The band formed in 1986 as an underground punk rock act. Their popularity grew during the following decade with the 1992 album It's A Shame About Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers (Bruce Robb, Dee, and Joe), followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles.
Throughout its various incarnations, recording and touring lineups of the band have included co-founders Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, John Strohm (Blake Babies), Doug Trachten, Corey Loog Brennan, Byron Hoag, Ben Daughtry, Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies), Nic Dalton (Godstar, Sneeze, The Plunderers), Dave Ryan, Patrick "Murph" Murphy (Dinosaur Jr), Bill Gibson (Eastern Dark), Mark 'Budola' Newman, Kenny Lyon, Vess Ruhtenberg, Devon Ashley, Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson (Descendents), P. David Hazel and various others.
Cited as one of the most important alternative rock groups, The Lemonheads were active until 1997 and went on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads in the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons, in June 2009.
The Great Big NO
The Lemonheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just let me walk away.
I thought I might have to say,
You're asking the wrong guy.
She wonders how.
Thinks she knows now.
She'll be right.
They always go bye the bye.
Great big no. Great big no.
Is nothing okay with you.
Is nothing okay with me.
Is anything happening to have to go to sea.
He wonders why. The indigo guy,
He'll be right.
They always go bye the bye.
The great big no. Great big no.
Great big no. Great big no.
Everyone knows everything
Everyone knows everything
Nobody, nobody has got no one to go to.
Great big no.
Great big no.
Great big no.
Great big no.
Whoah (Lover don't turn your head.)
Lover don't turn your head.
No. (Lover don't turn your head.)
Is nothing okay with you?
The Lemonheads' song "The Great Big NO" is a deceptive track with a deceptively pleasant melody, masking lyrics full of raw emotion, introspection, and frustration. The song seems to be about a relationship that's not working out, with one person asking the other not to turn their head and just let them walk away. The singer declares that they're not the right person for their lover, indicating a sense of guilt or inadequacy, and this section is repeated throughout the song, creating a sense of intense repetition and circularity.
The singer of the song seems to be in inner turmoil, puzzling over what went wrong and whether anything can be done to fix the situation. The line "Is nothing okay with you, is nothing okay with me" captures the sense of confusion and helplessness, while the mention of the "indigo guy" implies a kind of mysticism or spiritual seeking that hasn't yielded any answers. The final line, with its repetition of "Great big no," solidifies the sense of frustration and finality, as if the singer is admitting defeat and realizing that there's no way to make things work.
Overall, "The Great Big NO" is a powerful expression of the complexities of relationships, the sense of futility that can arise when things don't work out, and the existential questions that can arise in the aftermath of a breakup. Its catchy melody and simple lyrics make it an accessible song, but its emotional depth and honesty make it a memorable one for anyone who's experienced the pain of a failed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Lover don't turn your head.
I beg of you to not look back at me as I leave.
Just let me walk away.
Please don't stop me from leaving, let me go.
I thought I might have to say,
I was prepared to tell you something important.
You're asking the wrong guy.
I am not the person who can give you the answers you seek.
She wonders how.
She contemplates how circumstances will play out.
Thinks she knows now.
She believes she understands the situation.
She'll be right.
She thinks things will work out in the end.
They always go bye the bye.
Things tend to work themselves out without intervention.
The great big no. Great big no. Great big no.
The answer is a resounding no.
Is nothing okay with you.
Are you okay with how things currently are?
Is nothing okay with me.
Am I okay with how things currently are?
Is anything happening to have to go to sea.
Is there anything going on that requires someone to leave?
He wonders why. The indigo guy,
A specific person, the indigo guy, wonders why things are the way they are.
He'll be right.
He thinks things will work themselves out in the end.
They always go bye the bye.
Things tend to work themselves out without intervention.
Everyone knows everything.
Everyone is aware of what is going on.
Nobody, nobody has got no one to go to.
No one has someone to turn to in this situation.
Great big no.
The answer is a resounding no.
Whoah (Lover don't turn your head.)
An expression of emotion accompanied by a plea for the lover to not look back.
Lover don't turn your head.
I beg of you to not look back at me as I leave.
No. (Lover don't turn your head.)
An outright negative response to the possibility of the lover looking back.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EVAN GRIFFITH DANDO, TOM MORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ethereal Catholic
One of the best albums from the early 90's!!
Phil Maywalt
DEFINITELY
David Carr
Ditto.
No longer #therealbaglady
Totally agree with you mate!
Len Moore
His vocals are incredible❤
Anand Chamarthy
The last minute or so is absolutely incredible...Juliana's backing vocals...amazing
JUSTIN MOORE
I love this song
lee pecqueur
I love the lemonheads I met them touring this album in ‘93 Dave & Nic were cool down to earth dudes Evan was a helmet it never changed my feelings towards the band I saw him years later......still a purple bell but definitely one of the best voices of his generation over looked & underrated
Evan Dando
Was I so bad a person that day ? I’m working on it ... thanks for not giving up and most importantly SEPARATING THE ARTIST FROM THE ART
Sean Matthew Mangels Hall
@Evan Dando Hi Evan I'm learning this song by ear with my keyboard right now, great stuff!