Their debut album, Lemonade and Brownies, was released in 1995. It failed to produce a major hit. Their early work was strongly influenced by funk, punk, alternative rock and straight-up rhythm and blues, not a particularly fashionable combination at the time.
Sugar Ray's first mainstream hit came in the summer of 1997 with their song "Fly", which was released on the album Floored and featured notable reggae artist Super Cat. "Fly" was notable for not sounding anything at all like the rest of the tracks on the album and received frequent (some called it "constant") radio play. As a result of the success of "Fly", Floored sold extremely well and was certified double platinum. By the end of 1997, critics, skeptical that the band could put out another successful song, had labeled Sugar Ray as a one-hit wonder.
The band's sardonic reply to these accusations was given in the form of their 1999 album, 14:59; the album's title, with a "fame clock" reading 14:59, implied that their fifteen minutes of fame were not quite up. The song "Every Morning", which received widespread comparisons to "Fly", rose to similar success in late 1998, while their follow-up single, "Someday", received extensive airplay during 1999. This album, which outsold its predecessor and was certified triple platinum, proved that Sugar Ray was not a one-hit wonder after all. Though Sugar Ray was also set to play at Woodstock '99, they had to cancel due to illness.
Their 2001 self-titled album Sugar Ray produced another hit with "When It's Over" and reached the same level as their previous singles. Sugar Ray's 2003 effort In the Pursuit of Leisure, and the first single from that album, "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)" received a lukewarm reception. In 2005, Sugar Ray released a greatest hits album, with two new songs, including the single "Shot of Laughter".
After a five year hiatus, Sugar Ray returned with Music For Cougars, reiterating the bandβs signature sound. As ever, musical styles β from dancehall to disco, punk to pure pop β are mixed and matched, resulting in a collection that is distinctively Sugar Ray, including songs such as the first single, βBoardwalk,β and the Rivers Cuomo-penned βLove Is the Answerβ. βIβm not going to say we made the best record of our career,β beams singer Mark McGrath. βThatβs just so clichΓ©d. But we did!β
Since their 1995 Lemonade And Brownies debut, Sugar Ray had become stuck in a biennial cycle of touring and recording, touring and recording. 1997βs RIAA double platinum-certified sophomore effort, Floored, and its follow-up, 1999βs triple platinum 14:59 were trailed by 2001βs self-titled collection and 2003βs In The Pursuit Of Leisure. By the release of 2005βs The Best Of Sugar Ray, the band had earned a break.
Having devoted themselves to the band since its 1986 inception as The Shrinky Dinks, each member took the time to explore new creative terrain β McGrath stayed in the spotlight as co-host of the nationally syndicated entertainment news program, Extra. Craig βDJ Homicideβ Bullock relocated to Florida, where became a hugely in-demand club DJ; drummer Stan Frazier worked as a songwriter and A+R exec; bassist Murphy Karges became a video director; and guitarist Rodney Sheppard taught music to neighborhood kids. Perhaps more importantly, Sheppard, Karges, and Frazier started families, with all living within a two mile radius from one another in their hometown of Newport Beach. βIt was just the natural course to sort of lay back for a while,β Sheppard says, βWe had a good run up to that time and weβd gotten to the point where we welcomed a break. It just ended up being a bit longer than we thought.β
Sugar Ray was quite active during their hiatus, busting out hits at private corporate events, county fairs, and countless summer festivals. By 2008, the band was itching to get back into the studio. In July, McGrath left Extra in order to devote more of his time to Sugar Ray. At the same time, the bandβs longtime friend, producer Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park), invited them to cut a new album for his just-launched label, Pulse Recordings. βAll the stars lined up for us,β Sheppard says. βWe always said we would never force ourselves back on the public, but everything just fell together nicely. It was an opportunity for us to make some new music again so we grabbed it.β With Abraham at the helm, the band immediately set to work at the producerβs Pulse Recordings in Los Angeles. The producer pushed the band to reach down deep and refine their songwriting, penned, as ever, in various combinations of band members.
Perhaps more importantly, Abraham hooked Sugar Ray up with Pulse in-house producer/songwriter Luke Walker (The Deftones, Alkaline Trio, Filter, Elliot Yamin, and From First to Last), whom the band enthusiastically credits for helping to both energize and focus the album. βThe guyβs a genius,β McGrath enthuses. βHeβs an amazing songwriter and he really infused a new attitude, a new creativity, a new way to get songs done and get βem done quickly. Luke is the MVP of the whole project.β βWe really clicked with Luke,β Sheppard says, βseparately and together. A lot of time in the past, the band would come up with a song and get it three-quarters of the way there. With Luke, we were able to realize all our ideas. He was an important ingredient in the song-crafting.β
The sessions spanned close to a year, a leisurely process that enabled Sugar Ray to take their time with both songs and sonics. βBeing the underdog again really frees up your creativity,β McGrath explains. βWe had so much fun making the record. There was no pressure. It was purely about the love of songwriting and getting into the studio.β
Music For Cougars sees the band ping-ponging though popβs innumerable permutations. βLove 101β is classic El Lay harmony pop a la Ricky Nelson, while βSheβs Got Theβ¦β recalls the days when rock giants like Kiss and the Kinks dared to dip a toe into discoβs forbidden waters. Elsewhere, the band displays their mastery of cross-pollinated island rhythms and raps with the delightful βGirls Were Made To Love.β The track β built upon a sample from the 1962 hit, β(Girls, Girls, Girls) Made To Love,β written by Phil Everly and performed by child star Eddie Hodges β was an instant favorite among the bandmates, though they all sensed it needed something more to push it into classic status. McGrath suggested reaching out to Bermuda-based dancehall star Collie Buddz. The band sent the unfinished track to their friend Native Wayne, host of Indie 103.1βs βNative Wayneβs Reggae Smoke-In,β and within days, Buddz had promised to record his parts at the next earliest convenience. True to his word, Collie spent an April afternoon at Pulse, laying down his rapid-fire rhymes. βItβs amazing that when you reach out to people they sometimes actually say yes,β Sheppard says, βTo have him on the record, itβs an honor. I think itβs the best song on the record now. The guy just came through big time.β βItβs something people would expect to hear from us,β McGrath says of the track, βbut updated. I know there are people who are gonna say, βOh great, Sugar Ray is doing dancehall again. Whatever.β But to me, you can never have enough songs that sound like βFly.ββ
Sugar Ray has always reveled in teaming with fellow artists spanning a wide swath of genres, counting hip-hop heroes like Run DMC and KRS-One, reggae/dancehall superstars Shaggy and Super Cat, alternative rock musician Nick Hexum from 311, and pop royalty The Wilson Sisters. Along with the aforementioned Collie Buddz, Music For Cougars features a number of new alliances, including βGoing Nowhere,β co-written with Tim Pagnotta of Sugarcult, and βDance Like No One's Watchin',β a collaboration with surfing singer/songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter β an old friend of the bandβs and Sheppardβs cousin by marriage. Perhaps the albumβs most striking partnership is βLove Is The Answer,β an original song gifted to the band by Weezer honcho Rivers Cuomo.
Sugar Ray can claim credit for some of the most indelible pop hits of the previous decade, including the unforgettable #1 smashes, βFlyβ and βEvery Morningβ. McGrath is proud of the bandβs body of work. βIβll be self-deprecating about myself and about the band,β he says, βbut we wrote some fucking amazing songs. We wrote songs that people fell in love to, that people got married to, that people had sex to for the first time. The songs became bigger than the band. Theyβre the worldβs property now and we need to be humbled by that.β
Sugar Ray are now getting set to take their classic songs β both new and old β on the road for their first full-scale tour in years. Music For Cougars allows the band to live up to its mission statement from the very beginning β to hang out together and make high-energy rock βnβ roll. βWe have no misconceptions about what this record may do,β McGrath says. βIt was strictly about making another record because we had great new material and the fact that we still enjoy playing together. βThis is my lifeβs work,β he notes. βPeople say, βYouβre still in the band?β This is what I do! Iβm gonna be in Sugar Ray till I die! Iβve been lucky enough to fit a uniform, Iβm gonna wear it till the wheels fall off!β
Mean Machine
Sugar Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elvis had fifty but this one's mine
Japanese cars, man, such a pity
AM radio suits me fine
Mean machine
Mean machine
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin'
Mean machine
Brakes are good, tires- fair
Every now and then I drive just to get away Eatin' up two lanes I gotta find Sugar Ray
Can't stop now gimme all your money
Sometimes I drive slow, sometimes I drive quick mean machine
Mean machine
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin' mean machine
Mean machine
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin'
Don't you dare mess with my mean machine
It's long and slick and olive green
Don't you dare mess with my mean machine
It's long and slick and olive green
Don't you dareess with my mean machine
A '68 coupe is all I need
So don't you dare mess with my mean machine
Jesus saves, Domi shoots and scores
I'm with stupid, caught my finger in the door
I'm wookin pa nub, like revenge of the nerds
But my ass it's a play on words
Mean machine
Mean machine
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin' mean machine
Mean machine
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin' don't you dare mess with my mean machine
It's long and slick and olive green
Don't you dare mess with my mean machine
It's long and slick and olive green
Don't you dare mess with my mean machine
A '68 coupe is all I need
So don't ya dare mess with my mean machine
Don't fuck with it
The song Mean Machine by Sugar Ray appears to be about the singer's love for his car, which he calls his "mean machine." He refers to the car as his prized possession, and even goes as far as saying that it's the only good thing in the city. The song contains various references to the car's physical attributes, such as the brakes and tires, as well as the model, which is a '68 coupe. In the chorus, the singer's father warns him that he's going to drive him to drinking with the car, but the singer seems unfazed and continues to sing about his love for his mean machine.
The song seems to be a celebration of car culture and the freedom that comes with driving a car. The singer talks about taking his car out on the road just to get away and find Sugar Ray. The lyrics convey a sense of rebellion and non-conformism, as the singer seems to value his car more than any material possessions or societal expectations. The line "Jesus saves, Domi shoots and scores, I'm with stupid, caught my finger in the door" seems to be a tribute to pop culture references of the time, emphasizing the carefree and lighthearted nature of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The only good thing that's creepin in the city
The only positive aspect found in the city
Elvis had fifty but this one's mine
Ownership of a car that surpasses Elvis' collection
Japanese cars, man, such a pity
Disappointment in the prevalence of foreign vehicles in the area
AM radio suits me fine
Preferring simple, classic music over modern genres
Mean machine / Mean machine
Repetition of the car's title
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin'
A humorous warning of the car's impact on the singer's father
Brakes are good, tires- fair
Assessing the condition of the vehicle
Every now and then I drive just to get away Eatin' up two lanes I gotta find Sugar Ray
Using the car as an escape, searching for the band Sugar Ray
Can't stop now gimme all your money
An exaggerated demand made while driving, referencing a potential robbery
Sometimes I drive slow, sometimes I drive quick mean machine / Mean machine
Flexible methods of operating the car
My daddy said son your gonna drive me to drinkin' mean machine / Mean machine
Repetition of the warning related to the car's impact on the singer's father
Don't you dare mess with my mean machine It's long and slick and olive green
A protective statement regarding the car's appearance and importance to the artist
Jesus saves, Domi shoots and scores I'm with stupid, caught my finger in the door I'm wookin pa nub, like revenge of the nerds But my ass it's a play on words
A series of unrelated and nonsensical statements, possibly describing events that occurred while driving
A '68 coupe is all I need So don't ya dare mess with my mean machine
Confirmation that the car is the singer's ideal vehicle and should not be touched
Don't fuck with it
A final, strong warning to leave the car alone
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRAZIER, KARGES, MCGRATH, NIC, RYAN, SHEPPARD, STEVENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dominic G
Brings back memories playing Road Rash 64
Dick Scrubbins
This was on a video game... I just canβt remember which one and I had that game!!
Dick Scrubbins
@VGmasta Belladonna with the nunchucks!! ππ»
VGmasta
How could you forget Road Rash 3D?! That was one of the most memorable games EVER! ππ
PaganGuardian
Road rash 3D on playstation
Dick Scrubbins
@swineherd I was thinking it was Road Rash 3 maybe
swineherd
Road Rash 64?
TTronFormer | EstevanTB
Road Rash 3D this Comic Hilary game in my life
Nostalgic memory