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.
You Are My Fix
Ten Hands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama, what about has got a hold on me ?
Sweetness, I'm addicted to you, gotta have you by my side
No other girl will do
You are in my system, you are driving through my veins
If I don't get more of you, I think I'll go insane
You are my fix, and I need you NOW!
Mama, I get the shivers and shakesI can't wait until the next time love we make
Baby you must understand, I have got to be your lover
Gotta be your only man
Cause you are in my system
You are driving through my veins
If I don't get more of you, I think I'll go insane
"You Are My Fix" by Ten Hands is a song that speaks to the intensity of love and the hold it can have on a person. The opening verse of the song describes the singer's feelings for their lover, stating that they are addicted to them and must have them by their side. The imagery of being "in my system" and "driving through my veins" highlights the all-consuming nature of this love, and the singer is desperate for more of it.
The second verse continues to describe the physical and emotional effects of this love, with the singer experiencing "shivers and shakes" and anxiously awaiting the next time they can be intimate with their partner. The final line in the verse, "gotta be your only man," reinforces the idea that this love is possessive and all-encompassing for the singer.
Overall, "You Are My Fix" paints a picture of a love that is both powerful and dangerous, with the singer risking their own sanity for the sake of this relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, when I look into your eyes I can't see
My love for you is so strong that I am blinded by it.
Mama, what about has got a hold on me ?
I am captivated and under your spell, unsure of what exactly draws me to you.
Sweetness, I'm addicted to you, gotta have you by my side
I am so deeply infatuated with you that being apart from you is not an option.
No other girl will do
There is no one else who can replace you or compete with the depth of emotion that I feel for you.
You are in my system, you are driving through my veins
Your love has become a part of me, influencing every aspect of my being.
If I don't get more of you, I think I'll go insane
The intensity of my desire for you is so strong that I cannot handle being without you.
You are my fix, and I need you NOW!
You are the only thing that can satisfy my craving for love and without you, I am incomplete.
Mama, I get the shivers and shakes
The mere thought of being separated from you causes physical reactions in me.
I can't wait until the next time love we make
I yearn for the intimate moments we share, counting down the moments until we can be together again.
Baby you must understand, I have got to be your lover
There is no other option for me, I must be with you in every sense of the word.
Gotta be your only man
I need to be the only one to fulfill your desires and be the sole recipient of your love.
Cause you are in my system
Your presence and love have become integral parts of my identity.
If I don't get more of you, I think I'll go insane
I am so deeply invested in our relationship that I cannot imagine living without you, and the thought of being apart from you is unbearable.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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