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.
My Purity
Sponge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That filled up your life
If I was dirt
So pure and so refined
I'd be the dirt that
Blackened all that shined
[Chorus:]
Which ane would show how curious
This purity has been
My purity, My purity
My thoroughness, My purity
If I was dirt
That would make you lie
Could I be the dirt
In your irreverent smile
Please pass the dirt
I'll have some on mine
[Chorus]
Drag me down and plough me
Under nothing stays the same
Drag me down and plough me
Under nothing will ever change?
If I was the dirt you brought
Through your doorstep
And did that dirt Leave you
Feeling molested
How was that dirt that you've
Ingested
[Chorus]
In Sponge's song My Purity, the lead singer describes himself as dirt that fills up the lives of others, but he is not just any dirt, he is pure and refined. He is the kind of dirt that blackens what shined, which can be interpreted as being a negative influence in someone's life. The chorus then questions which one of them would show a purity and which one would show curiosity about this purity the singer has been expressing. He further sings about how if he were the dirt that made someone lie, he would be the dirt in their irreverent smile, and he would even have some of it for himself.
The last verse seems to be questioning the relationship between the dirt and the person bringing it through their doorstep. If the dirt leaves the person feeling molested, how was the dirt ingested? The chorus repeats once again, talking about the singer's purity and thoroughness. The song may be interpreted as a commentary on relationships, where someone is not always what they seem to be and can ultimately have negative effects on others. The singer in this song has a self-awareness that he may be a negative influence, yet he continues to be so, which is an interesting concept to grapple with.
Line by Line Meaning
If I was dirt
If I were something of little worth or value
That filled up your life
That took up a significant amount of space in your existence
If I was dirt
If I were something of little worth or value
So pure and so refined
Even though I am seemingly worthless, I possess an untainted and polished quality.
I'd be the dirt that
I would represent the substance that
Blackened all that shined
Deteriorated anything that was once bright and pure.
Which one would show a purity
Which of us actually possesses a wholesome quality
Which one would show how curious
Which one exhibits curiosity or inquisitiveness in a more meaningful way
This purity has been
The level of purity in this situation
My purity, My purity
I possess pureness and integrity
My thoroughness, My purity
I am extremely and impeccably meticulous which highlights my flawless purity.
If I was dirt
If I were something of little worth or value
That would make you lie
That would deceive and cause you to fabricate untrue things
Could I be the dirt
Is it plausible that I am the one who has stained your conscience and behavior.
In your irreverent smile
In your insincere and disrespectful grin
Please pass the dirt
Please transfer your unethical ways to me.
I'll have some on mine
I'll take some of that ill-timed humor and unbecoming behavior on myself.
Drag me down and plough me
Overwhelm and burden me.
Under nothing stays the same
Under any circumstance, things cannot remain stagnant and will always transform.
Drag me down and plough me
Dominate and submerge me.
Under nothing will ever change?
Can anything truly change or transform under these conditions?
If I was the dirt you brought
If I were the substance you brought home with you
Through your doorstep
Entering via your entrance or pathway.
And did that dirt Leave you
And did that substance cause you
Feeling molested
Feeling violated, disturbed and extremely unpleasant.
How was that dirt that you've
What was it about that dirt
Ingested
that you accepted into yourself?
[Chorus]
Refrain/Recap of the main talking points of the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE MAZZOLA, MARK P DOMBROSKI, TIMOTHY RYGIEL, MICHAEL CROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind