Fronted by mercurial, beguiling 19 year-old Ryann Donnelly (an ex-musical theatre devotee teeming with preternatural savoir-faire and pipes Ann Wilson would die for) Schoolyard Heroes catapult tuneful metal intricacy to new, surprising heights. Clearly, the tension between the band's boisterous attitude and the sheer weight of their riff heavy operatic horror rock has proved itself infectious from the get go.
"Heroes grabs at metal, punk and even opera dynamics with both hands and crosses in and out of each with gusto." -Chico News & Review.
"[Schoolyard Heroes)] put on one hell of a rock show, and with their steadily growing fan base, I'm not the only one who thinks so" -Seattle Weekly
Soon after their inception, the band came in second place at EMP's Sound Off! competition, played the Bumbershoot festival, and found themselves sharing the bill with Franz Ferdinand and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at staunch supporters KNDD's huge EndFest fete. The Heroes wowed audiences opening for Pretty Girls Make Graves and Vendetta Red, all while headlining their own crowds of over 500.
Donnelly has classically romanticized the curious fun of 60s pulp horror tomes and Troma films in Schoolyard Heroes' songs, wailing, growling and crooning lines like "Check the body before it gets cold!" (from their debut's "Yours Truly, Jonathan Harker") with piercing intensity.
2005's Fantastic Wounds sure is a fun ride through Amityville - but it's much more than that; showcasing a band whose driving charisma and unending creativity have continued to transcend peers since since their nascency. Building on the Mars Volta-style rock assaults of their earlier days, on Wounds, Schoolyard Heroes speed through "Thunderstruck"-era AC/DC riffs on the hyper "Battlestar Anorexia", kill on the anthemic battle cry of "Serial Killers Know How to Party" and rip through spectral opener "Body Shots."
Just like the band's dominating live show, Fantastic Wounds oozes with Donnelly's raucous 'tude, stunning style and brash confidence. Here, Donnelly channels the raging metal theatrics of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, the curious intensity of Melt Banana and the controlled acrobatics of Yes' Jon Anderson, while bassist and second vocalist Jonah Bergman, axe wielder Steve Bonnell and percussionist Brian Turner churn out the most unapologetic chops to come out of Sea-town since the Blood Brothers. At once muscular and complex, our Heroes' compositions are as beguiling as Donnelly's smirk, right before the band launches into their surprising rock onslaught.
The band split up in late 2009 due to two members fazing themselves out of the band. It was announced November 20th, 2009 by the band. Their last show was Home for the Horrordays, December 19th, 2009.
Ryan and Jonah have gone on to form a new band named Blood Cells.
Contra
Schoolyard Heroes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left, right, left, right
Secret Contra code for extra life
Up, up, down, down
Left, right, left, right
Secret Contra code for extra life
B, A, Select, Start
B, A, Select, Start
B, A, Select, Start
Yeah!
Up, up, down, down
Left, right, left, right
Secret Contra code for extra life
Up, up, down, down
Left, right, left, right
Secret Contra code for extra life
B, A, Select, Start
B, A, Select, Start
B, A, Select, Start
B, A, Select, Start
The lyrics to Schoolyard Heroes' song "Contra" are a reference to the Konami game of the same name that was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1988. The "up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right" sequence is the famous "Konami Code" that gives players extra lives in the game. This code is referenced multiple times in the song, emphasizing its importance to the game and, by extension, to the singer of the song.
The lyrics capture the sense of excitement and power that the Konami Code can bring to a player. It's as if the singer is telling the listener that they too can have this experience by using the code. The repetition of the code and the exclamation of "Yeah!" at the end of each stanza further emphasizes this idea.
However, there is also an underlying sense of alienation and disconnect. The use of the Konami Code can be seen as a way to cheat the system or gain an unfair advantage. The fact that the code is secret and not something that is part of the game itself only adds to this feeling. The singer may be using the code to feel powerful or in control, but it also sets them apart from the rest of the players who don't know the code.
Overall, the lyrics to "Contra" capture the excitement, power, and sense of otherness that can come with using the Konami Code.
Line by Line Meaning
Up, up, down, down
Repeating this sequence of button presses on a classic video game controller was known as the 'Konami Code' and would unlock special features within certain games. This line refers to the code being used to obtain an extra life in the game Contra.
Left, right, left, right
This is another part of the 'Konami Code' often used in old-school video games. It is also used in Contra to access different cheat codes and unlock hidden features.
Secret Contra code for extra life
This line directly explains what the 'Konami Code' is being used for in the context of the song.
B, A, Select, Start
These button presses are the final part of the 'Konami Code' used to obtain an extra life in Contra. The 'Select' button was optional and only needed to be pressed in two-player mode.
Yeah!
This last line is an exclamation of excitement and success after entering the 'Konami Code' to unlock the hidden features in the game.
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.