The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 by Zigaboo Modeliste (d… Read Full Bio ↴The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), and Art Neville (keyboards) in New Orleans. The band performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977 and played an influential role as backing musicians for other artists, including Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint. Their original songs "Cissy Strut" and "Look-Ka Py Py" are considered funk classics.
While they rarely enjoyed significant mainstream success, they are considered originators of funk along with artists like James Brown, and their work is influential on many other bands, both their contemporaries and modern musicians. Their sound is defined by a combination of tight melodic grooves and syncopated New Orleans "second line" rhythms under highly charged guitar and keyboard riffing. The band has been nominated four times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, most recently in 2017. In 2018 the band was presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Meters were a band that performed and recorded from the late 1960s until 1977. They were based in New Orleans. While the band never enjoyed huge popular success, it was nonetheless greatly admired by cognoscenti and is considered one of progenitors of funk in the 1970s.
The Meters formed in 1965, with a line up of keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and became the house band for Sansu Enterprises, an Allen Toussaint-owned label. In 1969, the Meters released "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut", both major R&B chart hits; "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" were also hits the following year. After a label shift in 1972, the Meters had difficulty returning to the charts, though they played on many important records by Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy, Labelle and Robert Palmer. The band broke up in 1977 after Toussaint claimed the rights to the name and they played as various incarnations of the Neville Brothers and with other bands. In 1989, The Meters reformed with the new official name, The Funky Meters, after an informal jam during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Original drummer Ziggy Modeliste, who started out with the group as a 17-year-old, laid down some very influential rhythms. His beats have been sampled by numerous hip hop groups including Ice Cube, Run DMC, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Queen Latifah, and EPMD. Modeliste relocated to Oakland, California, in the '80s where he teaches drumming, releases new music, and performs around the San Francisco Bay Area and the world with his band "Zigaboo Modeliste and The New Aahkesstra".
The Meters gained new-found notoriety in 2001, winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jammys. Their music has been used in films and commercials, and in 2005 drum and guitar breaks from their 1970 version of "Oh, Calcutta!" (reinterpreted from the stage musical, and appearing on their "Look-Ka Py Py" album), were sampled by producer Rich Harrison, to provide the main loops of the hit song "1 Thing" by Amerie. A re-engineered version of "Cissy Strut" was released by Butch Cassidy Sound System in 2005
At the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the original Meters reformed for a special performance. This went so well that the original group decided to play further dates in Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco and New York later in the year, including a benefit for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The Meter Men is a currently gigging band (2013) featuring a nearly complete original Meters line-up: Porter, Modeliste, and Nocentelli.
(2) The Meters defined New Orleans funk, not only on their own recordings, but also as the backing band for numerous artists, including many produced by Allen Toussaint. Where the funk of Sly Stone and James Brown was wild, careening, and determinedly urban, the Meters were down-home and earthy. Nearly all of their own recordings were instrumentals, putting the emphasis on the organic and complex rhythms. The syncopated, layered percussion intertwined with the gritty grooves of the guitar and organ, creating a distinctive sound that earned a small, devoted cult during the '70s, including musicians like Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, both of whom used the group as a backing band for recording. Despite their reputation as an extraordinary live band, the Meters never broke into the mainstream, but their sound provided the basis for much of the funk and hip-hop of the '80s and '90s.
Throughout their career, the Meters were always led by Art Neville (keyboard, vocals), one of the leading figures of the New Orleans musical community. As a teenager in high school, he recorded the seminal "Mardi Gras Mambo" with his group, the Hawketts, for Chess Records. The exposure with the Hawketts led to solo contracts with Specialty and Instant, where he released a handful of singles that became regional hits in the early '60s. Around 1966, he formed Art Neville & the Sounds with his brothers Aaron and Charles (both vocals), guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, and bassist George Porter. The band grew out of informal jam sessions the musicians held in local New Orleans nightclubs. After spending a few months playing under the Sounds name, producer Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn hired the group -- without the vocalists -- to be the house band for their label Sansu Enterprises.
As the house band for Sansu, the Meters played on records by Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, and Betty Harris, as well as Toussaint himself. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing danceable instrumental singles on Josie Records. "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut" became Top Ten R&B hits in the spring of 1969, followed by the number 11 hits "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" a year later. The Meters stayed at Josie until 1972, and during that entire time they reached the R&B Top 50 consistently, usually placing within the Top 40. In 1972, the group moved to Reprise Records, yet they didn't sever their ties with Sansu, electing to keep Toussaint as their producer and Sehon as their manager. Ironically, the Meters didn't have nearly as many hit singles at Reprise, yet their profile remained remarkably high. If anything, the group became hipper, performing on records by Robert Palmer, Dr. John, LaBelle, King Biscuit Boy, and Paul McCartney. By the release of 1975's Fire on the Bayou, the Meters had a Top 40 hit with Rejuvenation's "Hey Pocky A-Way" (1974), and they had gained a significant following among rock audience and critics. Fire on the Bayou received significant praise, and the group opened for the Rolling Stones on the British band's 1975 and 1976 tours.
During 1975, the Meters embarked on the Wild Tchoupitoulas project with Art's uncle and cousin George and Amos Landry, two members of the Mardi Gras ceremonial black Indian tribe, the Wild Tchoupitoulas. The Meters, the Landrys, and the Neville brothers -- Aaron, Charles, Art, and Cyril -- were all involved in the recording of the album, which received enthusiastic reviews upon its release in 1976. Cyril joined the Meters after the record's release. Despite all of the acclaim for The Wild Tchoupitoulas, its adventurous tendencies indicated that the group was feeling constrained by its signature sound. Such suspicions were confirmed the following year, when they separated from Toussaint and Sehorn, claiming they needed to take control of their artistic direction. Following the split, the Meters released New Directions in 1977, but shortly after its appearance, Toussaint and Sehorn claimed the rights to the group's name. Instead of fighting, the band broke up, with Art and Cyril forming the Neville Brothers with Aaron and Charles, while the remaining trio became session musicians in New Orleans. Modeliste, in particular, became a well-known professional musician, touring with the New Barbarians in 1979 and moving to L.A. during the '80s.
The Meters reunited as a touring unit in 1990 with Russell Batiste taking over the drum duties from Modeliste. Four years later, Nocentelli left the band, allegedly because he and Art disagreed whether the band should be paid for samples hip-hop groups took from their old records; he was replaced by Brian Stoltz, who had played with the Neville Brothers. The Meters continued to tour throughout the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
While they rarely enjoyed significant mainstream success, they are considered originators of funk along with artists like James Brown, and their work is influential on many other bands, both their contemporaries and modern musicians. Their sound is defined by a combination of tight melodic grooves and syncopated New Orleans "second line" rhythms under highly charged guitar and keyboard riffing. The band has been nominated four times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, most recently in 2017. In 2018 the band was presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Meters were a band that performed and recorded from the late 1960s until 1977. They were based in New Orleans. While the band never enjoyed huge popular success, it was nonetheless greatly admired by cognoscenti and is considered one of progenitors of funk in the 1970s.
The Meters formed in 1965, with a line up of keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and became the house band for Sansu Enterprises, an Allen Toussaint-owned label. In 1969, the Meters released "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut", both major R&B chart hits; "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" were also hits the following year. After a label shift in 1972, the Meters had difficulty returning to the charts, though they played on many important records by Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy, Labelle and Robert Palmer. The band broke up in 1977 after Toussaint claimed the rights to the name and they played as various incarnations of the Neville Brothers and with other bands. In 1989, The Meters reformed with the new official name, The Funky Meters, after an informal jam during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Original drummer Ziggy Modeliste, who started out with the group as a 17-year-old, laid down some very influential rhythms. His beats have been sampled by numerous hip hop groups including Ice Cube, Run DMC, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Queen Latifah, and EPMD. Modeliste relocated to Oakland, California, in the '80s where he teaches drumming, releases new music, and performs around the San Francisco Bay Area and the world with his band "Zigaboo Modeliste and The New Aahkesstra".
The Meters gained new-found notoriety in 2001, winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jammys. Their music has been used in films and commercials, and in 2005 drum and guitar breaks from their 1970 version of "Oh, Calcutta!" (reinterpreted from the stage musical, and appearing on their "Look-Ka Py Py" album), were sampled by producer Rich Harrison, to provide the main loops of the hit song "1 Thing" by Amerie. A re-engineered version of "Cissy Strut" was released by Butch Cassidy Sound System in 2005
At the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the original Meters reformed for a special performance. This went so well that the original group decided to play further dates in Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco and New York later in the year, including a benefit for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The Meter Men is a currently gigging band (2013) featuring a nearly complete original Meters line-up: Porter, Modeliste, and Nocentelli.
(2) The Meters defined New Orleans funk, not only on their own recordings, but also as the backing band for numerous artists, including many produced by Allen Toussaint. Where the funk of Sly Stone and James Brown was wild, careening, and determinedly urban, the Meters were down-home and earthy. Nearly all of their own recordings were instrumentals, putting the emphasis on the organic and complex rhythms. The syncopated, layered percussion intertwined with the gritty grooves of the guitar and organ, creating a distinctive sound that earned a small, devoted cult during the '70s, including musicians like Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, both of whom used the group as a backing band for recording. Despite their reputation as an extraordinary live band, the Meters never broke into the mainstream, but their sound provided the basis for much of the funk and hip-hop of the '80s and '90s.
Throughout their career, the Meters were always led by Art Neville (keyboard, vocals), one of the leading figures of the New Orleans musical community. As a teenager in high school, he recorded the seminal "Mardi Gras Mambo" with his group, the Hawketts, for Chess Records. The exposure with the Hawketts led to solo contracts with Specialty and Instant, where he released a handful of singles that became regional hits in the early '60s. Around 1966, he formed Art Neville & the Sounds with his brothers Aaron and Charles (both vocals), guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, and bassist George Porter. The band grew out of informal jam sessions the musicians held in local New Orleans nightclubs. After spending a few months playing under the Sounds name, producer Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn hired the group -- without the vocalists -- to be the house band for their label Sansu Enterprises.
As the house band for Sansu, the Meters played on records by Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, and Betty Harris, as well as Toussaint himself. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing danceable instrumental singles on Josie Records. "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut" became Top Ten R&B hits in the spring of 1969, followed by the number 11 hits "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" a year later. The Meters stayed at Josie until 1972, and during that entire time they reached the R&B Top 50 consistently, usually placing within the Top 40. In 1972, the group moved to Reprise Records, yet they didn't sever their ties with Sansu, electing to keep Toussaint as their producer and Sehon as their manager. Ironically, the Meters didn't have nearly as many hit singles at Reprise, yet their profile remained remarkably high. If anything, the group became hipper, performing on records by Robert Palmer, Dr. John, LaBelle, King Biscuit Boy, and Paul McCartney. By the release of 1975's Fire on the Bayou, the Meters had a Top 40 hit with Rejuvenation's "Hey Pocky A-Way" (1974), and they had gained a significant following among rock audience and critics. Fire on the Bayou received significant praise, and the group opened for the Rolling Stones on the British band's 1975 and 1976 tours.
During 1975, the Meters embarked on the Wild Tchoupitoulas project with Art's uncle and cousin George and Amos Landry, two members of the Mardi Gras ceremonial black Indian tribe, the Wild Tchoupitoulas. The Meters, the Landrys, and the Neville brothers -- Aaron, Charles, Art, and Cyril -- were all involved in the recording of the album, which received enthusiastic reviews upon its release in 1976. Cyril joined the Meters after the record's release. Despite all of the acclaim for The Wild Tchoupitoulas, its adventurous tendencies indicated that the group was feeling constrained by its signature sound. Such suspicions were confirmed the following year, when they separated from Toussaint and Sehorn, claiming they needed to take control of their artistic direction. Following the split, the Meters released New Directions in 1977, but shortly after its appearance, Toussaint and Sehorn claimed the rights to the group's name. Instead of fighting, the band broke up, with Art and Cyril forming the Neville Brothers with Aaron and Charles, while the remaining trio became session musicians in New Orleans. Modeliste, in particular, became a well-known professional musician, touring with the New Barbarians in 1979 and moving to L.A. during the '80s.
The Meters reunited as a touring unit in 1990 with Russell Batiste taking over the drum duties from Modeliste. Four years later, Nocentelli left the band, allegedly because he and Art disagreed whether the band should be paid for samples hip-hop groups took from their old records; he was replaced by Brian Stoltz, who had played with the Neville Brothers. The Meters continued to tour throughout the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
It Ain't No Use
The Meters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't no use, to cut you loose.
I wouldn't last a day.
It ain't no use, to turn you loose.
Guess I'm here to stay.
I could think of a thousand reasons,
Why I should walk right out that door.
But if I do I know that I'll turn around again,
And come right back for more.
It ain't no use.
You've got me where you want me,
Shackled to your love.
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free.
You've got me where you want me,
Shackled to your love.
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free...
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I wouldn't last a day.
It ain't no use, to turn you loose.
Guess I'm here to stay.
I could think of a thousand reasons,
Why I should walk right out that door.
But if I do I know that I'll turn around again,
And come right back for more.
You've got me where you want me,
Shackled to your love.
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free.
You've got me where you want me,
Shackled to your love.
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free...
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't wanna go
I don't wanna stay
I don't know what I wanna do now.
"It Ain't No Use" by The Meters is a song about a lover who cannot bear to leave their partner, even if they are unhappy in the relationship. The lyrics state that there are a thousand reasons why the singer should leave, but they cannot bring themselves to do so. They feel trapped and shackled to their partner, unable to break free.
The song's repeated refrain of "set me free" shows the singer's internal struggle between wanting to be released from the relationship and feeling unable to let go. The uncertainty of the singer is also reflected in the lines "I don't wanna go, I don't wanna stay, I don't know what I wanna do now," which express a sense of indecisiveness and confusion.
The song captures the complicated and often messy feelings of being in a relationship that is keeping you captive, and highlights the power dynamics between two individuals who are struggling to make a decision about their future together.
Overall, It Ain't No Use is a powerful, soulful track with a message that resonates with anyone who has been stuck in a bad relationship, unable to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no use, to cut you loose.
It's pointless to try to leave you.
I wouldn't last a day.
I wouldn't be able to handle being away from you.
It ain't no use, to turn you loose.
It's pointless to try to let you go.
Guess I'm here to stay.
I can't leave you.
I could think of a thousand reasons,
I can list so many reasons why I should leave.
Why I should walk right out that door.
Why I should leave you behind and move on.
But if I do I know that I'll turn around again,
But I know I'll end up coming back to you.
And come right back for more.
And want to stay with you again.
You've got me where you want me,
You have control over me.
Shackled to your love.
I am bound to your love.
Set me free, set me free, set me free, set me free.
Please release me from your control.
I don't wanna go
I don't want to leave.
I don't wanna stay
I don't want to stay either.
I don't know what I wanna do now.
I am confused and torn about my feelings and what I should do.
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@123prova
If you like this one, you probably like:
Crusaders --Stomp And Buck Dance
and this one:
Grover Washington, Jr . - Trouble Man ||| or/and ||| Knucklehead
and this one:
4th Coming - The Dead Dont Die Alive (Part One)
and this one:
Neal Francis - Changes (2020)
and this one:
scary pockets - 1am Funk Dance Party (2021 impro jam session)
and this one:
Funk Fusion Band - Can You Feel It
and this one:
Kool_The_Gang_-_Jungle_Jazz
and this one:
Maceo Parker - Soul Power 74
and this one:
Mel Brown - Chicken Fat
and this one:
monophonics - Ageless feat. Karl Denson
and this one:
the brothers johnson - q
and this one :
Jimmy McGriff - The Bird Wave
and this one:
tom scott - Sneakin' In The Back
and this one:
Lonnie Smith - It's Changed
and this one:
gabor szabo - Sophisticated Wheels
and this one:
Bobby Lyle - The Genie
and this one:
Maynard Ferguson - Primal scream
and this one:
Herb Alpert - rise
and this one:
wilbert longmire - black is the colour
and this one:
East · Lydian Collective (2020)
@shoghuntyrant2403
That’s not true. There are a great many soulful and talented musicians today.
Sooo many. You may need to find new friends and soulful inspiration. Have faith, my friend ✌🏼
Marcus King
City and colour
Derek Trucks
Or some hard rock bands like clutch and corrosion of conformity
Delve back into the allman brothers and check out related links
Government mule
Sturgill Simpson
Chris Stapleton
Have faith. So much good shit out there!
But this band is fucking amazing! One of the greatest songs ever written ❤️
@michaelkchamunorwa-sibanda5067
This song brought back memories of the golden age of Radio in my native Zimbabwe. Those days there was no internet and we had to listen to songs to know them ( and appreciate them)
I get reminded of my father.
Good music forever
@LucyRoseUp
what an awesome comment, we were just discussing how that 11:47 length would never a made itvon the American air waves & it's such a jammy yet lyrical tune. They coulda easily wrapped it song at end of lyrical area, yet they keep the beat going with delicacey and precision; in the most groovy funkdifued unrushed matter. ☺️ this whole album through the roof! pretty cool you live or raised in such a beautiful place where that type of energy and beauty are played ▶️ over the radio waves! 📻 that's all it is anyway, - Energy Vibration & Freqyency - according to Nicolia Tesla.
🙌 blessings
@joshuasamuelson5597
Been listening to this on loop for like three weeks and I'm still not sick of it... Pushes every button. So, so good.
@MrHakkoRyu
My new favorite song. As you say, pushes every button.
@judygirl3102
@Jimmy Pegleg I believe it is called 6th grade syndrome, because by then, you've certainly decided for your own self what kind of music you love. So, you can listen to the same song over and over again and think it perfectly normal, while Others find it odd. I am 40 years PASSED 6th grade, and the syndrome remains. I too have had it on loop! Kind of a good syndrome...imo.
@elozvyut
@judy Girl Chicks who like funk music is a big YES for me!
@soundscapesMPLS
Right
@chriscoates5427
Timeless! What a beautiful groove and a magic bass line. From the greatest era in popular music. How good would they have been live?
@rickkelly2770
Extremely good. Played all over New Orleans early 70's; opened for the Rolling Stones on '75 tour.
@olivermack5441
how underrated, under-appreciated, what does it take? People listen but these guys never got paid. Life is ruthlessly unfair