The band's best known lineup consisted of Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar), Bob Stinson (guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Chris Mars (drums). They were infamous for their abrasive, hard drinking lifestyles and their ragged stage performances, notorious for coming to some shows too drunk to play very well at all. Sometimes, they just performed entire sets of covers, their picks showing their debt to 70s hard rock outfits.
The sound of this band showed off what their many fans saw as the very best of independent rock n' roll. More than possibly any other band since The Rolling Stones and the the Ramones, the Replacements embodied the spirit of rock, from their raucous performances, drug addictions, charismatic and romantic frontman, and wild, sometimes basic and sometimes powerfully confessional songs. At any given time, almost any list of 'The Best Rock Albums Of All Time' will include either the album 'Let It Be' or 'Tim', sometimes both.
Their sound started off as a classic rock influenced shade of punk, mutating to a melodic hardcore sound reminiscent of local buddies Hüsker Dü. They also progressed into a relatively straightforward but heartfelt rock style, with a number of highly soulful ballads from the heart of Westerberg to round out the mix.
The band broke up in 1991. Bob Stinson, who was fired from the band in 1986 (and was subsequently replaced by Slim Dunlap), died in 1995. Westerberg and Mars both have solo careers, and Tommy Stinson formed several bands, like Perfect and Bash and Pop, and now plays bass for Guns and Roses and Soul Asylum.
In 2012, Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson reformed the Replacements and recorded an EP, "Songs for Slim" as a benefit for former member Slim Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke. The band played their first show since 1991 on August 24, 2013 at RiotFest in Toronto, and has since played at several festivals since. The band also currently includes Josh Freese on drums and Dave Minehan on guitar. The band played its final show in June 2015.
Round and Round
The Replacements Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they watched you wear
The clothes they claimed that they bought
They brought you down
To watch the merry go around
In fall, you knew how much it cost
A trouble doll
You wouldn't make a sound
But I could hear your little heart pound
And I watched your feet slip off the ground
Merry go round in dreams
Writes 'em down, it seems
When she sleeps, she's free
Merry go round in dreams
You wake to another day and find
The wind's blowing out of key with your sky
Only you can see
And the rain dancing in the night
Everybody stands around in daylight
Merry go round in dreams
Writes 'em down, it seems
When she sleeps, she's free
Merry go round in dreams
And everybody thinks she's sick
She's got two worlds she can pick
And she's sad
"Hush" is the only word you know
And I stopped listening long ago
They ignored me with a smile
You was a child
But the trouble doll hears your heart pound
And your feet say goodbye to the ground
Merry go round in dreams
Writes 'em down, it seems
When she sleeps, she's free
Merry go round in dreams
Merry go round in dreams
Merry go round in me
Merry go round
Round and round in me
Merry go round
Round and round in me
Merry go round
Round and round in me
Merry go round
Round and round in me
Merry go round
Round and round in me
The lyrics of The Replacements's song Round And Round depict a child's struggles with being raised in a dysfunctional family, where the only word they were taught was "hush". The child grows up wearing clothes that were claimed to be bought by their parents, and watching the "merry-go-round" of their family's dysfunction. The lyrics mention a "trouble doll" that the child would wear around their neck when they felt lost, but they wouldn't make a sound. The singer, however, could hear the child's heart pound and watched their feet slip off the ground. The lyrics highlight the child's dreams where she can be free from her life.
In the chorus, the lyrics describe the child's dreams as a "merry go round" where she writes her dreams down, and when she sleeps, she is free. The child wakes up to the perception that the wind is blowing out of key with her sky, and only she can see it. The child is aware of the rain dancing in the night, but everybody else is rejoicing around her. The lyrics mention that everybody thinks she's sick, and the child has to choose between two different worlds.
The song's overall sentiment suggests a child who's struggling to find their place in the world and to escape their dysfunctional family. She finds solace in her dreams, and the lyrics depict the "merry go round" being a symbol of this escape. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, one can find solace in their imagination and creating their own reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Hush was the first word you were taught
You were taught to be quiet and not speak your mind from a young age.
And they watched you wear
Your parents watched you put on the clothes they bought for you.
The clothes they claimed that they bought
Your parents claimed to have bought the clothes you were wearing.
They brought you down
Your parents put you down and made you feel inferior.
To watch the merry-go around
They made you watch the same cycle of events happen over and over again.
In fall, you knew how much it cost
You knew the cost of your own struggles and hardships.
A trouble doll
You had a small talisman to help you deal with your troubles.
Around your neck when you lost
You relied on your trouble doll to help you through difficult times.
You wouldn't make a sound
You kept your struggles to yourself and didn't ask for help.
But I could hear your little heart pound
I could sense your anxiety and fear despite your silence.
And I watched your feet slip off the ground
I could see that you were losing your grip on reality and beginning to lose touch with the world.
Merry go round in dreams
You find solace and freedom in your dreams where you can escape from the hardships of reality.
Writes 'em down, it seems
You record your dreams and aspirations in hopes of one day making them a reality.
When she sleeps, she's free
You feel free when you sleep and are able to escape from your worries and fears.
You wake to another day and find
Every new day brings new struggles and obstacles to overcome.
The wind's blowing out of key with your sky
Things aren't aligning the way you thought they would, and it's throwing off your entire sense of reality.
Only you can see
No one else understands what you're going through and the weight of your struggles.
And the rain dancing in the night
Even the weather feels like it's taunting you and adding to your difficulties.
Everybody stands around in delight
Despite your struggles, others seem to revel in your pain and difficulties.
And everybody thinks she's sick
Others think you're unwell or unstable because of your struggles and anxieties.
She's got two worlds she can pick
You have the choice to either face your struggles head-on or try to escape into your dreams.
And she's sad
No matter what you choose, you are still weighed down by sadness and overwhelming emotions.
Hush is the only word you know
You've become so used to suppressing your emotions that you no longer even know how to express yourself.
And I stopped listening long ago
Even those close to you have stopped trying to understand your struggles.
They ignored me with a smile
Your parents pretended everything was okay with a fake smile, even though they knew you were struggling.
But the trouble doll hears your heart pound
The only comfort you have is in the small talisman you carry with you.
And your feet they say goodbye to the ground
You feel like you're losing your grip on reality and beginning to float away from the real world.
Merry go round in dreams
Once again, you find solace and escape in your dreams.
Writes 'em down it seems
You keep a record of your dreams and aspirations, hoping to one day make them a reality.
Merry go round in me
The cycle of both struggles and hope continually cycle through your mind and being.
Merry go round
Life for you feels like a constantly cycling merry-go-round of highs and lows.
Round and round in me
This cycle continues to repeat itself and feels never-ending.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kazumeeeee
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Andy L
It sucked but it felt good!
KellyGreen5555
HA!