In the course of his career Bators was involved with a variety of bands beyond those for which he was best known. These short-term bands included Hormones, with Dennis Comeau and Andre Siva, Frankenstein, The Wanderers and The Whores of Babylon (with Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Thunders). He also recorded as a solo artist with Bomp! Records.
It was as the lead singer and driving force of the Cleveland, Ohio based Dead Boys, however, that Bators helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude. The band quickly became a popular staple at CBGB's, the music club in New York City's East Village. The Dead Boys were featured in the independent punk rock film Punking Out (1978), Live at CBGB's (1977) and Crash 'n' Burn (1977).
Following the demise of the Dead Boys in 1979, Bators began a tumultuous relationship with Bomp! Records and its president, Greg Shaw. According to Shaw: "[W]hat he craved most was to escape the fetters of his Dead Boy image and win respect as a singer of contemporary pop rock. . . . in other words, he wanted to be 'the thinking punk's Eric Carmen.'"[1] To this end, and usually with first-wave punk rock veterans in tow, he recorded several singles, many of which were unreleased, and an LP, Disconnected, which was released in 1980. A retrospective album released in 1994, L.A. L.A. documented Bators' efforts as a pop-punk singer.
After England's Sham 69 disbanded, Bators, now located in London, formed the Wanderers with Dave Tregunna, the Sham 69 ex-bass-player. The band came up with a concept album, called Only Lovers Left Alive (released in May 1981), along with two singles.
Bators formed The Lords of the New Church later in 1981 with Brian James of The Damned and Dave Tregunna of Sham 69. (Bators and Tregunna had also been in the Wanderers together). The Lords became notorious for their live shows. A devotee of Iggy Pop, Bators had developed a fearless reputation in his Dead Boys days and continued such antics with The Lords, the most famous being the time he reportedly hanged himself during a show. Bator's stunt went awry and he was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes. Nonetheless, Bator survived and The Lords recorded two more successful albums.
Later, the punk vocalist gained additional exposure through more mainstream film. In 1981, Bators co-starred in the satirical John Waters film, Polyester. Seven years later, Bators made a memorable cameo appearance as "Dick Slammer", lead singer of "The Blender Children", in the offbeat comedy, Tapeheads, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins.
In December 1985 Bators flew to New York with his best friend Michael Monroe to work Artists United Against Apartheid music video.
The Lords of the New Church broke up in 1989, when Bators injured his back and guitarist Brian James secretly began advertising for a replacement singer.
In 1990, Bators was struck by a taxi while crossing a street in Paris. He was taken to a hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor because he had already been waiting several hours, was told to keep waiting, and he did not feel well and wanted to go home. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a concussion. Unsubstantiated reports claim that Bators, a fan of rock legend Jim Morrison, had earlier requested that his ashes be spread over Morrison's Paris grave and that his girlfriend complied.
Make up Your Mind
Stiv Bators Lyrics
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They come and get me
I never told the truth, I never lied
They listened to me
All the times I laughed at her
She never said a single word to me
Cause she knew me
Make up your mind
I lost determination fast
I was the loser
Getting sick of finishing last
I'm always the loser
Tonight I'm gonna try
I'm gonna ask the questions why
But I... can't decide
Make up your mind
The lyrics to Make Up Your Mind by Stiv Bators are quite reflective of a person's indecisiveness and lack of confidence in themselves. The opening lines suggest that the persona is struggling to face situations upfront, and they often need a push or motivation from others to move ahead. The persona is frank about their tendencies to avoid truth and lie, despite being listened to by others. These lines reflect a sense of guilt and the fear of being exposed.
The following lines are somewhat vague in terms of their meaning but reflect a sense of regret and missed opportunities. The persona mentions laughing at someone who never spoke up, suggesting how callous and insensitive they might have been in the past. The line "Cause she knew me" suggests that the persona's behavior and character were well-known and predictable to this person. Therefore, the persona has to live with the regret of missed connections caused by their own actions.
In the chorus, the persona accepts that they have lost determination quickly in the past, and their fear of being the "loser" is strong. They want to change, to try and be more resilient, assertive, and decisive. However, they are still confused and unable to "decide" on their own. Therefore, they ask the person they are addressing to "make up your mind" as if to say, their own drive depends on others' decisions, acceptance, or rejection.
Line by Line Meaning
When I get the nerve to walk on by
Whenever I gather the courage to leave or move on
They come and get me
People around me always try to bring me back or stop me from leaving
I never told the truth, I never lied
I never explicitly told the truth or lied, but people interpreted what I said however they wanted
They listened to me
People paid attention to what I said, even if I didn't mean it a certain way
All the times I laughed at her
Whenever I mocked or made fun of her
She never said a single word to me
She never confronted me or responded to my mockery
Cause she knew me
Because she understood my true intentions or personality
Well I can't waste my time
I don't want to spend my time doing something unproductive or meaningless
Make up your mind
Decide what you want or what to do next
I lost determination fast
I quickly became discouraged or lost motivation to continue
I was the loser
I always ended up being the one who didn't win or succeed
Getting sick of finishing last
I'm tired of always being in last place or being the underdog
I'm always the loser
I never seem to win or succeed, no matter how hard I try
Tonight I'm gonna try
I'm going to make an effort or attempt tonight
I'm gonna ask the questions why
I'm going to ask why things happened or why people did what they did
But I... can't decide
But I'm having trouble making a decision or choosing a path
Make up your mind
Decide what you want or what to do next
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TYLER PATRICK CONNOLLY, DEAN HENNING BACK, DAVID J. BRENNER, TIMOTHY R. HART, CHAD ROBERT KROEGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind