Thirsty Merc have released one EP entitled First Work, and 3 studio albums; Thirsty Merc, Slideshows, and Mousetrap Heart. The band has sold over 200,000 albums, has toured extensively around Australia, and have received heavy airplay in Australia on an impressive number of songs. After breaking through onto the Australian music scene they were nominated for four ARIA Awards in 2005 and Rai was nominated for Song of the Year at the APRA Awards in 2008 for Thirsty Merc's top 2 airplay hit 20 Good Reasons. Their song In the Summertime was selected as the theme song for the Australian TV reality show Bondi Rescue and has been the theme song for seven consecutive seasons.
Three of the founding members of Thirsty Merc - Karl Robertson, Matthew Baker and Phil Stack - had played together in bands in Dubbo in regional NSW. In 2002 they teamed up with Sydney-sider Rai Thistlethwayte to form a band called "Thirsty"; soon after, they moved to Sydney and renamed themselves "Thirsty Merc". The band's name comes from a gas guzzling Mercedes Benz which belonged to lead singer Rai when the band was first rehearsing. The name also is a play on the phrase 'Thirsty Work:' The band members used to say that it was 'thirsty work' being in a rock band.
Thirsty Merc's first EP, First Work, was released on 8 September 2003 on the band's own label Don't Music label. The EP had been recorded independently during downtime at a studio that lead singer Rai worked during the days. The EP's only Single Wasting Time achieved radio airplay on Australian Radio stations Triple J and Nova but failed to chart. The self funded music video to the single became the 'ripe clip of the week' on Channel V. After extensive gigging around Sydney's pubs, reps from Warner Music approached the band after watching the band perform live at the Hopetoun Hotel in Surry Hills, and soon after at the Annandale Hotel.
Thirsty Merc's debut studio album was the self titled Thirsty Merc, released on 16 August 2004. The band again chose to work with Warner Music Australia. The album spent 48 weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart, peaking at #15, and launched the band in the Australian mainstream. The album reached #29 on New Zealand's RIANZ chart. The band worked with producer Lindsay Gravina on the album, who had been producing Australian bands over the past 15 years or so, notably The Living End and Magic Dirt. The band's debut was entirely recorded and mixed on 2 inch tape, and mixed by Gravina himself at his Melbourne studio, Birdland Studios.
Four singles were released from Thirsty Merc: Emancipate Myself, My Completeness, Someday, Someday, In the Summertime, and When the Weather Is Fine. All of the singles charted in Australia, with Someday, Someday reaching #19, while only In the Summertime charted in New Zealand, where it peaked higher than in Australia. In the Summertime was nominated for the 2005 ARIA Award for "Best Video", while Someday, Someday was nominated for "Single Of The Year", "Best Group", and "Best Pop Release". In interviews after the album's release, Thistlethwayte stated that the album was the band trying to "Just be yourself", and that the album was "just about being young and living in Australia".
Prior to the touring of Thirsty Merc's Debut album, guitarist Matt Baker left the band, and was replaced by Sean Carey, whom the band had met when they played a support slot to Carey's band at Kings Cross venue/club 'Club 77. Slideshows, was released on 21 April 2007 via Warner Music Australia. The album was the band's most successful release yet, peaking at #4 in Australia, although it was less successful in New Zealand, only reaching #38. The album's first three singles, 20 Good Reasons, The Hard Way, and Those Eyes, achieved chart success, with 20 Good Reasons reaching #4 in Australia and #17 in New Zealand. The album's fourth single, Homesick, was released digitally, peaking at #57 in Australia.
After the release of Slideshows, Thirsty Merc toured extensively around Australia, playing an album tour in theatres nationally and then regional tours, the biggest of which had 38 shows booked across seven weeks.
Prior to the recording of Mousetrap Heart, lead guitarist Sean left the band indefinitely and this was formally announced on 14 January 2010. Sean was replaced by Matt Smith, who also plays with afrobeat and reggae band The Strides.
On 18 June 2010, Thirsty Merc released their third album, entitled Mousetrap Heart which was recorded mostly in LA with producer Matt Wallace, and two tracks produced in Melbourne with longtime Thirsty Merc producer Lindsay Gravina. The band toured nationally in July 2010 to support the new album. The lead single is the title track, which reached top 15 airplay in Australia and charted Top 30 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The band's next single, All My Life, was featured in the promotional clips for the AFL grand final in 2010. The official music video for All My Life was shot in early October 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand, and follows a narrative of 'heroic love' set on a Thailand military base. The video features Russian model/actress Maria Mazikova, 50 Thai army troops, an Iroquois helicopter and a Chinook helicopter. The All My Life video was directed by Adrian Van de Velde, who also directed the bands ARIA nominated clip In The Summertime.
http://www.thirstymerc.com/
I Wish Somebody Would Build a Bridge
Thirsty Merc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cruisin down the pacific highway Thinkin bout the day ahead
I paid the rent check got my registration & phone bill
If those two don't overthrow me the dogs will
But heck at least I know the taste of bread
Why do I seem to spend my whole damn life chasing paper
I'm like an actor turned singer turned waiter
I'll wait around untill I meet with my maker
I just wish there was some other way to get myself somewhere
This little strip of earth and all that I've done there
I'm like a bullant on the leg of a sunchair
Under a magnifying glass
I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm wasting my time
I take a phonecall on the mobile while I'm checkin the meter
One sec I need to turn up that little speaker
It's gettin noisy in this little town
We're like america we love to make a hoo-har of jack $h! T
I never ever really seemed to fit
But now I'm stuck - so deep in all of this
Come to think of it I might as well be travelling backwards
Its been an hour and I'm only in Chatswood
I hate the way that I'm becoming a product
Go pick me up for $24. 95
I'm on sale and it's retail in the world of deception
You can treat a man if he can't get erections
Is there a pill for my lack of direction
Thanks mate I'll have a pack of those
I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm wasting my time
I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm losing my mind
Its all good I got a broom and a cheap persian rig now
I can sweep the whole thing out on the side now
Out of sight out of mind
I keep on going until I'm pushing 30 to 40
And as long as I don't do something naughty
I love my wife, what a life
She comes home to find me spread on the floor
From blood poisoning, I've popped a whole lot of pills
And I'm shaking and there's a needle stickin out
Of my arm I aint fakin, I'm zoning in and zoning out
You wanna help me don't call me an ambulance honey
Just get a silver service cab this is funny
There's one passenger please goin up my own ass
You take credit card f!*k this
I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm wasting my time
I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm losing my mind
Yeah I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm wasting my time (I'm wasting my life)
I wish somebody would build a bridge
So I can get over myself
On my own I'm losing my mind
The lyrics of Thirsty Merc's "I Wish Somebody Would Build a Bridge" are a reflection of the main character's feelings of being trapped and lost in life, both metaphorically and physically. The opening verse sees the character munching on a sandwich, feeling anxious about the day ahead, and worrying about his bills. He feels like he is constantly chasing paper and can't seem to escape the rat race, indicated by the line "I'm like a bullant on the leg of a sunchair, under a magnifying glass." The lyric "I wish somebody would build a bridge" is a metaphor for his desire to get out of his current situation and find a way to a better life.
The song touches on themes of feeling trapped, lost, and struggling to find direction in life. The character feels like he is stuck in a rut, unable to move forward in any meaningful way. He is also critical of the materialistic nature of society and the pressure to conform to certain standards. The use of dark and sarcastic humor in the lyrics adds to the sense of despair.
Overall, "I Wish Somebody Would Build a Bridge" is a poignant reflection of the struggles many people face in trying to escape the cycle of unhappiness and uncertainty. It speaks to a universal desire for change and a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Munchin' on a ham and cheese sando in the mornin on friday
I'm enjoying my sandwich on Friday morning
Cruisin down the pacific highway Thinkin bout the day ahead
I'm driving down the Pacific Highway and thinking about my plans for the day
I paid the rent check got my registration & phone bill
I paid my rent, registration, and phone bill
If those two don't overthrow me the dogs will
If my bills don't make me go broke, my dogs might
But heck at least I know the taste of bread
At least I'm able to afford bread
Why do I seem to spend my whole damn life chasing paper
I feel like I'm always working to make money
I'm like an actor turned singer turned waiter
I'm stuck in a cycle of different jobs
I'll wait around untill I meet with my maker
I'll keep waiting until I die
(Then i'll sign up for A. A or something)
I'll join a support group or something similar
I just wish there was some other way to get myself somewhere
I wish there was another way to move forward in life
This little strip of earth and all that I've done there
I feel stuck in this area, and I haven't accomplished much
I'm like a bullant on the leg of a sunchair
I feel tiny and insignificant
Under a magnifying glass
I feel like people are scrutinizing me
I wish somebody would build a bridge
I wish there was an easier way to move forward
So I can get over myself
So I can get over my own struggles and limitations
On my own I'm wasting my time
I feel like I'm not making progress by myself
I take a phonecall on the mobile while I'm checkin the meter
I'm on the phone while I'm checking something
One sec I need to turn up that little speaker
I need to adjust my speaker
It's gettin noisy in this little town
It's getting loud in this small area
We're like america we love to make a hoo-har of jack $h! T
We like to exaggerate things like Americans do
I never ever really seemed to fit
I've always felt like I don't belong
But now I'm stuck - so deep in all of this
But now I feel like I can't escape my current situation
Come to think of it I might as well be travelling backwards
I feel like I'm not making progress
Its been an hour and I'm only in Chatswood
It's taking me a long time to get to Chatswood
I hate the way that I'm becoming a product
I don't like feeling like I'm being sold as a product
Go pick me up for $24. 95
Come pick me up for $24.95
I'm on sale and it's retail in the world of deception
I feel like I'm being sold cheaply in a deceitful world
You can treat a man if he can't get erections
You can treat a man if he can't get an erection
Is there a pill for my lack of direction
Is there a solution for my lack of direction in life
Thanks mate I'll have a pack of those
Thanks, I'll take a pack of the pills you mentioned
I'm losing my mind
I feel like I'm going crazy
Its all good I got a broom and a cheap persian rig now
It's okay, I have a broom and a cheap rug now
I can sweep the whole thing out on the side now
I can clean everything up and move on
Out of sight out of mind
If I don't see it, I won't think about it
And as long as I don't do something naughty
As long as I don't do anything illegal or bad
I love my wife, what a life
I love my wife and we have a great life together
She comes home to find me spread on the floor
She comes home to find me lying on the floor
From blood poisoning, I've popped a whole lot of pills
I've taken too many pills and have blood poisoning
And I'm shaking and there's a needle stickin out
I'm shaking and there's a needle in my arm
Of my arm I aint fakin, I'm zoning in and zoning out
I'm not pretending - I'm feeling disoriented and dazed
You wanna help me don't call me an ambulance honey
If you want to help me, don't call an ambulance
Just get a silver service cab this is funny
Call a fancy cab instead, it's funny
There's one passenger please goin up my own ass
I'm the only passenger heading up my own butt
You take credit card f!*k this
I don't care if you take credit card or not
Contributed by Ava L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.