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.
Neenah Menasha
Sponge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To sleep but not to wake
To always be lost and
Never find the way
No thoughts or memory
No hope or tragedy
A mirror waits for a
To hit the ground and know
The sound
Trial by mistake
Death's a crown we wear
Around
Like a smile on a face
They will never hate or
Lie
They will never break or
Try
They will never break or
Cry
They will never wave
Goodbye
A silence that would not
Break
The loss of a face
The face of a woman that
Arrived much too late
I break down and she sees
The clowns
I used to hide away
Death to clowns all their
Crowns
And the smiles on their
Face
They will never break or
Try
They will never hate or
Lie
They will never say or
Smile
They will never break or
Cry
Neenah Menasha will wait
Neenah Menasha . Neenah
Menasha
Will wait
I break down and she sees
The clowns
I used to hide away
Death to clowns and all
Their crowns
And the smiles on their
Face
They will never hate or
Lie
They will never break or
Try
They will never break or
Cry
They will never wave
Goodbye
The singer of the song is expressing a deep sense of hopelessness and despair. The lines "To begin but not complete, To sleep but not to wake, To always be lost and never find the way, No thoughts or memory, No hope or tragedy" describe a life that feels meaningless and directionless. The singer is lost, unable to find purpose or direction in their life. They carry a burden of pain and suffering, which they compare to a crown that they wear.
The song references Neenah Menasha, which is a city in Wisconsin. It's unclear why the city is mentioned, but it's possible that the name represents a feeling of isolation and loneliness, as if the singer is alone in a desolate landscape. The lines "A mirror waits for a reflection of a face, To hit the ground and know the sound, Trial by mistake, Death's a crown we wear around like a smile on a face" suggest that the singer feels trapped in a cycle of pain and suffering, unable to escape.
The final verse of the song suggests that the singer has found some solace in the company of a woman. The lines "I break down and she sees the clowns, I used to hide away, Death to clowns and all their crowns, And the smiles on their face" suggest that the singer has found someone who understands their pain and is helping them to break free from it. The song ends on a note of finality and optimism, with the lines "They will never hate or lie, They will never break or cry, They will never wave goodbye".
Line by Line Meaning
To begin but not complete
Starting projects and tasks, but never finishing them
To sleep but not to wake
Living in a dreamlike state, never truly facing reality
To always be lost and never find the way
Feeling lost in life, without a clear direction
No thoughts or memory, no hope or tragedy
Feeling disconnected from oneself and one's emotions
A mirror waits for a reflection of a face
Feeling like a shell of oneself
To hit the ground and know the sound, trial by mistake
Repeating mistakes and facing their consequences
Death's a crown we wear around, like a smile on a face
Always carrying the weight of mortality, and hiding it behind a facade of happiness
They will never hate or lie, they will never break or try
Idealizing a perfect, unattainable state of being
They will never break or cry, they will never wave goodbye
Refusing to acknowledge sadness or loss
A silence that would not break, the loss of a face
Feeling isolated and numb after losing someone close
The face of a woman that arrived much too late
Regretting missed opportunities and wishing for a second chance
I break down and she sees the clowns I used to hide away
Opening up and revealing one's vulnerabilities to someone trusted
Death to clowns all their crowns, and the smiles on their face
Rejecting the idea of masking pain with happiness
Neenah Menasha will wait
An uncertain future, with a vague sense of hope
I break down and she sees the clowns I used to hide away
Continuing to work through personal struggles and traumas
They will never hate or lie, they will never break or try
A repeating refrain of the idealized state of being
They will never say or smile, they will never break or cry
A complete and absolute emotional detachment, resulting in a sense of emptiness
They will never wave goodbye
An unwillingness to let go, even in the face of uncertainty
Lyrics Ā© Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL CROSS, TIMOTHY CROSS, MARK P DOMBROSKI, JOSEPH A MAZZOLA, JAMES J PALUZZI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@daniell1125
To begin but not complete
To sleep but not to wake
To always be lost
To never find the way
No thought, no memory
No hope or tragedy
A mirror waits for
A reflection of a face
To hit the ground and know the sound
A trial by mistake
Death's a crown we wear around
A smile on our face
They will never hate or lie
They will never break or try
They will never say or smile
They will never break or cry
Neenah Menasha will wait
Neenah Menasha will wait
I break down and she sees a clown
I used to hide away
Death to clowns and all their crowds
The smile on their face
They will never hate or lie
They will never break or try
They will never break or cry
They will never wave goodbye
Neenah Menasha will wait
Neenah Menasha will wait
@soldierofthepast6939
this song is very good, so timeless, 90s rock was the highest point that music could reach...
@stevebrule3638
Nice pfp bro the Smiths are the best band of the 80s, every album has great songs
@flobanez
This is probably my favorite track on the album, such a great song!
@Madchaskon
flobanez same here, great song
@shinyapples67
flobanez Definitely my favorite.
@No-mart
flobanez this and Pennywheels
@capkronos00
Hmph. Don't agree. Pennywheels, Plowed and this one are my favorites.
@AnHonest_ConMan
All these years later, despite them falling off of my playlist, this album still is possibly in my top five personal favorites. It's basically perfect to me.
@BSalad
I donāt know why they never were bigger than they got. Totally underrated band. I pray to God my band can be like Sponge
@beebala3
This album is easily in my top 10 of all time.