Despite the similarity in name to the British band The Verve, there is no relation between the two.
In 1992, working with producer/engineer Jon Frazer, they released their first album, I've Suffered a Head Injury, which featured an acoustic version of the band's calling-card hit, "The Freshmen." The original 10-song version of the CD is no longer available. A 7-song version, without the original recording of "The Freshmen" and two songs written by Stout, was later released as an EP.
The band, known for its energetic live performances, built strong followings during its early years, especially in the college towns of Kalamazoo and East Lansing.
In the fall of 1993, the band released a second album, Pop Smear again working with Frazer that helped them gain a devoted following in their native state of Michigan and their eventual signing with RCA Records in 1995. AJ Dunning replaced Stout on guitar for the recording of Pop Smear and remained in the band for their three RCA records. This album featured the popular tracks "Spoonful of Sugar" and "Victoria" among others. While Doug Corolla played on Pop Smear, he was not a full member of the band until 1994.
Their first major label release was 1996's Villains, which was a minor hit and launched two respectably-selling singles, first Photograph then the #1 hit The Freshmen. They came back with The Verve Pipe in 1999, with such tracks as "Supergig," "Generations" and "She Has Faces." The album, however, failed to contain the commercial appeal of its predecessor.
The band's final release for RCA Records was 2001's Underneath. The song "Colorful," from Underneath, was featured on the soundtrack of Rock Star. Underneath's release unfortunately coincided with the September 11th terroist attacks which contributed to the album's poor sales which led to the band being dropped from RCA.
On September 15, 2009, Brian Vander Ark announced on his Web site that the band would be releasing a new album called A Family Album in October, 2009. The band had been approached to contribute a song for an album called "Calling All Kids" which led to them creating an entire album of family friendly songs.
Lead singer Brian Vander Ark has also released four solo albums: 2003's Resurrection, 2006's Angel, Put Your Face On, 2008's self-titled release Brian Vander Ark and 2011's Magazine.
Since the release of Underneath, the band's line up has changed frequently with former members including Joel Ferguson, Dan Matheny and John Conners. The current line up is as follows:
* Brian Vander Ark – lead vocals, guitars
* Donny Brown – drums, background vocals
* Andy Reed – bass, background vocals
* Randy Sly – keyboards, background vocals
* Lou Musa - guitars, background vocals
* Craig Griffith - harmonica, background vocals
Drive You Mild
The Verve Pipe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suffering this open kiss
And I'm barely juvenile
When everyone is outrageous,
And I alone will be sleeping through the afternoon
And if I ever drive your style, and
With no ability to rile
And every yawn is is contagious
And I alone will be sleeping through the afternoon
I should drive you wild,
Yes I should drive you wild
Ever drive you mild
Ever drive you mild
Ever drive you mild
In "Drive You Mild" by The Verve Pipe, the singer seems to be reflecting on his relationship and the effect he has on his partner. He mentions that he may "drive [his partner] mild," and he apologizes for any difficulties he has caused. He talks about "suffering this open kiss," indicating that perhaps their relationship is too public or too open for comfort. He also mentions being "barely juvenile," suggesting that he feels like he is not as mature as he should be for the relationship.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer wants to make his partner happy and wild, but acknowledges that he may be falling short. He sings, "I should drive you wild, yes I should drive you wild, ever drive you mild." The meaning of the chorus is ultimately a plea to his partner not to give up on the relationship, with the singer acknowledging that he may be struggling to meet their needs.
Overall, "Drive You Mild" is a song about the challenges of relationships and the importance of being mindful of our partner's needs. It's a reminder that even small actions and words can have a big impact, and that we need to be cautious not to let our own insecurities or immaturity get in the way of loving and caring for our significant others.
Line by Line Meaning
And if I ever drive you mild, and
If I ever disappoint you and fail to meet your expectations,
Suffering this open kiss
Feeling the pain of an unrequited love,
And I'm barely juvenile
And I am not very mature,
When everyone is outrageous,
When everyone is acting out and being loud,
And I alone will be sleeping through the afternoon
I will be the only one taking it easy and relaxing,
And if I ever drive your style, and
If I ever bother you and don't quite fit in with your lifestyle,
Suffering your day predicted
Feeling the pain of knowing that things won't change and are predictable,
With no ability to rile
With no ability to get a rise or reaction out of you,
And every yawn is contagious
And when one person yawns, it starts a chain reaction of others yawning,
And I alone will be sleeping through the afternoon
I will be the only one relaxing and taking it easy,
I should drive you wild,
I should excite and thrill you,
Yes I should drive you wild
Yes, I should be the one to make you feel alive,
Ever drive you mild
Ever disappoint or not quite meet your expectations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: A.J. DUNNING, BRAD VANDER ARK, BRIAN VANDER ARK, DONNY BROWN, DOUG CORELLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind