Finding limited mainstream success, Unsane are nonetheless hugely influential; writer Patrick Kennedy writes that "while developing the blueprint for noise metal bands to follow, Unsane cut a remarkable swath through underground music, inspiring a devoted, cult-like following around the globe."
Unsane was formed in 1988 by singer/guitarist Chris Spencer, bass guitarist Pete Shore and drummer Charlie Ondras. They met as students at Sarah Lawrence College. The band was supposed to have their début album recorded in 1988 by Circuit Records as "Improvised Munitions" , but Ernie Triccaro, the owner of Circuit Records, never released the album.
In the early 1990s, Unsane was part of a scene of loud, noisy, like-minded rock groups in New York City's East Village, often playing concerts with bands like Pussy Galore, Cop Shoot Cop, Surgery, Helmet and the Reverb Motherfuckers (Unsane's first show was as the opening act for the Reverb Motherfuckers). Members of Unsane were very active during this era and played in other bands like Boss Hog and the Action Swingers.
Ondras died of a heroin overdose in 1992, and was replaced temporarily by Anthony DeLuca and then permanently by Vinnie Signorelli (formerly of Foetus and NY icons Swans). In 1994, Shore departed from the band for unknown reasons and was replaced by Dave Curran.
The band toured heavily, and signed to Atlantic Records, who released Total Destruction in 1993 -- it was Unsane's only major-label release. Their third album, Scattered, Smothered & Covered, was issued by Ampehetamine Reptile. The music video for the single "Scrape" was made for a mere $200, yet earned significant play on MTV. The video alternates between lo-fi rehearsal footage of Unsane, and a series of serious skateboarding wipeouts.
They continued touring heavily (including a stint opening for metal icons Slayer), but did not release a new album until Occupational Hazard, issued by Relapse Records in 1998. Later that same year - in seeming fulfilment of the album's title - Spencer was attacked by four people after playing a concert in Vienna, Austria. He ended up in hospital suffering internal bleeding and underwent major surgery. As a result of Spencer's injury, and touring over ten months of the year, the band decided to take a break in 2000.
During the interim, Spencer moved to California where he formed a new band with Dave Curran called The Cutthroats 9, releasing one album on Man's Ruin Records. Curran also started a band called The J.J. Paradise Players Club and Signorelli opened a tattoo shop in Brooklyn.
Unsane reformed in 2003 upon Spencer's return to New York, and released a greatest hits record, Lambhouse, followed by Blood Run two years later.
Ipecac released Unsane's sixth studio album, Visqueen on March 13, 2007.
Unsane's latest album was released on March 20, 2012, entitled "Wreck".
Over Me
Unsane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Takes another day
One time
Now I'm there to stay
Look around
You can't se
One thing
Hangin over me
I don't get it
One shot
Just another stray
One crime
Now I'm there to stay
Look around
You can't see
One thing
Hangin over me
Over me, all over me
The lyrics to the song "Over Me" by Unsane explore the theme of being consumed by one's past actions, with the main character feeling immobilized and trapped in a situation they cannot escape. The line "one thing takes another day" suggests that the weight of whatever this "one thing" is, is so heavy that it takes up all of the day, leaving no room for anything else. The line "now I'm there to stay" further implies that the character has resigned themselves to this fate, possibly due to guilt or shame.
The repetition of the phrase "look around, you can't see" adds to the feeling of being trapped, as though the character is surrounded by their past actions and there is no escape. The final line of the chorus, "one thing hanging over me, over me, all over me" reinforces the idea that this one thing is all-encompassing and all-consuming.
Overall, the lyrics to "Over Me" paint a bleak picture of being stuck in a cycle of regret and guilt, with no way out.
Line by Line Meaning
One thing
There's something that's bothering me
Takes another day
It's been affecting me for a while now
One time
This thing happened only once
Now I'm there to stay
But it's still weighing heavily on my mind
Look around
If you observe the situation
You can't see
You probably won't notice it
One thing
That same thing is still bothering me
Hangin over me
It's affecting my life in a negative way
I don't get it
I don't understand why this is happening to me
One shot
A single opportunity
Just another stray
That didn't turn out the way I hoped it would
One crime
Maybe something bad happened to me unjustly
Over me, all over me
It's a constant presence in my life and I can't get away from it
Contributed by Tristan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.