The band played a series of gigs at Manchester's In The City festival. James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch the Stone Roses play at Spike Island. Matthews watched the Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield play bass and Matthews bought himself a bass guitar.[citation needed] The rest of the members followed suit and bought the necessary equipment to complete a band, although they had little to no musical experience or training.
Through much practice their music developed and they decided on the name Puressence, a name instantly identified by most Mancunians for the paper letters 'P'-'U'-'R'-'E'-'S'-'S'-'E'-'N'-'C'-'E', which were plastered around Manchester city centre, on derelict buildings, and on bridges (the most notable being the railway bridge opposite the Haçienda).Manchester independent record label 2 Damn Loud released two singles and there was a further single with Rough Trade Singles Club.
The big breakthrough came a couple of years later, when the band signed to Island Records.
In August 2003, after more than ten years with Puressence, guitarist and founder member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen, who is originally from the Isle of Man. He has played in other bands and left Manchester band Dry Riser to join Puressence.
In 2004, the band played at The Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne.
In 2006, the band released a single titled "Palisades" on new Manchester label Reaction, followed by an album, Don't Forget To Remember, in September 2007.
On 10 and 11 September 2008 Puressence played their first shows in the US. The first was at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. The next night they played the Apple Store in SoHo. The opening song at the Mercury Lounge was "I Suppose". They passed out free CD singles of "Don't Know Any Better" to many fans around the United States.
The band split in late 2013.
The band currently consisted of:
James Mudriczki: Vocals
Lowell Killen: Guitar
Kevin Matthews: Bass guitar
Tony Szuminski: Drums / percussion
Third Rock
Puressence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause you, are funkin' up yourself
Super-ego has gained control of you, you you you
Now you can't be you, foolish you
You can't be you, now what you gonna do?
People of the third rock from the sun
You can't be you
People of the third rock from the sun
That love is a key, how y'all see and be and do
Can i talk to you?
The creator is getting impatient with you, you you you
Never stand to pay your dues
People of the third rock from the sun
You can't be you
People of the third rock from the sun
It's lying there before you, but you can't see
That love is a key, how y'all see and be and do
Can i talk to you?
The creator is getting impatient with you, you you you
Never stand to pay your dues
People of the third rock from the sun
Can i walk with you, can i talk with you?
People of the third rock from the sun
You can't be you
People of the third rock from the sun
People of the third rock from the sun
People of the third rock from the sun
Puressence's song "Third Rock" is an insightful commentary on the human condition. The lyrics seem to be directed at someone who is struggling to be true to themselves. The opening lines "The only thing, it is threatening you, cause you are funk'in up yourself" suggest that this person is facing some sort of external pressure that is forcing them to behave in a way that is not authentic. The next lines "Super-ego has gained control of you, you, you" reinforces this idea, pointing towards the internal psychological forces that may be driving this person's behaviour.
The chorus "People of the third rock from the sun, you can't be you" is a powerful statement on the broader issue of conformity and societal pressure. It suggests that we live in a world where we are often forced to hide or suppress our true selves in order to fit in, and that this is a problem that affects everyone. The subsequent repetition of the line "It's lying there before you, but you can't see, that love is a key" highlights the fact that love and acceptance of oneself and others is the solution to this problem.
The song also touches on the idea of our relationship to a higher power, with the lines "The creator is getting impatient with you, you, you, never stand to pay your dues". This could be interpreted as a call to reconnect with our spiritual selves, and to find a sense of purpose and meaning beyond the material world.
Overall, "Third Rock" is a deep and thought-provoking song that speaks to the universal human experience of struggling to find oneself in a world that often values conformity over individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
The only thing, it is threatening you,
Your biggest threat is yourself.
Cause you, are funkin' up yourself
You're ruining yourself.
Super-ego has gained control of you, you you you
Your ego has taken over and is controlling you completely.
Now you can't be you, foolish you
You're not true to yourself and it's foolish.
You can't be you, now what you gonna do?
If you're not yourself, what's left for you to do?
People of the third rock from the sun
Human beings on earth.
It's lying there before you, but you can't see
Love is present for all to see, but not everyone recognizes it.
That love is a key, how y'all see and be and do
Love is a fundamental principle that influences everything we do.
Can i talk to you?
The artist wants to engage in a conversation.
The creator is getting impatient with you, you you you
God is running out of patience with humanity.
Never stand to pay your dues
You've yet to pay the price for your actions.
Can i walk with you, can i talk with you?
The artist wants to connect with the listener and engage in discussion or companionship.
People of the third rock from the sun
Human beings on earth.
You can't be you
You're not being true to yourself.
People of the third rock from the sun
Human beings on earth.
People of the third rock from the sun
Human beings on earth.
Contributed by Anthony J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.