Soon after, a mutual friend, Tal Bayer moved in. He was very much into ska and reggae and suggested that the band play some of the catchy songs that they loved to drink to. It proved to be the direction they needed, as well as an easier style to cover. Soon, The Slugs were skipping classes and practicing for hours to learn songs by Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Skatalites, The Business, and others. Unfortunately, the name The Slugs was already taken and the band needed a new name. Some British neighbors used to refer to the heftier guys in the band as Pietasters, which is British slang for "fat guys". The name stuck and The Pietasters were born.
A few months later, a similar band from the DC area, The Skunks asked The Pietasters to play a local ska night at a bar in Georgetown. The Pietasters were still rough around the edges, but when you’re in college, quality stage performances take second place to getting free beer. Soon, The Pietasters were playing every dive bar in DC. The manager of one such bar befriended the band and helped them record their first record, The Pietasters, more commonly known as Piestomp.
In the summer of 1993, The Pietasters set out on their first national tour in a used school bus they'd bought for $900. The tour was haphazard with stops in Ohio, Oregon, Kansas and even many stops in Canada. By the end of the tour, almost all of the original members quit the band. To this day, only trumpeter, Carlos Linares, and lead singer, Steve Jackson, remain as original members.
The Pietasters auditioned many players and decided on Jeremy Roberts, Toby Hansen and Alan Makranczy as their horn players, Rob Steward (Covington) on drums, and Paul Ackerman on keys. Tom Goodin remained on guitar. The new line-up continued to tour whenever possible, and soon attracted the attention of Bucket Hingley, front man of The Toasters and owner of Moon Ska Records. He asked if The Pietasters wanted to be a part of a tour package called, "Skavoovie 94". The Pietasters accepted and were soon touring with The Toasters and The Scofflaws. The tour was much more organized than their last outing and proved to be very educational. By the end of the tour, The Pietasters were scheduled to record "Oolooloo" on Moon Ska with Victor Rice producing.
Oolooloo came out in the summer of 1995. The Pietasters continued to tour the country, and even managed to record "Strapped Live" between stops in Raleigh, NC and the Black Cat Club in Washington, DC. "Strapped Live" was released in 1996 and quickly became a fan favorite and the closest thing to a live Pietasters show. Throughout this period, The Pietasters had been recording new songs, re-recording older ones, and recording some covers. The results ended up as "Comply", and the song selection foreshadowed their next release.
While touring with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the band made a stop in Los Angeles. Backstage at the show, Tim Armstrong from the band, Rancid, approached the band and asked if they'd like to be a part of a new label he was putting together. The Slackers, Hepcat and Dropkick Murphys were already committed and he wanted The Pietasters on board.
After clearing such a move with Moon Ska, The Pietasters signed with Epitaph Records and their next album, Willis was recorded and released in 1997. A tour of the US soon followed as well as their first ever tour of Europe. The Pietasters also made appearances on the Warped Tour and opened for such acts as The Reverend Horton Heat, Cherry Poppin Daddies, and Ozomatli.
By 1999, The Pietasters were in the studio again to record Awesome Mix Tape #6 for Epitaph's Hellcat Records. They finished the album and hit the road again touring Europe with the Warped Tour, then the US again with the Pilfers and Spring Heeled Jack, and closing out 1999 with an opening stint for the legendary Joe Strummer. Years of touring finally took it's toll on Paul Ackerman and Tom Goodin, who amicably left the band. Bassist Todd Eckhardt also left the band and was replaced by Jorge Pezzimenti of The Decpticonz. Erick Morgan, formerly of The Skunks, took over keys, and Toby Hansen replaced Tom Goodin on guitar.
In late 2001, The Pietasters were well into recording their next album when they learned that former bassist, Todd Eckhardt, had died in his sleep. The news was extremely hard on The Pietasters and their fans. The Pietasters soldiered on and released a new album Turbo, a nickname of Todd's, in 2002. The new album's blend of Jamaican riddims and Northern Soul won praise from fans and critics alike. It even caught the attention of James Brown who asked The Pietasters to be his backing band at a sold-out concert in Washington DC in 2003. The following year, The Pietasters released their first ever DVD, Live at The 9:30 Club. In 2006, The Pietasters played the International Ska Circus in Las Vegas.
On August 21, 2007, seventeen years after their inception, The Pietasters released a new studio album entitled, "All Day".
Discography:
Studio albums:
The Pietasters - 1993 on Slug Tone Records
Oolooloo - 1995 on Moon Ska Records
Willis - 1997 on Epitaph Records
Awesome Mix Tape vol. 6 - 1999 on Hellcat Records
Turbo - 2002 on Fueled by Ramen
All Day - 2007 on Indication Records
Rare Albums, EP's, Singles, and Others:
The Ska-Rumptious 7 Inch"" - 1992 on Slug Tone Records
All You Can Eat (EP) - 1992 on Slug Tone Records
Soul Sammich - 1994 on Slug Tone Records
Ocean - 1996 on Moon Records
Strapped Live! (live album) - 1996 on Moon Records
Comply - 1996 on Moon Records
Out All Night (Promo) - 1997 on Hellcat Records
Out All Night (EP) - 1998 on HellCat Records
Yesterday's Over (Promo) - 1999 on Hellcat Records
The Pietasters 1992-1996 - 2003 on VMS Records
Live at the 9:30 Club (DVD) - 2005 on MVD
Band members:
Current lineup:
Stephen Jackson - vocals
Toby Hansen - guitar, trumpet
Jorge Pezzimenti - bass
Rob Steward - drums
Alan Makranczy - saxophone
Jeremy Roberts - trombone
Carlos Linares - trumpet
Jon Darby - keyboard
Past members:
Talmage Bayer - vocals
Tom Goodin - guitar
Pat Kelley - guitar
Todd Eckhardt - bass
Chris Watt - bass
Ben Gauslin - drums
Eric Raecke - tenor saxophone
Rob French - trombone
Caroline Boutwell - farfisa
Paul T. Ackerman - keyboards
Erick Morgan - keyboards
Jeb Crandall - keyboards
Perfect World
The Pietasters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a perfect world you'd understand And in a perfect world you'd hold my hand Perfect world you won't know me And in a perfect world just wait and see Perfect world could be right here Perfect world you won't be near Perfect world I'd run away And in a perfect world you'll come to stay But I don't know how to live my life Dopes they cut me like a knife Never want to take that away 'cause of you.
(chorus: I'm not living in a perfect world, I'm just looking for that perfect girl. I'm not living, no I'm not living, I'm not living thanks to you.)
In a perfect world without you And in a perfect world I know what to do Perfect world you'd be so far And in a perfect world we'd never be apart Perfect world I wouldn't care at all Perfect world I'm not in for a fall Perfect world you're by my side
(chorus)
The Pietasters' song "Perfect World" touches on the idea of a hypothetical perfect world where everything is just the way we want it. The singer suggests that in this world, he knows the person he loves and they love him back, but at the same time, he would hate them too. He talks about how he would let them know how he feels and also let them go if he had to. However, he acknowledges that the reality is different from the ideal world he envisions, and he doesn't know how to deal with the situation. He suggests that he's not living in a perfect world because he's searching for the perfect girl.
The chorus goes on to repeat the idea that the singer is not living in a perfect world, but he's looking for the perfect girl. He talks about how he would be able to live in a perfect world without the person he's talking about and how he wouldn't care at all. In the end, he admits that he's living in a world that's not perfect and that he's going to hell for just that one person.
Overall, the song seems to be about the conflict between our idealistic visions of the world and the reality of our lives. It also touches on the idea that we often hold onto things that are toxic or harmful to us, even if we know they're not good for us.
Line by Line Meaning
In a perfect world, I know your name
Under the ideal circumstances, I would know your name
And in a perfect world we'd be the same
If everything was perfect, we would be exactly alike
Perfect world I'd let you know
If only everything was flawless, I would inform you
And in a perfect world I'd let you go
Under the best conditions, I would set you free
Perfect world I love you
In a perfect outcome, I would adore you
And in a perfect world I'd hate you too
In a perfect situation, I would also have contempt for you
Perfect world I see your face
In a world void of flaws, I view your countenance
And in a perfect world you'd know your place
Under perfect circumstances, you would recognize your position
But it doesn't seem to be that way
Unfortunately, everything is not perfect
All my friends left yesterday, never know just what to say to you
My friends departed without explanation, leaving me unsure how to communicate with you
In a perfect world you'd understand
In an ideal situation, you would comprehend
And in a perfect world you'd hold my hand
Under perfect circumstances, you would grasp my hand
Perfect world you won't know me
In a world without imperfections, you wouldn't know me
And in a perfect world just wait and see
Under flawless conditions, you would have to wait and see
Perfect world could be right here
A perfect world could be here at this moment
Perfect world you won't be near
In a perfect outcome, you wouldn't be close by
Perfect world I'd run away
Under perfect circumstances, I would flee
And in a perfect world you'll come to stay
In a perfect situation, you would come to stay
But I don't know how to live my life
Unfortunately, I am unsure how to successfully exist
Dopes they cut me like a knife
My foolish actions wound me deeply
Never want to take that away 'cause of you.
I will never remove those actions because of my feelings towards you
(chorus: I'm not living in a perfect world, I'm just looking for that perfect girl. I'm not living, no I'm not living, I'm not living thanks to you.)
The chorus repeats the sentiment that the artist is not in a perfect world and is searching for the perfect partner, blaming the you mentioned throughout the song for their troubles
In a perfect world without you
Under a state of perfection, you would not exist
And in a perfect world I know what to do
In a world without flaws, I would know exactly what to do
Perfect world you'd be so far
Under perfect circumstances, you would be at a great distance
And in a perfect world we'd never be apart
In a perfect outcome, we would never be separated
Perfect world I wouldn't care at all
In an ideal world, I wouldn't have any concerns
Perfect world I'm not in for a fall
Under perfect circumstances, I would not experience any setbacks
Perfect world you're by my side
In a perfect outcome, you would always be by my side
And in a perfect I'm along for the ride
Under flawless circumstances, I am merely along for the journey
That's the world that I'm living in
The singer is expressing their dissatisfaction with their current situation
Sell my soul for a fit of gin
The artist is expressing how desperate they are for an escape from their situation
Going to hell for just one sin, and that's you.
The artist blames their negative circumstance on their relationship with the person referred to as 'you'.
(chorus)
Repeating the chorus to further emphasize the main message of the song
Contributed by Tyler R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dead
on Set Me Up
The song is about former DC mayor, Marion Barry.
On January 18, 1990, Barry was arrested with a former girlfriend, Hazel Diane Moore, in a sting operation at the Vista International Hotel by the FBI and D.C. police for crack cocaine use and possession. Moore was an FBI informant when she invited Barry to the hotel room and insisted that he smoke freebase cocaine before they had sex, while agents in another room watched on camera, waiting for Barry to accept her offer. During the videotaped arrest, Barry says of Moore, "Bitch set me up.”