The original line-up was Miles Hunt (whose uncle Bill Hunt was keyboard player with Wizzard), Malcolm Treece, Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones (d. 1993) and Martin Gilks (d. 2006). The group originated from an earlier collaboration with group members of Pop Will Eat Itself (aka PWEI), called From Eden, which had Miles Hunt on the drums.
In 1990, Martin Bell (aka, Fiddlie), an accomplished fiddle and banjo instrumentalist, joined the band and Paul Clifford replaced Rob Jones on the bass after Jones left the band.
The band initially split on July 14, 1994 at the Phoenix Festival near Stratford-on-Avon, with Miles Hunt forming Vent 414 and Malc Treece, Martin Gilks and Paul Clifford teaming up with ex-Eat frontman, Ange Dolittle, to form We Know Where You Live.
Following the split of Vent 414, Miles Hunt took to touring an acoustic solo show performing old favourites and new material. During this period, he toured and released an album under banner of The Miles Hunt Club, featuring Stuart Quinnel and Andres Karu (who would later featuring in subsequent line-ups of The Wonder Stuff) as well as Michael Ferentino fom the Amazing Meet Project.
The band later reformed for a few live tours from 2000 onwards including a sell out 5 night residency at The Forum, London. For this incarnation, Stuart Quinnel took over on bass from Paul Clifford.
Their first new album for over a decade, Escape From Rubbish Island, was released in September 2004. The line-up for this album was Hunt and Treece plus Andres Karu and Mark McCarthy (formally of Radical Dance Faction).
This line-up (plus Erica Nockalls on violin) continued into 2006 with the release of their new album Suspended By Stars.
Scheduled for 2011 is a tour supporting The Levellers for which the line up has changed again, with Andres Karu being replaced on drums by ex-Pop Will Eat Itself member Fuzz Townshend.
Don't Let Me Down
The Wonder Stuff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let me down gently
If you have to let me down at all
I ain't calling you familiar
I don't know your face that well
Not like the shaving mirror
Hanging up inside your cell
I didn't call you here to tell you
''cause I'm talking to myself again
And you're talking to the wall
[CHORUS]
It would be great to die together
On the first day of the year
''cause then wee'd be quite legendary
Could you volunteer?
I don't think of you oh do you think of me
Is that often or not at all?
And if you have to let me down my friend
Then kick me to the floor
[CHORUS]
Oh say it's not true
The things they said we do
And how could I explain
The pleasure in the pain
They're calling us insane
Oh the knives, the blood, the bad, the good
D'ya think you could, do you?
The Wonder Stuff's song "Don't Let Me Down" is a plea to not be let down easily or with sugarcoating. The lyrics speak of a relationship that is not quite strong enough to be let down gently, but not quite casual enough to have no emotional investment at all. The chorus begs the person to not let them down too kindly, but to share the truth about how they feel. The mention of not knowing the person's face well enough alludes to the idea that this may be a relationship that is not fully formed, but one that has potential.
In the second verse, there is a request to die together, creating a lasting impact that would make them "quite legendary." The lyrics then question the reciprocity of feelings between the two people, wondering if the other person thinks of them as often as they think of the other. There is a hint of jealousy and insecurity there, and the suggestion that if they are going to be let down, it should be done forcefully, with a kick to the floor.
The third verse brings up accusations and the idea that the relationship may not be seen as healthy or normal by others. The mention of pleasure in the pain may allude to the idea of a tumultuous relationship, possibly with arguments and fights being a part of it. The questioning of whether the other person is capable of handling it all adds a layer of caution to the entire piece.
Overall, "Don't Let Me Down" speaks of a relationship that is fraught with ambiguity and insecurity. The plea to not be let down too easily speaks to the idea that the person is invested in the potential of this connection, but not necessarily in it entirely. The lyrics suggest a caution about the relationship's viability, but also a hope for something deeper.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't let me down gently
If you have to let me down, don't sugarcoat it
If you have to let me down at all
I hope you can avoid letting me down, but if you must, be direct
I ain't calling you familiar
I don't really know you well enough to claim to be comfortable around you
I don't know your face that well
I'm not familiar with your physical appearance
Not like the shaving mirror
I don't know you as well as my own reflection
Hanging up inside your cell
The mirror hangs up where you are locked up
I didn't call you here to tell you
I didn't invite you here with any important news to share
I didn't call you here at all
I'm not sure why you're here or why we're talking
''cause I'm talking to myself again
I'm just having a conversation with my own thoughts
And you're talking to the wall
You're not listening or engaging in the conversation
It would be great to die together
It would be nice to share a meaningful experience with you
On the first day of the year
At the start of something new and hopeful
''cause then wee'd be quite legendary
Our deaths would be remembered in history
Could you volunteer?
Would you be willing to join me in this hypothetical scenario?
I don't think of you oh do you think of me
I'm unsure if you think of me, as I don't often think of you
Is that often or not at all?
If you do think of me, is it frequently or rarely?
And if you have to let me down my friend
If you end up disappointing me, my friend
Then kick me to the floor
Don't hold back - let me feel the full impact
Oh say it's not true
I hope the rumors about us aren't accurate
The things they said we do
The things that people claim we did together
And how could I explain
I wouldn't even know how to begin explaining it
The pleasure in the pain
The bizarre satisfaction we may have taken in our own struggles
They're calling us insane
They're saying we're crazy
Oh the knives, the blood, the bad, the good
These are all elements of a disturbing, unpredictable situation
D'ya think you could, do you?
Could you handle it, do you think?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MALCOLM ROY TREECE, MARTIN RICHARD GILKS, MILES STEPHEN HUNT, ROBERT JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@agentmac
its strange how you can miss someone's presence even when you can still listen to the music...RIP Martin
@grabsplat
good music never dies
@davegreen9740
This band rocks and are still relevant today
@DreFromMaine8472
I've never heard of this band and I had never heard this song before, but i recently played on MTV Classic. How did I never know of it's existence? It's not bad at all!
@sonnyjames8922
They used to play this on 106.7 KROQ back in the day (1989). Hadn't heard it in years, still sounds great. It's criminal more people don't know about the song. To me, one of the best rock songs ever.
@andyp4770
KROQ2, which you can stream online, plays this song. It’s great!
@MaMusiqueUK
66K views? Mad
@SaanMigwell
Most people know the song, they just know the Reel Big Fish Cover.
@joannefalkinder393
Red lion in Pontefract West Yorkshire.
@deanmarriott6638
Great band of the late 80's and early 90's