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
Wonderful Waste
The Verve Pipe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got the home field advantage and all that you can manage
Is to stay home drinking the thought of it is bringing me down
Could you go any faster the night is a disaster
Cause you call with little warning gotta work in the morning
With a head that's ringing the thought of it is bringing me down
We've come this far and the worst case scenario
We're back in the car and cranking up the stereo
You're a wonderful waste of time
You're a slap on the wrist, you'll hardly be missed give me one more kiss
You're a wonderful waste of time
It's ten years later you're still a fornicator
Got the home field advantage all that kids that you can manage
And your trunk of returnables is weighing your convertible down
Could you go any slower you're such a church goer
Cause you call with little warning gotta work in the morning
With a phone that's ringing and the thought of it is bringing me down
We've come this far and the worst case scenario
We're back in the car and cranking up the stereo
You're a wonderful waste memory erased easily replaced
You're a wonderful waste of time
You're a slap on the wrist, you'll hardly be missed give me one more kiss
You're a wonderful waste of time
And all you can manage the home field advantage
As long as you're willing to pay for the damage
We've come this far and the worst case scenario
We're back in the car and cranking up the stereo
You're a wonderful waste memory erased easily replaced
You're a wonderful waste of time
You're a slap on the wrist, you'll hardly be missed give me one more kiss
You're a wonderful waste of time
The Verve Pipe's song "Wonderful Waste" is a lament to a relationship that has been stagnant for years. The song is sung from the perspective of one partner who is frustrated by the other's lack of growth and effort in the relationship. The first verse establishes the setting, with one partner moving slow due to being a church-goer and the other partner being in a rush due to having work in the morning. The chorus repeats the line "you're a wonderful waste of time" to emphasize the feeling of resentment and the relationship's unproductiveness.
The second verse is set 10 years into the future, and the partner who once moved slowly due to being a church-goer is now a "fornicator" with kids to their name. The partner who was in a rush due to work is still in the same position of having to work in the morning. The chorus repeats and extends to say that the partner is not just a waste of time, but also a slap on the wrist, someone hardly worth being missed.
The song's energy and driving guitar riffs could be interpreted as expressing the frustration from the song's perspective. The provocative lyrics of the song could make the listener feel like they have a window into the depth of the relationship. The Verve Pipe has proven themselves again to be expert lyricists, providing words and imagery that can convey a powerful message.
Line by Line Meaning
Well could you go any slower you're such a church goer
You move at an incredibly slow pace, like someone who spends a lot of time in church.
Got the home field advantage and all that you can manage
You have the advantage of being in familiar territory, but you can't seem to accomplish much.
Is to stay home drinking the thought of it is bringing me down
All you do is sit at home and drink, and it's depressing for me to think about.
Could you go any faster the night is a disaster
You're moving way too slow, and the night is going horribly because of it.
Cause you call with little warning gotta work in the morning
You're calling me unexpectedly, and it's because you have work in the morning.
With a head that's ringing the thought of it is bringing me down
I have a headache from your phone call, and it's making me feel even more down.
We've come this far and the worst case scenario
We've made it this far, but we need to be prepared for the worst possible outcome.
We're back in the car and cranking up the stereo
We're in the car again and turning up the music to drown out our problems.
You're a wonderful waste memory erased easily replaced
You're great at wasting time, and I could forget you easily and find a replacement.
You're a slap on the wrist, you'll hardly be missed give me one more kiss
You're a minor punishment, and I won't even miss you when you're gone, but give me one more kiss anyway.
It's ten years later you're still a fornicator
It's been a decade, but you're still having casual sex with multiple partners.
Got the home field advantage all that kids that you can manage
You still have the advantage of being in familiar territory, but now you have a bunch of kids you need to take care of.
And your trunk of returnables is weighing your convertible down
Your car is full of empty bottles and cans that you need to return, and it's making your convertible heavy and slow.
And all you can manage the home field advantage
You can only rely on being in familiar territory to get by.
As long as you're willing to pay for the damage
You'll do whatever it takes, including paying for damages, to keep your advantage.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONNY BROWN, DOUG CORELLA, A.J. DUNNING, ADAM SCHLESINGER, BRIAN VANDER ARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind