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.
Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Powerman 5000 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tomorrow is yesterday
So show me the way to get out of this world
I'll be the one that fades away (right)
You give it, you give it
You get it, you get it
You give it, you give it
You give it and they take it away
You get it and they take it away
Let yourself be tomorrow
Tomorrow is yesterday
So show me a way to get out of this world
I'll be the one that fades away
Let yourself be tomorrow
Tomorrow is yesterday
So show me a way to get out of this world
I'll be the one that fades away (right)
You see it, you see it
You take it, you take it
You see it, you see it
And then they steal it away
Don't you realize that you can't win
Cause the place you begin is the place you must end
Right! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Right! Right! Right! Right!
Let yourself be tomorrow
Tomorrow is yesterday
So show me a way to get out of this world
I'll be the one that fades away
Let yourself be tomorrow
Tomorrow is yesterday
So show me a way to get out of this world
I'll be the one that fades away
Let yourself be tomorrow
Tomorrow is yesterday
So show me a way to get out of this world
I'll be the one that fades away
Yeah!
You give it, you give it
You get it, you get it
You give it, you give it
And then they take it away
Don't you realize that you can't win
Cause the place you begin is the place you must end
Right! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Right! Right! Right! Right!
Right! Right! Right!
The lyrics of "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" by Powerman 5000 carry a powerful message about the cyclical nature of life and the futility of trying to escape it. The repeated refrain of "Let yourself be tomorrow, tomorrow is yesterday" suggests that the future is just a continuation of the past, and that we cannot truly escape the patterns and habits that define us. The lines "So show me a way to get out of this world, I'll be the one that fades away" hint that the singer is searching for a way out of this cycle, but ultimately resigns themselves to the fact that they, like everyone else, will eventually fade away into obscurity.
The verses touch on the themes of giving and taking away, and how the things we strive for often end up being taken from us. The line "Don't you realize that you can't win, cause the place you begin is the place you must end" suggests that no matter what we achieve or acquire in life, it ultimately amounts to nothing as we all end up back where we started. The repetition of the word "Right" in the bridge sections serves as a sort of rallying cry, encouraging listeners to accept the futility of it all and embrace their place in the never-ending cycle of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Let yourself be tomorrow
Embrace the future and let it define who you are
Tomorrow is yesterday
The future is just a repetition of the past
So show me a way to get out of this world
Help me escape from the mundaneness of everyday life
I'll be the one that fades away (right)
I am prepared to be forgotten and become irrelevant
You give it, you give it
You offer something of value to others
You get it, you get it
You receive something in return
And then they take it away
But eventually, those things will be taken away from you
You see it, you see it
You recognize the opportunities and possibilities in life
You take it, you take it
You seize those opportunities and possibilities
And then they steal it away
But unfortunately, others may take away what you have worked so hard for
Don't you realize that you can't win
It's impossible to come out on top in this game called life
Cause the place you begin is the place you must end
Your life cycle is predetermined from the moment you are born
Right! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
An expression of confidence and agreement
Right! Right! Right! Right!
Emphasizing the point being made
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind