Roger Clyne's lyrics frequently showcase his Southwestern roots, and frequently imply images of cowboys, Federales, and references to Mexico and places in Arizona, amongst other Southwestern references.
After the demise of The Refreshments, a semi-successful rock band of the 1990s whose top radio hit was "Banditos," former frontman Roger Clyne and drummer P.H. Naffah formed a new band that would be called Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers.
The two were joined by former Gin Blossom, Scott Johnson; Steve Larson, former guitarist for another Tempe band, Dead Hot Workshop; and bass player Danny White. They released their first album, Honky Tonk Union in 1999.Honky Tonk Union was released in limited quantities with a bonus live CD, Real to Reel. The next year, they released an extended version of Real to Reel as a stand-alone album.
The musical feel of Honky Tonk Union was a noticeable change from Clyne's previous works with The Refreshments. Whereas The Refreshments had a prominent lead guitar and edgy southwestern rock feel, Honky Tonk Union displayed a heavier country influence along with focusing more on the singer-songwriter aspect of the band.
The Peacemakers' next studio effort, 2002's Sonoran Hope and Madness, explored the deeper themes of returning to the basics of life, of loss and of resurgence. Sonoran Hope and Madness was a tale of the demise of a much-loved way of life.
In 2002, Scott Johnson left the band to rejoin with the Gin Blossoms, leaving the part of lead guitar to Steve Larson.
2004 saw the release of Americano, the band's third, and most streamlined, studio effort. ¡Americano! is a story set not in the dusty Mexican borderlands, like the previous albums, but on a Mexican beach, miles away from the daily grind. This album was conceived and written in a third-world cantina, and canvasses the spectrum of human emotion.
In early 2004, shortly after the release of ¡Americano!, Danny White left the Peacemakers to start his own recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. He was replaced by Nick Scropos, who was the bassist for another Tempe band, Gloritone. Scropos was slated to join the band when it formed in 1998, but was unable to do so due to his obligation to Gloritone. His playing can be heard on track nine of Honky Tonk Union, Green & Dumb.
In March of 2005, the Peacemakers were asked to play at Billy Bob's Texas, a famous honky-tonk joint that has hosted the likes of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Pat Green. They quickly turned around and sold a live CD featuring songs from that performance entitled Live at Billy Bob's Texas, which sold well enough to make them the only independent band to have five consecutive top-10 albums on the Billboard Internet Sales Chart.
In April of 2006, the Peacemakers released a four song EP, Four Unlike Before, which is currently available only through iTunes.
The band's fourth studio album, No More Beautiful World, was released on March 20, 2007.
The Peacemakers tour heavily, both as a headlining band and opening for national acts such as Sammy Hagar and John Fogerty.
Twice a year, an ever-increasing following of fans from around the globe descend on the Mexican beach town of Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco) for their "Circus Mexicus" bash. Circus Mexicus features a four-hour long concert at the Sunset Cantina. The weekend culminates with a "hangover bash" at JJ's Cantina in nearby Cholla Bay on Sunday at which band members mingle with the fans and sign autographs.
The warm waters and ever increasing recreational opportunities motivate many participants to make "Circus Mexicus" a semi-annual pilgrimage of several days.
http://www.azpeacemakers.com/
Wake Up Call
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the powers that be summoned you and me to help prove what they think they know
Estamos borracheros y cancioneros, verified and tried and true
So Special Ops issued us flip flops, a guitar and a week or two
We found a place that's not a where
A time that's not a when
Where there is not a why in sight at all
And in this place that's not a where,
This time that's not a when,
Where there is not a why in sight at all
We'd like to extend our stay…cancel our wake up call
The insertion point was a lively little joint where operations would begin
So we filled our cups so as to loosen up and to blend right in
We told HQ, "We'll contact you, should we need you anymore"
"We'll send official word, yeah fly you the bird!"
"That's the homing pigeon!!!!"
"Or by semaphore…right!"
We found a place that's not a where
A time that's not a when
Where there is not a why in sight at all
And the speed of light is the pace of the sun's rise and fall
And in this place that's not a where,
This time that's not a when,
Where there is not a why in sight at all
We'd like to extend our stay…cancel our wake up call
The good guys and the bad guys, they never work past noon 'round here
We made our mark upon the map but the ink just disappeared
Well our final report, in code, five-letters-short was written out by hand
it was truthful, subversive, on purpose, in cursive, scribbled seaside in the sand
Well we made quite clear we volunteer to stay right where we are
Belay the extraction, we're missing in action, and F*U*B*A*R!
We found a place that's not a where
A time that's not a when
And there is not a why in sight at all
The speed of the light is the pace of the sun's rise and fall
And in this place that's not a where,
this time that's not a when,
where there is not a why in sight at all
We'd like to extend our stay
Got dreamin' to do today
Just doin' our job anyway… now cancel our wake up call
In "Wake Up Call," Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers describe a mission where they were called to go on a covert mission with unspecified "powers that be." They were given flip flops, a guitar, and a week or two to undertake this mission. They found themselves in a place that is not a where, at a time that is not a when, without a why in sight. Despite making their mark on the map, nothing remained on paper, with their final report written in cursive along the sandy beaches. They end the song by requesting the cancellation of their wake-up call and volunteering to stay "belay the extraction," having dreams to chase.
The song's first verse discusses covert conditions surrounding the mission - this use of the word "covert" implies it is secretive or clandestine in nature. The second verse refers to how HQ does not work past noon, implying that whatever mission they set out to undertake is not only secret but also illegal. The end of the song describes how the team wishes to extend their stay, indicating that they enjoyed it where they were, which could indicate they were in a foreign country or paradise-like location.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there were covert conditions surrounding our mission when we were called to go
The mission was not openly disclosed when we were instructed to go.
And the powers that be summoned you and me to help prove what they think they know
We were called upon by those in authority to help confirm their beliefs.
Estamos borracheros y cancioneros, verified and tried and true
We are drunk and singing, but we are reliable and tested.
So Special Ops issued us flip flops, a guitar and a week or two
We were given simple tools and a short timeline to complete our mission.
We found a place that's not a where
We discovered a place that defies definition.
A time that's not a when
We experienced a time that is not defined by conventional means.
Where there is not a why in sight at all
We encountered a place where explanations are absent.
And the speed of light is the pace of the sun's rise and fall
The passing of time behaves differently in this place.
We'd like to extend our stay…cancel our wake up call
We wish to remain in this place and do not wish to be disturbed.
The insertion point was a lively little joint where operations would begin
Our mission began in a lively establishment that was ideal for our needs.
So we filled our cups so as to loosen up and to blend right in
We drank to relax and fit in with the locals.
We told HQ, "We'll contact you, should we need you anymore"
We assured headquarters that we will communicate if necessary.
"We'll send official word, yeah fly you the bird!"
"That's the homing pigeon!!!!"
"Or by semaphore…right!"
We joked with HQ about how we would communicate with them, whether by pigeon or semaphore.
The good guys and the bad guys, they never work past noon 'round here
There is a relaxed atmosphere in this place; even opposing forces have predictable schedules.
We made our mark upon the map but the ink just disappeared
We attempted to map the area, but our efforts were unsuccessful.
Well our final report, in code, five-letters-short was written out by hand
it was truthful, subversive, on purpose, in cursive, scribbled seaside in the sand
We submitted a brief report that was coded, truthful, rebellious, and intimate, written in cursive on a sandy beach.
Well we made quite clear we volunteer to stay right where we are
Belay the extraction, we're missing in action, and F*U*B*A*R!
We stated that we chose to remain where we were and did not want to be forcefully extracted from our position, no matter what happens (FUBAR - F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition).
We found a place that's not a where
We continue to exist in a place that is difficult to define.
A time that's not a when
Time passes differently in our current reality.
where there is not a why in sight at all
In this place, there are no explanations or justifications.
We'd like to extend our stay
Got dreamin' to do today
Just doin' our job anyway… now cancel our wake up call
We want to stay longer and pursue our dreams, but are still committed to completing our mission; we don't want to be woken up.
Contributed by Gianna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.