Don’t tell the Brooklyn, NY rock band UNDERWHELMED that writing about self-… Read Full Bio ↴Don’t tell the Brooklyn, NY rock band UNDERWHELMED that writing about self-revelation and deep-rooted inner struggle will make you soft. You won’t appreciate their response.

In fact, the quintet has staked its career on writing songs that are conceived in the heart and come alive at the ears. Maybe that explains why UNDERWHELMED can headline and sell out some of New York’s premier clubs, plus average more than 10,000 hits a month on the Band’s MySpace page. It’s not by accident. If there’s a secret musical vault, UNDERWHELMED has cracked the code. Put them on the road in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, the Mid-West, down South – the results are the same – huge crowds, great shows, rave reviews.

Boasting a live show reminiscent of The Doors meets early Pearl Jam, UNDERWHELMED has re-established the essence of the true rock show. Visually exciting, musically aggressive and vocally charismatic - UNDERWHELMED delivers a relentless and passionate performance that grips audiences and leaves them wanting more.

But make no mistake - this success didn’t come easy. UNDERWHELMED paid its dues moving up the ranks of the tough New York music scene. “Our belief is that whether there’s 4 or 4000 people in the audience, we rock,” comments lead singer Chris Amplo. “Audiences expect to be entertained and they deserve to get their money’s worth – we strive to give them even more.” Amplo continues, “I think our belief in the importance of the live show and the fact that we love meeting and talking to people has been a key to our success.”

Of course, fans won’t come out to experience a band’s live show without first having the musical “goods”. It’s obvious by their expanding fan base, UNDERWHELMED has that covered. “Pure, unadulterated emotion has always been an important aspect to me in a song,” front man Amplo says. The Band is currently on tour supporting its EP, the aptly titled The War Between Myself and Me. “It’s not unusual for people to come up to us after a show and tell us that they love our CD, but that we’re much better live. That really blows us away,” Chris adds. That would probably be impossible without the right players.

UNDERWHELMED began in 1998, when singer Chris Amplo auditioned for twin brothers Mike Russo (bass) and Chris Russo (drums). Instantly, the UNDERWHELMED sound was born. After a chance meeting at the legendary CBGB, longtime friend of Amplo, guitarist Paul Boyle joined the trio and completed the song writing line-up. The final piece of the puzzle was placed in September 2003, with the addition of lead guitarist Mike Armstrong. The relationships among the Band members are as solid as the music. “We’re all best friends who share the same passion and vision,” Amplo adds.

Spending years on the music scene can take its toll on most bands. How has UNDERWHELMED persevered? They push on by steering clear of trends and musical mediocrity. UNDERWHELMED continues to stay true to their music and paint a story of pain and aggression in the face of personal triumph and persistence.

UNDERWHELMED puts out an extraordinary set of music fueled by the Band’s raw energy, then is turbocharged by the emotional exchange between the Group and its audience. Make it a point to grab the CD and catch them on tour. Experience their musical self-revelations and audible inner struggles, then judge for yourself.

Never Again
Underwhelmed Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All this fear inside of me
from the lessons learned
I tried putting all my trust in you
The more I test, the less it burns
'Cause I'm saving all this hurt for her.

Here to let you know, you did this to yourself
Wanted you to know, you could have left me something

I wanted you to know...

One look
one lie
one chance to make things right
One night and never again
Oh never again...

Well, it's deep inside of me
it's what I deserve
I tried putting all my faith in her
And the more I touch
the less I feel
I'm still saving all my hurt for you

I'm Here to let you know, you did this to yourself
Wanted you to go, you could have left me something
I wanted you to know...

One look,
one lie,
one chance to make things right
One night, and never again...

One look,
one lie,
one chance to make things right
One night, and never again
Oh, never again!

Oh, I never wanted you to need me like this, like this!
Oh, I never wanted you to see me like this...

One look,
one lie,
one chance to make things right
One night, and never again
Oh, never again...

One look,
one lie,

one chance to make things right
One night, and never again...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Underwhelmed's song "Never Again" expresses the angst and hurt of an individual who trusted someone but was let down by them. The singer is haunted by the fear of betrayal, as they have learned lessons from past experiences. Despite attempting to trust the subject of the song, the singer is unable to shake the feeling of doubt and hurt. The lyrics "I tried putting all my trust in you, the more I test, the less it burns" reveals the singer's attempts to confide in the subject and their failing to create a secure, fulfilling relationship.

The chorus amplifies the frustration and disappointment felt by the singer towards the subject. The repetition of "one look, one lie, one chance to make things right, one night, and never again" highlights the specific incident that led to a breakdown in trust. The use of repetition emphasizes the remorse and anger of the singer and their perceived inevitability of the situation. The singer reflects on how they deserve the consequences of their actions, but ultimately still holds on to the pain and hurt caused by the subject of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

All this fear inside of me
I am full of fear because of what I have experienced in the past.

from the lessons learned
I have learned important lessons from my experience.

I tried putting all my trust in you
I trusted you completely.

The more I test, the less it burns
The more I test our relationship, the less it hurts me.

'Cause I'm saving all this hurt for her.
I am intentionally saving all the pain I feel for someone else.

Here to let you know, you did this to yourself
I want you to know that you caused this yourself.

Wanted you to know, you could have left me something
I wanted you to leave something positive behind before leaving me.

One look
A single glance

one lie
A single lie

one chance to make things right
One opportunity to fix our relationship.

One night and never again
One night is all we have left and we will never see each other again.