With their versatile blend of classic hard rock and punchy alt-pop with a t… Read Full Bio ↴With their versatile blend of classic hard rock and punchy alt-pop with a thin metal veneer, Motor City rockers Sponge caught fire during the post-grunge boom of the mid-'90s with modern rock radio hits like "Plowed" and "Molly (Sixteen Candles)." Despite being wrapped in the fuzzy guitars and brooding intensity that typified grunge music, the band had a knack for jangly riffs and catchy, anthemic hard rock hooks. Sponge hit their commercial peak in 1996 with the release of their sophomore effort, Wax Ecstatic which, like their 1994 debut Rotting Pinata, went gold. While the band's popularity waned as tastes changed, they continued to forge ahead with hard-hitting efforts like Galore Galore (2007), Stop the Bleeding (2013), and Lavatorium (2021). Their sonic attack remained largely uniform, but founder and frontman Vinnie Dombrowski would serve as Sponge's sole constant member throughout their tenure.

Sponge grew out of a Detroit-based hard rock act called Loudhouse, which released an album on the Virgin label in 1988 before losing its record contract and disbanding shortly thereafter. Drummer-turned-vocalist Vinnie Dombrowski (born Mark Dombrowski) and guitarists Mike Cross and Joey Mazzola regrouped as Sponge in 1992, adding Mike's brother Tim Cross on bass and Jimmy Paluzzi on drums. Adapting their '70s hard rock influences to fit the grunge zeitgeist, the bandmates earned a major-label deal with Columbia and released their debut album, Rotting Pinata, in late 1994.

Initially, critics compared Sponge to Stone Temple Pilots, but alternative radio embraced the band's first two singles: the driving rocker "Plowed" and the jangly, introspective "Molly (Sixteen Candles)." A third single, "Rainin'," also earned airplay, and Rotting Pinata went gold; meanwhile, Sponge went on tour as Live's opening act. With new drummer Charlie Grover in tow, their 1996 follow-up album, Wax Ecstatic, was a more diverse affair, rediscovering some of the band's roots in arena rock, British glam, and jangle pop. Even though singles like "Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)," "I Am Anastasia," and "Have You Seen Mary" enjoyed radio airplay, Columbia was dissatisfied with the sales figures and dropped Sponge once the album left the charts.

Undaunted, Sponge signed a new deal with the Beyond label, which released the more classicist New Pop Sunday in 1999. It attracted little commercial attention, and more personnel shifts ensued. Tired of touring, the Cross brothers both left and were replaced by guitarist Kurt Marschke and bassist Tim Krukowski; Billy Adams also came on board as the new drummer. After several years of recharging -- during which time Dombrowski played in several Detroit-area side projects -- Sponge returned with For All the Drugs in the World in 2003 and The Man in 2005. Dombrowski reworked the lineup once again, this time adding guitarists Kyle Neely and Andy Patalan, before returning again to the studio in 2007 to record Galore Galore for Bellum Records.

Two years later, there was another lineup shift -- Tim Patalan became the group's bassist -- and they released an EP called Destroy the Boy. A full-length called Stop the Bleeding arrived four years later on Three One Three Records; the LP contained all of the 2009 EP plus new songs, including a twisted cover of Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle." In 2017, the band partnered with Michigan Brewers and PledgeMusic for their eighth full-length outing, The Beer Sessions, which Dombrowski called "a celebration of independent music and incredible Michigan beer." In 2021 the band issued their ninth full-length effort, Lavatorium, which included the fiery single "Stitch," the well-timed ballad "Socially Distant," and an all-new recording of their signature hit "Plowed." Original guitarist Mike Cross died on March 6, 2022 at the age of 57.

Biography by Steve Huey

There are other artists with the same name:

ii) Sponge is also a 90's Japanese noise supergroup. Though the members are credited anonymously, the group reportedly includes:
Jojo Hiroshige (of Hijokaidan)
Junko Hiroshige (also of Hijokaidan)
Masami Akita (better known as Merzbow)
Yamazaki Takushi (better known as Masonna)

The Japanese Sponge have released at least two official albums, a 7" and a CD on T.E.C. Tones.

iii) Alias for James Hoyte, owner of the drum n bass label IQ Records. He has released one 12" record, The Crash, on Suburban Base Records in 1994.

I Am Anastasia
Sponge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I found your name in a book and in
That book a letter, were the words of
A girl who said that she was lead away and
Left for dead but somehow she survived it

How was it no one would believe that
You were part of their world a different world
One they denied you

If I could help you I would
Help you now you can speak through me
I am Anastasia

I'm haunted by a girl whose
Life's locked in these pages
But through these works she will be free through
Me I know we won't forget her

She can speak through me
I am Anastasia

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sponge's song I Am Anastasia tell a story of a girl whose name is found in a book along with a letter written by her. The girl writes about being taken away from her world and left for dead, but somehow she manages to survive. The song speaks of the injustice that the girl faced in a world that denied her existence and refused to acknowledge her identity.

The singer expresses a desire to help the girl if he could and offers himself as a medium for her voice to be heard. He feels haunted by the girl whose life is locked in the pages of the book but believes that through his voice, she can be set free. He declares, "She can speak through me, I am Anastasia."

The song's narrative touches on themes of identity, injustice, and the power of voice. The story appears to be inspired by the real-life mystery of the disappearance of Princess Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. The princess went missing during the Russian Revolution, and her fate was unknown for decades. The song speaks to the idea that her story lives on and that her voice will continue to be heard through the generations.

Line by Line Meaning

I found your name in a book and in
I came across your name in a book and within the pages,

That book a letter, were the words of
That book contained a letter with the words of

A girl who said that she was lead away and
A young lady stated that she was taken far and

Left for dead but somehow she survived it
Abandoned to expire, but she beat the odds

How was it no one would believe that
Why was her fate met with disbelief by

You were part of their world a different world
You belonged to a different world, one they didn't accept

One they denied you
A world that they refused to acknowledge

If I could help you I would
If I could aid you in any way, I'd do

Help you now you can speak through me
I can lend a voice to you right now

I am Anastasia
I am a representative for Anastasia

I'm haunted by a girl whose
My thoughts are consumed by a woman whose

Life's locked in these pages
Life is confined to these written words

But through these works she will be free through
But by means of these compositions, she'll be liberated by

Me I know we won't forget her
I'm certain that neither of us will forget her

She can speak through me
I can serve as her voice

I am Anastasia
I am a representative for Anastasia

Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE MAZZOLA, MARK P DOMBROSKI, TIMOTHY RYGIEL, MICHAEL CROSS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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