History
The band's name is drawn from a phrase in Lovecraft's story The Tomb: "I will tell only of the lone tomb in the darkest of the hillside thickets." The band formed in January 1992 after meeting at Fraser Valley College in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Afterwards they formed a local role-playing group.
After a slow start, several of their songs were picked up by music magazines and others for inclusion on compilation CDs, lending them greater recognition. They often perform live, and have performed concerts with many other bands including GWAR, They Might Be Giants, Dayglo Abortions and Nomeansno. The Thickets continue to enjoy reasonable cult success.
Members
The original three members of the band, at the January 1992 formation, were Toren Atkinson, Warren Banks and Quentin Rogers. Quentin, though, never appeared on any of their releases. The band has gone through several bassists and drummers since its inception. The discography below details band member history.
The current line-up of the band consists of vocalist and lyricist Toren Atkinson, guitarist Warren Banks, bassist Mario Nueva, drummer Jordan Pratt (former drummer for the band Mystery Machine), and backup vocalist Merrick Atkinson.
Outside of the band, Toren Atkinson is also an artist, having illustrated books for role-playing games including Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, as well as the Lovecraft-inspired collectible card game Mythos. Warren Banks and Toren Atkinson also co-wrote (along with contributions by John Tynes and Monte Cook) the roleplaying game Spaceship Zero, published by Green Ronin Publishing.
Return To Melanesia
The Darkest of The Hillside Thickets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba da da da...
Well, it's taken ten long months to do
But I think I've finally broken through
A bewildering quagmire of clues
Finally got something I can use
Like the answer I've been praying for
Oh yeah, alright
Call up our good old crewmates tonight
Oh yeah, alright
We're warming up the Steadfast tonight
So the crew demanded money down
Say the Doc has moved to Crazytown
But I've got to find out what is true
If it is the last thing that I do, oh...
Oh yeah, alright
Call up our good old crewmates tonight
Oh yeah, alright
Return to Melanesia tonight
Oh yeah, alright
Call up our good old crewmates tonight
Oh yeah, alright
Return to Melanesia
[whistling]
The song "Return To Melanesia" by The Darkest of The Hillside Thickets seems to be a tale of a long search for answers and the persistence of the singer to find out the truth. The opening lines describe the singer's triumph after ten months of searching, as they seem to have found something useful amidst a confusing array of clues. The search has led them to certain coordinates, which they believe to be the answer they have been seeking. The singer then calls up their old crewmates to embark on a journey to Melanesia, with the hope of finally uncovering the truth.
However, the crew demands money down, and they believe that the Doc has gone mad. Despite this, the singer is determined to find out the truth, even if it is the last thing they do. The repetition of the phrase "oh yeah, alright" and the upbeat melody suggest that the singer is excited and ready to begin the journey, despite the challenges that lie ahead.
The song has a sense of adventure and determination, as the singer navigates through confusing clues and faces challenges to uncover the truth. "Return To Melanesia" could be seen as a metaphor for the journey we all take to find answers and uncover the mysteries of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's taken ten long months to do
After ten months of hard work, I have finally achieved my goal
But I think I've finally broken through
I have finally found a solution to the problem I was struggling with
A bewildering quagmire of clues
I was trying to solve a very difficult and confusing problem
Finally got something I can use
I have finally discovered something that will help me solve my problem
These coordinates are looking more
The location I have discovered seems to be very promising
Like the answer I've been praying for
It seems like this is the solution I have been hoping and praying for
Call up our good old crewmates tonight
I am going to contact my friends and we will work together
We're warming up the Steadfast tonight
We are preparing our ship for the journey ahead
So the crew demanded money down
My crew asked for payment upfront
Say the Doc has moved to Crazytown
The rumors are that our previous doctor is now in a very bad mental state
But I've got to find out what is true
I need to get to the bottom of this and find out the truth
If it is the last thing that I do, oh...
Even if it takes everything I have, I will find out the truth
Return to Melanesia tonight
We are going back to Melanesia tonight
[whistling]
Musical interlude
Contributed by Jordyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.