(1) Australian indie rock band the Griswolds became an overnight sensation in their homeland with their catchy tunes, laid-back style, and party-hearty philosophy. Named after Chevy Chase's hapless family in the Vacation movies, the Griswolds were formed in 2012 by singer Christopher Whitehall, guitarist Daniel Duque-Perez, bassist Tim John, drummer Chris Riley, and keyboardist Lachlan West. The band came together after Whitehall and Duque-Perez began working up song ideas together, and one sounded good enough that it deserved a band to play and record it. The band had already begun work on their debut EP when they came up with the name the Griswolds; and when they finished recording the song "Mississippi," they wasted no time posting it online, and the song was promptly embraced by music bloggers. Radio soon followed, and Australian radio powerhouse Triple J put "Mississippi" into regular rotation; it would become their most played song of 2012. After the debut EP, Heart of a Lion, climbed the Australian charts, the Griswolds proved they had the live show to back up their skills in the studio, playing memorable sets at the Big Day Out, Parklife, and Homebake Festivals, and making their first forays into Europe. In May 2013, the group made its American debut with a show in Brooklyn, New York, and they were signed by Wind-Up Records, who issued the EP in the United States as "Mississippi" made its way onto the college radio charts. In early 2014, the Griswolds went into the studio with producer Tony Hoffer to start work on their first full-length album. Their full length debut Be Impressive arrived in August 2014.
http://www.wearethegriswolds.com
(2) Toledo, OH-based brothers Art and Roman Griswold began playing blues together in 1959. In 1997, they released All the Way Down, their third studio album and the only one widely available to date, for the London-based JSP Records. On the recording, Art Griswold plays guitar and sings, while Roman contributes vocals and Hammond B-3 organ.
Both Art and Roman grew up surrounded by the sounds of bent guitar strings and wailing harmonicas. Art got his first guitar at age 17 after a motorcycle wreck laid him up for a few months. He moved to Little Rock, AR and began sitting in with people like Big Moose Walker and others. After moving to Toledo, he became the guitarist for Little Walter Mitchell and honed his craft at a variety of Toledo blues clubs.
Both brothers began their musical education with gospel music, listening to the radio and ordering the latest recordings by Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and others. By 1959, Art was joined in Toledo by his older brother Roman, who had completed a hitch in the armed forces, and quickly made his mark as a harmonica player. Roman hooked up with Art’s band and the Griswolds landed a job at the club Hines Farm, where they had the opportunity to polish their chops backing up touring musicians like Jimmy Ricks, vocalist Little Esther Phillips, Freddie King, and Jimmy McCracklin. Finally, by 1965, Art Griswold opened his own tavern and made his own band the house band, playing six days a week. At this point, Roman began to pick up keyboards, since the lengthy jam sessions were taking their toll on him.
The Griswolds first entered the recording studio in the mid-’60s for the Fortune label in Detroit, where they recorded singles including “Pretty Mama” and “What the Judge Man Did to Me.” Their singles found some airplay on R&B-oriented radio stations, and they began to tour regionally in Detroit, Houston, Memphis, and New Orleans. The Griswolds continued to record (mostly singles) for small labels throughout the ’70s disco boom, but by the ’80s, they recorded and released their first full-length album, Two Aces and a Jack, with Toledo blues singer Big Jack Reynolds; the resulting airplay for the release brought them the chance to jam with Lee Atwater at a fund-raiser for President Reagan.
In 1990, the band, by this point paragons of the Toledo blues scene, recorded a live album, Full Time Blues, for the Highball label. Also in the early ’90s, they released a studio album, The Reel Deal, for the same label. Saxophonist Rick “Big Daddy Cool” Schefdore joined the band in 1991, and he brought a wealth of experience to the group. He wrote two of the songs on All the Way Down and produced the band’s first widely distributed album. Cockeyed World followed in early 2001.
(2) Source: The Grisswolds - (Allmusic) Artist Biography by Richard Skelly
Not Ready Anymore
The Griswolds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll never compromise our place
You'll never recognize my face
I'll come creeping around your place
But you'll never recognize my face
The feeling that something's about to pry
I know that we'll be separated
The sweet embrace of Mary-Jane
Youth that's a familiar taste
Will you ever recognize my face
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
We don't want your money
You'll break our hearts if fame will make us any younger
With every penny that we've saved
Farewell to another day
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
You'll never compromise our place
You'll never recognize my face
I'll come creeping around your place
But you'll never recognize my face
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
The Griswolds's song "Not Ready Anymore" is about the struggle to maintain one's identity and artistic integrity in the face of the music industry's demands for conformity and commercial success. The opening lines assert the band's independence with the declaration that they don't need anyone or anything to "make their mark" or prove they're "innovators." The next lines suggest that despite their confidence, there's a sense of anxiety and uncertainty about the future, as if something is "about to pry" them apart. The use of the word "pry" implies a forceful separation, as if someone or something is trying to tear them away from what they hold dear.
As the song progresses, the theme of identity becomes more pronounced. The singer asserts that his face won't be recognized, which suggests that he's trying to avoid being co-opted or absorbed into the music industry machine. The line "The mirror says you can't replace / The sweet embrace of Mary-Jane / Youth that's a familiar taste / Will you ever recognize my face" suggests that he's looking for something that can't be replicated or commodified. Mary-Jane, or marijuana, might represent a certain kind of uninhibited creativity or a state of mind that can't be achieved through commercialized songwriting or performance. The reference to youth and a familiar taste might suggest a longing for the freedom and authenticity they experienced in their earlier days, before the pressures of the industry set in.
The chorus of the song serves as a declaration of their resistance to the industry's demands. The repeated phrase "I'm not ready anymore" suggests that they're refusing to play along with the game, even if it means sacrificing certain opportunities or failing to meet certain expectations. The final lines of the song repeat the sense of defiance and independence that began at the start, with the repeated refrain that their face won't be recognized.
Line by Line Meaning
We don't need nothing to make our mark or show that we're the innovators
We don't require anything to prove that we are the ones bringing originality to the table.
You'll never compromise our place
Our position is not negotiable under any circumstances.
You'll never recognize my face
Even if you try, you won't be familiar with my identity.
I'll come creeping around your place
I'll sneak up, unnoticed, to your vicinity.
But you'll never recognize my face
You won't be able to identify me, no matter how hard you try.
The feeling that something's about to pry
There's an apprehension that something is going to be pried away or separated.
I know that we'll be separated
I'm aware that we'll be going our separate ways.
The mirror says you can't replace
The reflection is indicating that there's no substitute for what's been lost.
The sweet embrace of Mary-Jane
The comforting hug and pleasure of smoking marijuana.
Youth that's a familiar taste
The sensation of being young is something we are accustomed to experiencing.
Will you ever recognize my face
In the future, is it possible that you will be able to recognize my appearance?
'Cause I'm not ready anymore
I'm unable to continue anymore.
We don't want your money
We are not interested in obtaining wealth from you.
You'll break our hearts if fame will make us any younger
If fame is the only way we can appear youthful, it will be devastating.
With every penny that we've saved
Every single penny that we've managed to collect.
Farewell to another day
Goodbye to another day that has ended.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL WHITEHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MxFireLord
Es mi canción favorita,no se porque la gente escucha porquerías,en ves de esta belleza de canción,saludos desde México 😄
Matthew J
Can't wait to see them live with Walk The Moon in Kansas City!!!
geo_044
saw walk the moon a few days ago in seattle. GREAT CONCERT!!!! you wont be disappointed!
Matthew J
Fantastic! Concert is tomorrow! So excited, been following the tour through social media.
DaDangerDog
+Matthew Johnson I am tots jelly. (translation: I am thoroughly filled with the emotion of jealousy."
kirks888
Great song - damos
Gigi Rauchut
Guys try to get this whole album on nhl17 the experience will be enhanced!
Allie Bear
I'm working on making a scarf but I don't even want to stop to work on it because I don't want to stop this song. ^_^
Yo Mayne
You could just use your hands while you use your ears. The original multi-task.
JaVaughnte Williams
Be careful listening to this while driving. At 3:47 shit gets dangerous.