Leeds University art students Jon Langford and Tom Greenhalgh formed the Mekons in 1977, taking the band's name from the Mekon, an evil, super-intelligent Venusian featured in the British 1950s-1960s comic Dan Dare (printed in the Eagle). The band first gained widepread popularity with the single "Never Been in a Riot," a satirical take on the Clash's "White Riot." For several years the loose-knit band played noisy, bare-bones post-punk in the vein of fellow Leeds students Gang of Four. Yet Langford and Greenhalgh never hewed closely to genre conventions, and by the mid-80s (now augmented by vocalist Sally Timms and violinist Susie Honeyman) they began to experiment with musical styles derived from traditional folk and country. 1985's watershed Fear and Whiskey, 1986's The Edge of the World and 1987's Honky Tonkin' exemplified the band's new sound, which built on the innovations of Gram Parsons and blended punk ethos with the minimalist country of Hank Williams. This style, sometimes referred to as "post-modern country", is a direct forerunner of the alt-country genre represented by bands like Uncle Tupelo.
Jon Langford has been busy as an artist and as founder of several solo and band projects: namely the Waco Brothers (a country-like ensemble) and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts (exploring the music of Bob Wills, Johnny Cash and others). Besides his solo albums he has released CDs with Richard Buckner and Kevin Coyne.
Subsequent albums such as The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll, while containing several straightforward rock songs, continued to explore the boundaries of the punk genre by utilizing diverse instrumentation (notably the fiddle and slide guitar) and Timm's haunting vocals.
The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll was the band's first major label release. Issued by A&M Records in 1989, it was not a commercial success, but it was met with critical acclaim. Arguably the best album of their career (alongside Fear and Whiskey), it is perhaps the most accessible synthesis of their experiments in country, rock and punk.
Just as the Mekons began to grow in critical stature, their relationship with A&M Records became more tense, and unable to fulfill their commercial expectations, the Mekons were soon dropped by the label. However, not only did the band remain intact, they continued to record at a prolific rate, releasing such notable albums as 1991's Curse of the Mekons, 2000's Journey to the End of the Night, and 2002's OOOH!.
The band continues to tour under an altered lineup, and has a highly devoted following.
Last Dance
The Mekons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyone's gone home
We're fragmented and broken up
Like love affairs
And as if seeing you for the first time
Something whispered
Looking at you in desperation
Knowing nothing ever happens
I wanted to say fall in love with me
I wanted to say fall in love
It'll be alright
So beautiful, you were waltzing
Little frozen rivers all covered with snow
All fragmented and broken up
Oh weIl I guess it's time to go
But as if seeing you for the first time
Something whispered
Looking at you in desperation
Knowing nothing ever happens
I wanted to say fall in love
I wanted to say fall in love with me
I wanted to say fall in love
It'll be alright
You were waltzing...
The Mekons's song Last Dance describes the aftermath of a party where everyone is gone leaving just the singer and the person they desire. The dance floor is empty and as the singer watches the person they want to be with dance, they realize that they are fragmented and broken up inside like the love affairs they have witnessed. They struggle to express their desire for the person to fall in love with them, even though they know that it is unlikely to happen. They feel the desperation of wanting someone and not being able to have them, but the only thing they can offer is the reassurance that falling in love will be alright.
The lyrics use vivid imagery to paint a picture of the scene, describing the frozen rivers covered in snow that resemble the fragmented and broken-up emotions that the singer is feeling. The repetition of the lines "I wanted to say fall in love" emphasize the singer's longing and frustration at not being able to express their feelings.
Overall, the song captures the complex emotions involved in unrequited love and the melancholy that follows a party or event where everyone has left, leaving just the remnants of what could have been.
Line by Line Meaning
The dance floor's nearly empty now
The party is over and most people have left, leaving the dance floor nearly empty.
Everyone's gone home
Everyone has left the party and gone back to their own places.
We're fragmented and broken up
We are like shattered pieces, broken and no longer together.
Like love affairs
Our state of fragmentation and brokenness is similar to failed or ended love affairs.
And as if seeing you for the first time
When I looked at you, it felt like it was the first time I had ever seen you.
Something whispered
A voice, perhaps coming from within me, whispered something in my ear.
Looking at you in desperation
I was gazing at you with a sense of despair or extreme need.
Knowing nothing ever happens
I was aware that nothing ever happens between us, despite my longing for it.
I wanted to say fall in love
I wanted to express my desire for us to fall in love with each other.
I wanted to say fall in love with me
Specifically, I wanted you to fall in love with me.
It'll be alright
I reassured myself and perhaps even you that everything would be okay regardless of the outcome.
So beautiful, you were waltzing
You were dancing so gracefully and elegantly, it was a beautiful sight.
Little frozen rivers all covered with snow
The imagery of frozen rivers covered in snow creates a picturesque scene and adds to the sense of beauty.
Oh well I guess it's time to go
Although there may be a reluctance to leave, it is time for us to go our separate ways.
Contributed by Eliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
C S
Such a great tune
sister ray
great.
Joshua Nilles
had an awkward alt-country phase in high school for a few weeks. i blame this record.
Joseph Suchomel
@Mike Smith Creighton Prep?
Mike Smith
i sympathize -- i wore a bolo tie for a few weeks in 1987 (at a NE all boys prep school!)
C S
Did someone else cover this too?