The Remains broke up in 1966, but their music eventually attracted a strong international cult following. They began performing and recording again in the late 1990s, and have continued to play regularly since then.
The Remains formed in 1964 at Boston University, where all four members were first-year students living in the same dorm in Kenmore Square. Singer-guitarist Barry Tashian and keyboardist Bill Briggs were from Westport, Connecticut, drummer Chip Damiani from Wolcott, Connecticut, and bassist Vern Miller from Livingston, New Jersey. They began playing r&b and rock'n'roll covers, as well as some Tashian originals, at The Rathskeller, a tavern across the square from their dorm. Soon, fans were lining up from Kenmore Square to Fenway Park to see them, and management had to clear out a disused basement to accommodate the crowds.
The band became a popular live act throughout New England and appeared on the CBS TV Program, The Ed Sullivan Christmas Show of 1965. After signing with Epic Records, they enjoyed local hits with a catchy, swinging Tashian original, "Why Do I Cry", and their hard-driving version of the Bo Diddley/Willie Dixon classic "Diddy Wah Diddy". In 1965 the Remains relocated to New York City - where they appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' - and then, after about a year, moved on to California. They recorded an album, The Remains, appeared on NBC TV's 'Hullabaloo', and released the soulful, hard-rocking single "Don't Look Back".
In 1966 came the opportunity which might have broken the band nationally, but proved instead to be their last hurrah: they were offered a three-week stint as an opening act for the Beatles, on what would turn out to be the fab four's final tour. Immediately before the tour, drummer Chip Damiani quit the band, to be replaced by future Mountain drummer N.D. Smart. Said Tashian in a 2012 interview: "We had always been the four of us and we’d played hundreds and hundreds of gigs as the four of us and all of a sudden this big tour comes up and boom! We have to play it with a new drummer who didn’t have the same feel that Chip had. I mean he was a fine drummer but it wasn’t the same band. I just felt like the flame was burning down without our original drummer."
The band broke up in late 1966, and Epic released their self-titled debut album to little fanfare.
In common with many of their garage rock contemporaries, the Remains gradually acquired cult status, and eventually reformed to play at several garage revival shows, such as Cavestomp in New York City in 1998, Las Vegas Grind in 2000 and a tour of major European cities in 2006. They recorded a new album Movin' On in 2002.
Although now associated with the garage rock genre, the Remains were highly accomplished professional musicians and their recordings, while hard-edged, were notably well-produced and arranged.
The band's last single, "Don't Look Back", written by Billy Vera, was featured on the 1972 compilation album Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, which garnered further attention with its 1976 re-release by Sire Records, concurrent with a surge of interest in punk rock and 60's garage rock. A later box set version of the album also includes the Remains' first single, "Why Do I Cry"
"Why Do I Cry" is featured briefly in the film Superbad (2007), when the character McLovin is being taken to a party in a police car.
In 2007, Epic/Legacy came out with a reissue of the Remains' 1966 album, which received the following review from rock journalist Mark Kemp in Paste magazine (June 2007): "Had these Boston bad boys stuck it out beyond their 1966 debut, we might today be calling them—and not the Stones—the World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band. As it is, the Remains most certainly are America's greatest lost band."
Kemp's praise echoed the critique written 40 years earlier by rock critic (and subsequent Bruce Springsteen manager) Jon Landau, in Crawdaddy! magazine (January 1967): "They were how you told a stranger about rock'n'roll."
In 2008 a documentary about the Remains, America's Lost Band, directed by Michael Stich, premiered at the Boston Film Festival. Steve Simels of Boxoffice magazine described the film as "a fascinating retelling of one of the great what-might-have-been stories of American music of the '60s."
The Remains' story was also the subject of a stage musical at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival, "All Good Things," which received acclaim from a variety of critics. (60sgaragebands.com, News & Nuggets, August 31, 2004).
In 2010 the Remains released "Monbo Time", a tribute to 1960's Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Monbouquette, with revenues going to cancer research.
On February 23, 2014, Rudolph "Chip" Damiani died of a cerebral haemorrhage.
Discography
Studio albums
The Remains (1966, Epic)
Movin' On (2002, Rock-A-Lot)
Other albums
Live in Boston (1984, Eva #12024; recorded in the 1964-1966 era
A Session with the Remains (1996, Sundazed; Capitol Records audition recorded 1966)
Barry and the Remains (1991, Sony; recorded in the 1964-1966 era, includes tracks from The Remains and additional tracks)
Singles
"Why Do I Cry" (1965, Epic)
"I Can't Get Away from You" (1965, Epic)
"Diddy Wah Diddy" (1966, Epic)
"Don't Look Back" (1966, Epic)
"Monbo Time" (2010)
Don't Look Back
The Remains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gonna have to sleep there
Old Man Blues is goin' to try
Try to find you everywhere
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
[Don't look back] he's coming for you
[Don't look back] keep on running
If you both have faith you'll find
A sunny day
Don't be bothered by what
Smaller minds have got to say, just
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
[Don't look back] he's coming after you
[Don't look back] you gotta keep running, yeah
Running till the end of time, yeah
[One thing I wanna say]
[One thing I wanna say] wanna say now
[One thing I wanna say] oh yeah
[One thing I wanna say]
Talk, talk, talk, talking trash
Talk, talk, talking trash
Truth is the light [truth is the light]
The light is the way [light is the way]
The less folk know [the less they know]
The more they've got to say [yeah, yeah]
And if you want me to [uh-huh]
Here's what I'll do for you [all right]
I'll light a candle and I'll pray
The Lord will bless you
I hope that someday He will understand
But till they do
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
[Don't look back] he's coming after you
[Don't look back] you gotta keep running, yeah
Running till the end of time, oh yeah
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
[Don't look back] he's coming after you
[Don't look back] you'd better keep running, yeah
Running till the end of time, oh ye
The Remains’s song “Don’t Look Back” is about someone who has made a mistake and is fleeing from the consequences. The singer warns them not to look back, as “Old Man Blues is goin’ to try/ Try to find you everywhere.” The singer also offers some advice, suggesting that the person should not worry about what “smaller minds” have to say and should have faith that there will be a better day. The song ends with the singer promising to light a candle and pray for the person to be blessed.
The image of “Old Man Blues” looking for the person who has made a mistake creates a sense of foreboding and danger, making the urgency of the situation clear. Furthermore, the repetition of “Don’t look back” creates a sense of momentum and urgency, emphasizing that the person needs to keep moving forward and not get bogged down by regrets or doubts. The lyrics suggest that there is hope for the person, but they need to keep pushing forward and not give up.
Overall, “Don’t Look Back” is a powerful song that combines a catchy melody with a meaningful message about the importance of perseverance and faith. The song encourages listeners to keep moving forward and not get discouraged by setbacks or criticism.
Line by Line Meaning
You both made your bed and now
You have to face the consequences of your actions
You're gonna have to sleep there
You have to accept the responsibility and consequences of your actions
Old Man Blues is goin' to try
The sadness or hopelessness caused by the situation is going to catch up with you
Try to find you everywhere
It will affect every aspect of your life
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
Do not dwell on the past, because it will only bring you down
[Don't look back] he's coming for you
The consequences of your actions are catching up to you
[Don't look back] keep on running
Keep moving forward and do not let the past hold you back
Running till the end of time, oh yeah
You have to keep pushing forward and not give up
If you both have faith you'll find
Believing in yourself will help you find a way out of the situation
A sunny day
Happiness and a brighter future
Don't be bothered by what
Do not let others bring you down
Smaller minds have got to say, just
People who are less experienced or naive will judge you, ignore them
[One thing I wanna say]
The singer has a message to convey
Talk, talk, talk, talking trash
People who gossip or speak negatively will only bring you down
Truth is the light [truth is the light]
Honesty and being true to oneself is the path to enlightenment
The light is the way [light is the way]
Being positive and optimistic leads to a better future
The less folk know [the less they know]
People who judge or criticize without understanding the situation
The more they've got to say [yeah, yeah]
People who judge or criticize without understanding the situation are usually more vocal
And if you want me to [uh-huh]
The singer is willing to help
Here's what I'll do for you [all right]
The singer will pray for you
I hope that someday He will understand
The singer hopes that God will provide an explanation for the situation
But till they do
Until the situation improves, keep moving forward
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
Do not dwell on the past, because it will only bring you down
[Don't look back] he's coming after you
The consequences of your actions are catching up to you
[Don't look back] you gotta keep running, yeah
Keep moving forward and do not let the past hold you back
Running till the end of time, oh yeah
You have to keep pushing forward and not give up
[Don't look back] oh, you better not look now
Do not dwell on the past, because it will only bring you down
[Don't look back] he's coming after you
The consequences of your actions are catching up to you
[Don't look back] you'd better keep running, yeah
Keep moving forward and do not let the past hold you back
Running till the end of time, oh yeah
You have to keep pushing forward and not give up
Contributed by Elliot P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.