Sometime in late 1986, Mike Dillon, Gary Muller, and Matt Chamberlain were playing in Dallas-based band Zane Grey, who actually appeared on Star Search. They did not win, but Muller did get to touch Ed McMahon (specifically, his hand). Meanwhile, Steve Brand and Slavens were playing in a Denton band called the Gonemen. Dillon, Muller, and Chamberlain lived in the same Denton house as other members of the Gonemen, and when dissatisfaction with both groups began to appear, the idea for a new band was spawned.
The first Ten Hands rehearsal (documented on videotape) took place late 1986 in Denton. Shortly thereafter, Zane Grey's manager, Tony Johnson, accepted an offer to manage the fledgling band. For the first year, Ten Hands played mostly small venues in Denton and performed a weekly gig at the Prophet Bar, a seminal Deep Ellum club in Dallas. During this time, a studio recording was made and handmade cassettes were sold and distributed in and around the Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton area.
Chamberlain and Dillon were already well-known in Denton as top players in the University of North Texas Jazz program, and interest in the band soon grew. It was also during this time that the New Bohemians were becoming a major draw in Dallas. It happened that several members of that band were friends with a few Ten Hands members, and ultimately, New Bohemians finagled some opening slots for Ten Hands at Deep Ellum's celebrated Club Dada. The Club Dada shows helped expose the band to a much wider audience, and the venue would later host many of Ten Hands' most memorable performances.
In late 1988, Earl Harvin joined the band as drummer after the Matt left to play with the New Bohemians. The band went into the studio to record Kung Fu...That's What I Like. As New Bohemians vacated Dallas for bigger and better things, Ten Hands stepped in to fill the void and began what would be a three or four year run as one of the region's most popular draws. The band won numerous Dallas Observer Awards in 1988-1989, and shortly after the release of their first live CD, The Big One Is Coming, and sold over 20,000 copies. Joe Cripps joined the band to replace Dillon on percussion.
Earl left the band to play with Mike Dillon's Billy Goat and "Big" Al Emert became drummer. Ten Hands started to tour heavily and built a large following with college audiences.
At a SXSW performance, the band was offered a record deal by an independent producer in L.A. Desperate to release an album after two years of inactivity, the band agreed and began work on Be My Guru in late 1991. While the album contained some of the band's best songs, the recording itself was a disappointment and the relationship with the label grew stormy. By the time the band left the label, much of their earlier momentum was lost.
As the band's popularity began to wane, a friend of the band, Byron Wilson, offered to produce a CD. Jazz for Jerks was recorded in early 1993 with the assistance of the band's friend and longtime collaborative producer, Dave Castell.
Steve Brand left the band in 1993. New guitarists, Chris Claridy and Chad Rueffer joined and the band wrote some new songs and continued to gig around the area. In the next incarnation, guitarist, Ed McMahon (in a strange twist of fate), and drummer Greg Beck were hired. A demo record was recorded with the brand new lineup, but the album was never mixed or released.
Ten Hands continues to play, with various lineups, several times a year in the Dallas area.
The Big One Is Coming
Ten Hands Lyrics
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The land is gonna split
Tsunami's gonna hit
The sky turn all black
And the water come rushing in
The big one is coming
The air is getting hot
And all the plants begin to rotThe sky turn all black
And the water come rushing in
And when I'm called to judgement
I don't know what I'll say...
"I did not know that it was a crime
To live from day to day" ?
The big one is coming
The land is burning dry
And the seas are on the rise
The sky turn all black
And the water come rushing in
The big one is coming
The power is gonna fall
Right on top of us all
The sky turn all black
And the water come rushing in
The song "The Big One Is Coming" by Ten Hands is a poetic and prophetic narrative of mankind's suffering and destruction caused by natural disasters. The lyrics conform to the genre of apocalyptic music, with the singer warning us about an imminent disaster that will ravage the planet without mercy. The content of the song advocates for environmental conservation and raises questions about the role of humanity in shaping the planet's future. It seems like a warning to all humanity that any inaction in the present could have catastrophic consequences.
The opening line "The big one is coming, the land is gonna split" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics detail the catastrophic events that are set to take place, including tsunamis, burning lands, and rising seas, all of which are symbolic of the destruction caused by climate change. The haunting repetition of "The sky turns all black, and the water come rushing in" emphasizes the urgency of the message.
The song's final verse is thought-provoking, with the line "And when I'm called to judgement, I don't know what I'll say... 'I did not know that it was a crime, to live from day to day'" seeming to question the accountability of humanity for the impending disaster. The line suggests an unspoken guilt for our collective negligence towards the environment, which could lead to our ultimate destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
The big one is coming
A massive, catastrophic event is soon to occur.
The land is gonna split
The land will break apart or crack from the impending disaster.
Tsunami's gonna hit
A powerful ocean wave will hit and cause destruction.
The sky turn all black
The sky will become dark, indicating a major change is occurring.
And the water come rushing in
There will be an influx of water, likely due to a flood or tsunami.
The air is getting hot
The temperature is rising, indicating an increase in danger.
And all the plants begin to rot
The environment is becoming uninhabitable and unhealthy for living organisms.
And when I'm called to judgement
When the ultimate consequence of this disaster occurs.
I don't know what I'll say...
The artist is unsure how they will explain their actions or lack of knowledge leading up to the event.
"I did not know that it was a crime
To live from day to day" ?
The artist questions if their ignorance is a justifiable excuse for not being prepared for the disaster.
The land is burning dry
The natural landscape is dry and parched, indicating severe drought and fire danger.
And the seas are on the rise
The ocean levels are increasing, potentially causing more flooding and destruction.
The power is gonna fall
The infrastructure and systems currently in place will fail, leading to chaos and danger.
Right on top of us all
Everyone will be affected by this disaster, regardless of social status or power.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind