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.
On Your Honor
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're talking years here and
Did you say how long you kept it up?
Be so much better
When you finally decide to take them down.
Your Christmas lights are the only ones still up in town.
Twice as funny when you pull the plug
On all you meant to do.
Better be on your honor
On your own.
Cleaning up is half the fun.
Be so much easier
If you wait up for the sun.
Half-way asking is it finally time
To hold down.
Those voices tellin' you
Now is the time to leave town.
When you clear the bench there won't be any doubt
'bout what you need to do.
Better be on your honor
On your own.
The Connells's song "On Your Honor" appears to be a conversation between two individuals, with one seemingly offering advice to the other. It is clear that one person has been engaging in some sort of "party" or indulgence that has gone on for years, as indicated by the lyrics, "Did you see how long the party was? We're talking years here." The other person is urging them to take responsibility for their actions and "finally decide to take them down." The imagery of the Christmas lights still being up in town suggests that this person has been neglecting their duties and responsibilities for a long time, which has perhaps become a source of embarrassment or ridicule for them.
The chorus of the song urges the listener to "be on your honor, on your own," suggesting that it is time for them to start taking responsibility for their actions and be accountable for the consequences. The lyrics also suggest that cleaning up, or facing the consequences, can be fun and easier if one waits for the sun to come up. The second verse seems to be directed at the same person, who has been avoiding their responsibilities, with lyrics such as "Those voices tellin' you, now is the time to leave town" and "When you clear the bench there won't be any doubt 'bout what you need to do." The overall message of the song is for the listener to become self-reliant, own up to their actions, and take responsibility for their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you see how long the party was?
Have you realized how long you've been indulging in this lifestyle?
We're talking years here and
It has been a long time since you started this way of living.
Did you say how long you kept it up?
Have you admitted to yourself how long you've continued this behavior?
Be so much better
It would be much better
When you finally decide to take them down.
When you finally decide to put an end to this behavior.
Your Christmas lights are the only ones still up in town.
Your habits are still present while everyone else has moved on from them.
Twice as funny when you pull the plug
It's ironic and amusing when you finally stop your old ways.
On all you meant to do.
On all the things you intended to achieve or experience.
Better be on your honor
You should be true to your word or your commitments.
On your own.
Without relying on anyone else's encouragement or influence.
Cleaning up is half the fun.
Half of the enjoyment comes from the process of tidying up and changing one's ways.
Be so much easier
It would be much simpler.
If you wait up for the sun.
If you decide to wait until the morning to change your habits.
Half-way asking is it finally time
Asking oneself if it's time to make a change, but not fully committing to it yet.
To hold down.
To take control of one's own life and behavior.
Those voices tellin' you
The inner thoughts or external influences that are urging you to change.
Now is the time to leave town.
It's time to leave behind old habits and behaviors.
When you clear the bench there won't be any doubt
Once you remove all of the old habits or lifestyles, there will be no second-guessing your choices.
'bout what you need to do.
You will have a clear understanding of what actions you need to take.
Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.