Guitarist Mike Connell formed the band in 1984, along with his brother David Connell on bass, Doug MacMillan on vocals, and future filmmaker John Schultz on drums. This initial four-person line-up was quickly supplemented by the addition of George Huntley on second guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Around the same time, former Johnny Quest drummer Peele Wimberley replaced Schultz, finalizing the "classic" line-up of the band.
From the beginning of the group, Mike Connell wrote both the music and the lyrics of the majority of the band’s songs, although he was not the band's primary lead singer. Connell’s influences included the 1960's guitar pop of his childhood, including The Byrds and The Beatles; in an early interview, he stated that the first song he wrote as a teenager was titled “Psychedelic Butterfly."
Like Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Connell and Huntley played Rickenbacker guitars for the first several years of the band’s career, creating a jangly, folk-rock sound reminiscent of The Byrds and other Southern U.S. and North Carolina bands of the era, such as the dB's and Let's Active.
A re-recorded version of “Darker Days” provided the title track to the band’s debut album, which was produced by fellow North Carolinian Don Dixon and released in 1985 on Elvis Costello's Demon Records in the UK and the band’s own Black Park Records label in the U.S.
After touring heavily behind Darker Days, the Connells re-entered the studio in 1986 with Dixon and R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter to record their second album, Boylan Heights. The decision to work with Easter continued to perpetuate the comparisons to R.E.M.
Although the band shopped Boylan Heights to various labels, the major record companies, including Columbia Records, which expressed some mild interest, passed on it; the record was ultimately released in 1987 on mid-major TVT Records, which had made its name releasing a series of "Tee Vee Toons" television theme song compilation CDs. TVT would prove to be no commercial match for R.E.M.'s own mid-major label, I.R.S. Records, and over the next decade, The Connells would engage in a series of disputes with the label, on at least one occasion suing, unsuccessfully, to break their recording contract.
Despite the problems with TVT, Boylan Heights was a substantial college radio hit, and The Connells continued to tour relentlessly. During this period, both Connell and Huntley began to move away from their twelve-string Rickenbackers towards six-string Fender and Gibson guitars, leading to a heavier, less folky sound on Fun and Games, the 1989 follow-up album.
Fun and Games was quickly followed in 1990 by One Simple Word, which was recorded in Wales with U.K. producer Hugh Jones.
After a three-year recording hiatus, which included more legal jousting with TVT Records, a rejuvenated Connells released Ring in 1993. While European music fans made Ring a platinum record outside the United States, such high level success in America remained elusive. 1996's Weird Food and Devastation failed to build on the momentum established by its predecessor.
In 1998, the band released Still Life, which marked their final album for TVT. The band released Old School Dropouts on the revived Black Park Records label in 2000. The band recorded the record themselves and promoted it sparingly in the American South.
Peele Wimberley and George Huntley have since left the band. Wimberley briefly played with another band called Parklife, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue interests in Hollywood and in electronic music. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles band, The Lamps.
Huntley is now selling real estate and working part time at the University of North Carolina music department.
Peele Wimberley was replaced on drums by Steve Ritter; after several years Ritter was soon replaced by Chris Stevenson on drums, and Mike Ayers took George's place on lead guitar. The new lineup recorded the album Old School Dropouts.
In 1993, they released "''74-'75" which remains their most popular song. It is based on experiences of the Class of 1975 in a high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. The video juxtaposed original yearbook pictures with the class members as they appeared at the time. And then in 2015, the producers tracked down the original members once again, and produced a remixed video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6l3Lh2cb_g
The last official release of the band was in 2001. They still occasionally perform together, including a reunion concert in 2020.
Hey Wow
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has the wind died,
Or is this stillness here the calm between my ears?
And I know now why they put me here.
Things were clear once
'Til the clouds came,
Now I don't know when they'll fall
And I know now why they've kept me here.
I've been paralyzed by a choice that lies
Well inside of me
Which world to hold me now
And I believe I'm drifting
Hey, the mist surrounds me more and more
Hey, wow. It swirls and it rains here.
Hey wow. And I have known this all before.
Hey wow. And nothing's very
Are the stars out,
Is the sun down,
Or is the darkness here the calm between my ears?
And I know now why they've left me here.
I've been mesmerized by a voice that cries
Well inside of me
Too loud to hold it down.
And I believe I'm drifting
Hey, the mist surrounds me more and more.
Hey, wow. It swirls and it rains here.
Hey wow. And I have known this all before.
Hey wow. And nothing's very clear.
The lyrics to The Connells' song "Hey Wow" convey a sense of confusion and uncertainty that stems from an internal struggle. The song's opening line asks if the weather is clear or if there is a sense of stillness that exists only within the singer's mind. As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to make a decision and that this indecisiveness has left them feeling paralyzed. They express uncertainty regarding whether the clouds will clear and whether they will be able to move on from their current state.
At the same time, the lyrics seem to suggest that the singer has some degree of self-awareness and a sense of understanding about why they are in the position they are in. This might suggest that while they are experiencing a period of internal conflict, they are also beginning to gain some insight into their predicament.
The chorus of the song underscores the confusion and uncertainty of the singer's situation. The repetition of the phrase "Hey wow" expresses a sense of astonishment or disbelief, while the lyrics convey a sense of the mist and rain adding to their confusion. The song ends on the same note of uncertainty on which it began, with the singer still questioning whether there is clarity beyond their own mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Is the sun out,
Wondering if the sun is visible in the sky.
Has the wind died,
Asking if there is a noticeable absence of wind.
Or is this stillness here the calm between my ears?
Contemplating if the lack of movement is due to an inner peace or confusion.
And I know now why they put me here.
Realizing the reason for being in a certain place or situation.
Things were clear once
The situation was easy to understand in the past.
'Til the clouds came,
Things became uncertain when difficulties arose.
Now I don't know when they'll fall
Uncertain when or if difficulties will arise again.
No, I couldn't say at all.
Unable to predict the future or make a confident statement.
And I know now why they've kept me here.
Realizing the reason for being in a certain place or situation.
I've been paralyzed by a choice that lies.
Feeling stuck or unable to make a decision.
Well inside of me
The source of the indecision is internal.
Which world to hold me now
Deciding which path to take in life.
And I believe I'm drifting
Feeling lost or unsure of the future.
Hey, the mist surrounds me more and more
Feeling increasingly disoriented or confused.
Hey wow. It swirls and it rains here.
Metaphorically describing an atmosphere of confusion or chaos.
Hey wow. And I have known this all before.
Feeling like previous experiences have prepared for the current situation.
Hey wow. And nothing's very clear.
Feeling like everything is ambiguous or uncertain.
Are the stars out,
Asking if the stars are visible in the sky.
Is the sun down,
Asking if the sun has set.
Or is the darkness here the calm between my ears?
Wondering if internal turmoil is causing the perception of darkness.
And I know now why they've left me here.
Realizing the reason for being in a certain place or situation.
I've been mesmerized by a voice that cries
Feeling captivated by internal conflict or emotions.
Well inside of me
The source of the conflict is internal.
Too loud to hold it down.
Unable to suppress the emotions or thoughts.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MICHAEL CONNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.