uniqueness and being unparalleled
To burn the sun
Denoting a desire for greatness and power
Everybody, this is it
Announcing an important moment to everyone present
The one and only megatronic super villainous
Claiming to be the ultimate antagonist with no equal
It seems so simple
Suggesting that success is easy to achieve
You can't survive think it over
Reminding people that they need to contemplate their actions to thrive
Realize it's all the time you've got
Encouraging people to value their time and make the most of it
Everybody can you see
Asking the crowd to take notice
To burn the sun (sun)
To surpass limitations and achieve greatness
Everybody gather round
Inviting people to come together
Pick yourself and your feet from off the ground
Encouraging people to stand up and take action
Sink into the system (sink into the system)
To conform into a specific way of living
To find a world without an end
Seeking a limitless way of living
You come around and back again
Referring to the cyclical nature of life
To sing the song of truth one last time
To speak the honest and real message of life
It seems so simple, seems so right
Similar to earlier line, full of optimism and confidence
But it's mostly just a lie
Admitting the deception and dishonesty in the world
Am I the only one that knows what this means?
Questioning if others understand the message being shared
Forbidden planet
Describing an extraordinary and prohibited place
Forbidden hope
Referring to an impossible and unrealistic dream
Electric gods a machine or a rope
Toying with the idea of superior beings who can control destiny
Earth needs a killer
Asserting the earth needs a hero to rise to the occasion
To burn the sun
Repeating the desire to succeed greatly
Automatically adopted as the one
Automatically gaining the status of a chosen one
Everybody understand
Asking people to comprehend and agree
I speak the truth
Claiming to always tell the truth
Cause I lie more than any man
Admitting to lying frequently, despite the earlier line
Expend expendable
Encouraging people to spend their resources on themselves
You'll never last
Forecasting gloom and failure
Destroy the now
Encouraging people to focus on planning for the future
Cause it's here and it's going fast
Reminding people to act quickly and take advantage of opportunities
To burn the sun around (round, round)
To conquer even the seemingly impossible
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS SALTER, VALERIE POXLEITNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind