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
Ominous Man
The Verve Pipe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i will go anywhere she goes
shoulder the bags of a previous lover
i will go anywhere she goes
sleep on the pillow that reeks
of another
i'm an amorous man
i will go anywhere she goes
travel whenever, whatever the distance
the court deemed me to be offensive
i'm an ominous man
once love is unanimous
no order demands
i should be half a mile from here
the court deemed me to be obsessive
i'm the ominous man
jury reject the alibi's seemingly water-
tight
for the ominous man
i am the ominous man
The Verve Pipe's song "Ominous Man" is a haunting and introspective piece that deals with themes of love, obsession, and desperation. The lyrics revolve around a man who is willing to go to any lengths to be with the woman he loves, even if it means shouldering the baggage of a previous lover or sleeping on a pillow that reeks of another. The repetition of the line "I will go anywhere she goes" emphasizes the man's willingness to follow his love interest to the ends of the earth, regardless of the challenges or obstacles that lie in his path.
The singer of the song craves to be impressive and amorous, yet the court has deemed him offensive and obsessive, resulting in the rejection of his alibis. Despite this, he remains steadfast in his pursuit of love, insisting that once love is unanimous, no order demands. The final line of the song, "I am the ominous man" leaves a lingering sense of ambiguity, leaving the listener to interpret whether the singer's love is pure or driven by dangerous and obsessive tendencies.
Line by Line Meaning
i should be half a mile from here
I know I should leave, but I can't seem to distance myself from this situation.
i will go anywhere she goes
I'm willing to follow her anywhere, no matter the cost.
shoulder the bags of a previous lover
I'm willing to carry the emotional baggage of her past relationships in order to be with her.
sleep on the pillow that reeks of another
I'm willing to accept her past and present, even if it means sleeping on a pillow that smells of her ex.
a will of mine to be impressive
I have a strong desire to impress her and win her affection.
i'm an amorous man
I am a passionate and affectionate man.
travel whenever, whatever the distance
I am willing to travel anywhere, no matter the distance, just to be with her.
the court deemed me to be offensive
I have been seen as offensive by others, possibly due to my behavior towards her.
i'm an ominous man
I am a foreboding and threatening presence in her life.
once love is unanimous
When love is mutual and agreed upon by both parties.
no order demands
There are no demands or expectations in a truly mutual relationship.
the court deemed me to be obsessive
I have been seen as obsessive by others, likely due to my intense feelings for her.
jury reject the alibi's seemingly water-tight
Despite presenting a seemingly airtight alibi, the jury has rejected my defense, possibly because of my ominous reputation.
for the ominous man
Because of my reputation as an ominous man, it's likely that the jury has found me guilty of something, even if I didn't do it.
i am the ominous man
I am the foreboding and threatening presence in her life that people warn her about.
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