There are multiple artists with the name 'Trouble': 1) A doom metal band fr… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with the name 'Trouble': 1) A doom metal band from Chicago, 2) A rapper from Atlanta, 3) A blues/jazz band from the United States, 4) A rock band from Los Angeles
1. Trouble was formed in Chicago, Illinois, the USA in 1979 by vocalist Eric Wagner, guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell, bassist Sean McAllister, and drummer Jeff Oly Olson. Drawing deeply from Black Sabbath for inspiration (with occasional nods to the psychedelic sounds of the late '60s thrown in for good measure), the band forged an uncompromising brand of classic metal all their own, made more unique by their gloomy down-tuned riffs and spiritual, often religious lyrics, which quickly earned them the dubious "white metal" tag. The album and song title Run to the Light was thought to be a religious title while it actually came from Eric Wagner watching Poltergeist and writing it down.
The band toured throughout the Midwest during the early '80s before signing with Metal Blade Records and releasing their amazingly mature eponymous debut (later referred to as Psalm 9) in 1984. The equally impressive (and even more depressing) The Skull followed in 1985 and reflected singer Wagner's struggles with substance abuse as well as the growing turmoil within the group. This led to the replacement of bassist McAllister with Ron Holzner and the departure of drummer Olson, who, as legend has it, had decided to become a preacher. Dennis Lesh was drafted as his replacement for 1987's Run to the Light.
A three-year hiatus followed. Luckily, just when it seemed that Trouble's fortunes had run out, the band was snapped up by Rick Rubin's visionary Def American Records for whom they recorded another self-titled album (Trouble) in 1990 with Rubin in the producer's chair. More experimental than previous efforts, the album (featuring new drummer Barry Stern) expanded upon the group's tentative psychedelic notions of the past while abandoning none of their thunderous power chords.
Encouraged by a euphoric response from the media, the revitalized group embarked on a year-long tour, expanded their fan base considerably, and returned to the studio with every intention of making their next album the one that would push them over the edge. Sure enough, 1992's stunning Manic Frustration realized all their creative ambitions, delving even deeper into Beatlesque psychedelia and featuring some of Trouble's most aggressive, energetic performances ever. But when the album still failed to connect with a wider audience (due perhaps to the grunge revolution that made metal a bad word in 1992), it seemed that Trouble had apparently missed their last window of opportunity.
Ultimately dropped by their record company (that by now was experiencing financial problems of their own), the band issued 1995's Plastic Green Head through the Music for Nations label. But despite offering consistently strong songwriting that harkened back to their doom roots, and the return of founding drummer Olson, the album's impact was noticeably dulled by a badly concealed weariness. Vocalist Eric Wagner would quit the band soon after (going on to form Lid). So the band fell apart in 1996.
Though Trouble had been on hiatus ever since, rumours of an eventual re-formation persisted. On January 26th of 2002 the event that all Trouble fans worldwide had waited for finally happened. The band took the stage in Chicago to once again pound the planet with their particular brand of doom. Eric, Bruce, Rick, Ron and original drummer, Jeff Olson took to the stage to perform a short blistering set that announced to the world that they were back. Since then the band has been out and about in the greater Chicagoland area playing local one-off gigs and headlining various metal festivals while working on their upcoming album.
In February 2004, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame put together a tribute to his metal roots by assembling a who's who of metal with his Probot project. The disc featured various vocalists from Dave's favourite metal bands singing on tunes that he recorded the music for. Eric sang on the track "My Tortured Soul". 2005 bass player Ron left the band and was replaced by Chuck Robinson. In 2006, tragedy befell the Trouble camp when former drummer Barry Stern passed away.
A Live DVD called "Trouble - Live in Stockholm", recorded live in Stockholm 2005, was released in 2006. The new album Simple Mind Condition was set to be released in USA and Europe in late February 2007 and part of their back-catalogue were re-released with extra material (live videos, pictures from the period). The new album has begun showing up in online shops and has leaked onto the internet. The rumoured unplugged CD is being released later in 2007 while Trouble have a busy touring schedule in both USA and Europe this year (2007).
In May 2008, it was announced that Eric Wagner has left the band and had been replaced by Kory Clarke of Warrior Soul. Olson also announced his departure from the band two months later to continue with his own band, Retro Grave. Olson's last show was at "The End Club" in Nashville, TN on July 19, 2008. He was replaced by Wet Animal's Mark Lira for the band's upcoming U.S. East Coast tour.
In a September 2008 interview with Rock N Roll Experience, guitarist Rick Wartell mentioned that Trouble has written "eight or nine songs" for their next album, and would begin recording it after touring. When asked which direction is the new music going in, Wartell replied, "I know people have said this a million times and I know you've heard this a million times, but it's pretty fucking heavy, let's put it that way! The music end of it that Bruce and I are writing is getting heavier and heavier…it's getting heavier and then we want Kory to incorporate his style to what we are doing, that's basically all that we really want out of this."
On November 18, 2008, Trouble announced, via their website, that they were in the process of writing songs for an album that would likely be released in the summer of 2009. A live bootleg recording featuring the new line-up was released via the band's website in December 2008.
www.newtrouble.com
2. Earning his nickname from a hard-living lifestyle, Atlanta rapper Trouble signed a record contract just before landing in jail in the late 2000s. Transforming that turmoil into creative inspiration, he issued his debut mixtape, December 17th, in 2011. He released a fresh batch of trap every year until 2018, when he teamed with producer Mike WiLL Made-It for his official studio debut, Edgewood.
In 2008, Trouble (born Mariel Semonte Orr) had just signed a recording contract with Duct Tape Entertainment when he was caught in a home invasion that ended in kidnapping and armed robbery charges. He served his sentence and was released on December 17 , 2010, the date he would use as the title of his debut mixtape, which arrived in 2011. December 17th featured appearances by Waka Flocka Flame and Future and was quickly followed by Green Light. That set included collaborations with Future, Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, and many more. Without slowing down, he continued with yearly releases, issuing 431 Days in 2012 and The Return of December 17th in 2013.
Continuing his prolific run, Trouble channeled his creative energy into a deluge of mixtapes including All on Me (2014), #ZayDidIt (2015), Skoob Fresh (2015), Skoobzilla (2016), and Year in 2016 (2017). On the side, his 2016 collaboration with fellow Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci, the single Key To The Streets (Feat. Migos & Trouble) reached number 70 on Billboard's Hot 100.
In 2018, Trouble signed with Mike Will's Eardruma label, issuing "Bring It Back" with Drake. That track was the first taste of his official studio debut, Edgewood. Exclusively produced by Mike Will, the high-profile set recruited additional guests the Weeknd, Quavo, Offset, Fetty Wap, and Boosie Badazz. Edgewood also became his first appearance on the Billboard 200. After a relatively quiet year void of a new album, Trouble returned in 2020 with Thug Luv . Home to the hit Quavo collaboration "Popped," the set also featured 2 Chainz, Boosie Badazz, Jeezy, City Girls, and more.
3. Trouble was a one-off blues/jazz band that recorded two songs ("Snake Eyes" and "Mother's Gone") for season 3, episode 5 of David Lynch's TV series "Twin Peaks". The band members were David Lynch's son Riley Lynch (guitar), Alex Zhang Hungtai (Dirty Beaches; saxophone) and Dean Hurley (drums).
4. Trouble was a short-lived rock band from Los Angeles that released one self-titled album in 1977 on United Artists Records. The band members were Rick Failla (vocals), Carey Raymond (guitar), Jim Morris (guitar, keyboards), John Higgerson (bass), and Brian Glascock (drums).
1. Trouble was formed in Chicago, Illinois, the USA in 1979 by vocalist Eric Wagner, guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell, bassist Sean McAllister, and drummer Jeff Oly Olson. Drawing deeply from Black Sabbath for inspiration (with occasional nods to the psychedelic sounds of the late '60s thrown in for good measure), the band forged an uncompromising brand of classic metal all their own, made more unique by their gloomy down-tuned riffs and spiritual, often religious lyrics, which quickly earned them the dubious "white metal" tag. The album and song title Run to the Light was thought to be a religious title while it actually came from Eric Wagner watching Poltergeist and writing it down.
The band toured throughout the Midwest during the early '80s before signing with Metal Blade Records and releasing their amazingly mature eponymous debut (later referred to as Psalm 9) in 1984. The equally impressive (and even more depressing) The Skull followed in 1985 and reflected singer Wagner's struggles with substance abuse as well as the growing turmoil within the group. This led to the replacement of bassist McAllister with Ron Holzner and the departure of drummer Olson, who, as legend has it, had decided to become a preacher. Dennis Lesh was drafted as his replacement for 1987's Run to the Light.
A three-year hiatus followed. Luckily, just when it seemed that Trouble's fortunes had run out, the band was snapped up by Rick Rubin's visionary Def American Records for whom they recorded another self-titled album (Trouble) in 1990 with Rubin in the producer's chair. More experimental than previous efforts, the album (featuring new drummer Barry Stern) expanded upon the group's tentative psychedelic notions of the past while abandoning none of their thunderous power chords.
Encouraged by a euphoric response from the media, the revitalized group embarked on a year-long tour, expanded their fan base considerably, and returned to the studio with every intention of making their next album the one that would push them over the edge. Sure enough, 1992's stunning Manic Frustration realized all their creative ambitions, delving even deeper into Beatlesque psychedelia and featuring some of Trouble's most aggressive, energetic performances ever. But when the album still failed to connect with a wider audience (due perhaps to the grunge revolution that made metal a bad word in 1992), it seemed that Trouble had apparently missed their last window of opportunity.
Ultimately dropped by their record company (that by now was experiencing financial problems of their own), the band issued 1995's Plastic Green Head through the Music for Nations label. But despite offering consistently strong songwriting that harkened back to their doom roots, and the return of founding drummer Olson, the album's impact was noticeably dulled by a badly concealed weariness. Vocalist Eric Wagner would quit the band soon after (going on to form Lid). So the band fell apart in 1996.
Though Trouble had been on hiatus ever since, rumours of an eventual re-formation persisted. On January 26th of 2002 the event that all Trouble fans worldwide had waited for finally happened. The band took the stage in Chicago to once again pound the planet with their particular brand of doom. Eric, Bruce, Rick, Ron and original drummer, Jeff Olson took to the stage to perform a short blistering set that announced to the world that they were back. Since then the band has been out and about in the greater Chicagoland area playing local one-off gigs and headlining various metal festivals while working on their upcoming album.
In February 2004, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame put together a tribute to his metal roots by assembling a who's who of metal with his Probot project. The disc featured various vocalists from Dave's favourite metal bands singing on tunes that he recorded the music for. Eric sang on the track "My Tortured Soul". 2005 bass player Ron left the band and was replaced by Chuck Robinson. In 2006, tragedy befell the Trouble camp when former drummer Barry Stern passed away.
A Live DVD called "Trouble - Live in Stockholm", recorded live in Stockholm 2005, was released in 2006. The new album Simple Mind Condition was set to be released in USA and Europe in late February 2007 and part of their back-catalogue were re-released with extra material (live videos, pictures from the period). The new album has begun showing up in online shops and has leaked onto the internet. The rumoured unplugged CD is being released later in 2007 while Trouble have a busy touring schedule in both USA and Europe this year (2007).
In May 2008, it was announced that Eric Wagner has left the band and had been replaced by Kory Clarke of Warrior Soul. Olson also announced his departure from the band two months later to continue with his own band, Retro Grave. Olson's last show was at "The End Club" in Nashville, TN on July 19, 2008. He was replaced by Wet Animal's Mark Lira for the band's upcoming U.S. East Coast tour.
In a September 2008 interview with Rock N Roll Experience, guitarist Rick Wartell mentioned that Trouble has written "eight or nine songs" for their next album, and would begin recording it after touring. When asked which direction is the new music going in, Wartell replied, "I know people have said this a million times and I know you've heard this a million times, but it's pretty fucking heavy, let's put it that way! The music end of it that Bruce and I are writing is getting heavier and heavier…it's getting heavier and then we want Kory to incorporate his style to what we are doing, that's basically all that we really want out of this."
On November 18, 2008, Trouble announced, via their website, that they were in the process of writing songs for an album that would likely be released in the summer of 2009. A live bootleg recording featuring the new line-up was released via the band's website in December 2008.
www.newtrouble.com
2. Earning his nickname from a hard-living lifestyle, Atlanta rapper Trouble signed a record contract just before landing in jail in the late 2000s. Transforming that turmoil into creative inspiration, he issued his debut mixtape, December 17th, in 2011. He released a fresh batch of trap every year until 2018, when he teamed with producer Mike WiLL Made-It for his official studio debut, Edgewood.
In 2008, Trouble (born Mariel Semonte Orr) had just signed a recording contract with Duct Tape Entertainment when he was caught in a home invasion that ended in kidnapping and armed robbery charges. He served his sentence and was released on December 17 , 2010, the date he would use as the title of his debut mixtape, which arrived in 2011. December 17th featured appearances by Waka Flocka Flame and Future and was quickly followed by Green Light. That set included collaborations with Future, Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, and many more. Without slowing down, he continued with yearly releases, issuing 431 Days in 2012 and The Return of December 17th in 2013.
Continuing his prolific run, Trouble channeled his creative energy into a deluge of mixtapes including All on Me (2014), #ZayDidIt (2015), Skoob Fresh (2015), Skoobzilla (2016), and Year in 2016 (2017). On the side, his 2016 collaboration with fellow Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci, the single Key To The Streets (Feat. Migos & Trouble) reached number 70 on Billboard's Hot 100.
In 2018, Trouble signed with Mike Will's Eardruma label, issuing "Bring It Back" with Drake. That track was the first taste of his official studio debut, Edgewood. Exclusively produced by Mike Will, the high-profile set recruited additional guests the Weeknd, Quavo, Offset, Fetty Wap, and Boosie Badazz. Edgewood also became his first appearance on the Billboard 200. After a relatively quiet year void of a new album, Trouble returned in 2020 with Thug Luv . Home to the hit Quavo collaboration "Popped," the set also featured 2 Chainz, Boosie Badazz, Jeezy, City Girls, and more.
3. Trouble was a one-off blues/jazz band that recorded two songs ("Snake Eyes" and "Mother's Gone") for season 3, episode 5 of David Lynch's TV series "Twin Peaks". The band members were David Lynch's son Riley Lynch (guitar), Alex Zhang Hungtai (Dirty Beaches; saxophone) and Dean Hurley (drums).
4. Trouble was a short-lived rock band from Los Angeles that released one self-titled album in 1977 on United Artists Records. The band members were Rick Failla (vocals), Carey Raymond (guitar), Jim Morris (guitar, keyboards), John Higgerson (bass), and Brian Glascock (drums).
Porpoise Song
Trouble Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My, my the clock in the sky is pounding away
There�s so much to say
A face, a voice, an overdub has no choice
And it cannot rejoice
Wanting to be, to hear and to see
Flying to the sky
But the porpoise is laughing good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Clicks, clacks
Riding the backs of giraffes for laughs is alright for a while
They sing of castles and kings and things
That go with a life of style
Wanting to feel, to know what is real
Everything is mine
And the porpoise is waiting good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
There�s so much to say
A face, a voice, an overdub has no choice
And it cannot rejoice
Wanting to be, to hear and to see
Flying to the sky
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Clicks, clacks
Riding the backs of giraffes for laughs is alright for a while
They sing of castles and kings and things
That go with a life of style
Wanting to feel, to know what is real
Everything is mine
And the porpoise is waiting good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
In "Porpoise Song," Trouble explores themes of restlessness and a longing for something more. The clock in the sky symbolizes the passage of time and the pressure of it all. There is so much to say and do, yet the singer feels constrained, stuck in their current reality. They mention a face, a voice, and an overdub having no choice, perhaps referring to the way that certain aspects of life can feel predetermined or predestined.
The singer expresses a desire to escape and see the world. They want to fly to the sky, and their thoughts are filled with castles, kings, and a life of style. This could represent a longing for power and wealth, or simply a desire to break free from the mundane and experience something grander.
However, the porpoise serves as a reminder that there are things which we cannot control, and that sometimes our desires may be unattainable. The porpoise laughs goodbye, suggesting that sometimes we must accept our limitations and move on.
Overall, "Porpoise Song" is a poignant and introspective piece about the struggles of modern life and the human desire for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
My, my the clock in the sky is pounding away
Time is moving fast and there is so much to do.
There�s so much to say
There is so much to express.
A face, a voice, an overdub has no choice
Mimicry and repetition have no choice but to exist.
And it cannot rejoice
It cannot feel joy or satisfaction.
Wanting to be, to hear and to see
Desiring to experience and explore.
Flying to the sky
Reaching for the highest goals.
But the porpoise is laughing good-bye, good-bye
But the joyful porpoise is moving on.
Clicks, clacks
Sounds of communication and interaction.
Riding the backs of giraffes for laughs is alright for a while
Humor and entertainment are enjoyable but temporary.
They sing of castles and kings and things
They sing of wealth and power and the good life.
That go with a life of style
Associated with living a luxurious lifestyle.
Wanting to feel, to know what is real
Desiring authenticity and genuine experiences.
Everything is mine
Having a sense of ownership and control over one's life.
And the porpoise is waiting good-bye, good-bye
And the content porpoise is moving on to other experiences.
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Moving on and saying farewell.
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Moving on and saying farewell.
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Moving on and saying farewell.
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Jesus Manson
My, my the clock in the sky is pounding away
There's so much to say
A face, a voice, an overdub has no choice
And it cannot rejoice
Wanting to be, to hear and to see
Crying to the sky
But the porpoise is laughing good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Clicks, clacks
Riding the backs of giraffes for laughs is alright for a while
The ego sings of castles and kings and things
That go with a life of style
Wanting to feel, to know what is real
Living is a lie
But the porpoise is waiting good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
natekix
This is the best version of this song hands down. I've heard the others and this is still the best.
Drew Barnum
A LONGtime fan of Chicago Doom Metal Band TROUBLE.... I'd never heard the Monkees version of this tune, but have since heard MANY covers of Porpoise Song....this is by far the best, and except for the overly long intro, is a perfect blues metal tune....with a freaking A great dual guitar outro....i could listen to it a hundred more times just for the outro.....reminds me of several of the guitar parts on Trouble's fourth (and very best) album, the eponymously named Trouble, Def American, 1990
David Dodd
I was just introduced to this band a month or so ago... I grew up listening to led Zeppelin, trower, sabbath, ect. ect. ect. These guys are so amazingly good that I can't understand why I've never heard of them till now... It must be a marketing thing.. all I know is the more I hear the more I'm impressed with this band and so many really good songs it is truly amazing... Hey check out the video of them LIVE IN STOCKHOLM!!!!.. it has all killer songs and the quality of the video is not bad. 👍👍 Two thumbs up!!!!!
Drew B
I agree. They got the worst marketing deal ever. I first heard them on Z-Rock around 1990, that 4th album is still one of the best ever, not a bad song on it!!! How they never caught the mainstream is beyond me.... Def American could have treated them a lot better.
defshrimp
Quite possibly the best cover of all time. Thanks for the post.
Shay Mathiesson
Great cover!!! Love the outro solo...fucking kicks ass!!!
Gerald Roberts
They doomed it up in a fashion only Trouble could pull off.
Jesus Manson
My, my the clock in the sky is pounding away
There's so much to say
A face, a voice, an overdub has no choice
And it cannot rejoice
Wanting to be, to hear and to see
Crying to the sky
But the porpoise is laughing good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Clicks, clacks
Riding the backs of giraffes for laughs is alright for a while
The ego sings of castles and kings and things
That go with a life of style
Wanting to feel, to know what is real
Living is a lie
But the porpoise is waiting good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
klbax63
Wow killer cover of an already great song!!!!! Love the vocals
ElectricFilms
This band isn't my cup of tea, but this song is such a classic that I can hear it in any genre and its cool.