Their name was inspired by an awkward conversation with a U-Haul employee who was inspecting a van that the band had rented. The U-haul employee, attempting to make polite conversation, asked the three bespectacled band members if they were brothers. They said no. He asked if they were scientists, as they looked like they could be the kind of people who wear lab coats. They told him that they were musicians, not scientists. To this day, they regret telling the truth. They are not named after the Cap'n Jazz song which bears the name.
They are a franchise of Art Rock band, Art Brut. In fact, they are Art Brut 47.
The band formed while its members attended the Claremont Colleges. Murray and Cain attended Pomona College; Michael Tapper attended Harvey Mudd College.
The band has released three self-made EPs (Bitching!, Safety, Fun, and Learning (In That Order) and In Action). Their debut LP, With Love And Squalor was on Virgin Records, the first three singles of which were "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", "The Great Escape" and "It's A Hit". The album takes its name from the J.D. Salinger short story "For Esme - With Love and Squalor". They have since released LP Crap Attack, which is a collection of B-Sides, covers and other rarities, and their full follow-up album, Brain Thrust Mastery which debuted in the UK on March 17,2008 reached number 11 at the UK Album charts.
On the 1st November 2007, NME reported that Michael Tapper has left We Are Scientists under amicable circumstances, and on September 18, 2007, the band announced on their website that Max Hart, a keyboardist and guitarist who has played live with them before, has joined the band temporarily. As they put it: "There's no easy answer as to how long Max will stick around. Maybe we'll grow to hate his sanctimonious ways, which for now tickle us so. Maybe he'll grow to hate our open-minded, funny, refreshing, handsome ways, thus achieving what psychologists and bookies long ago labeled impossible."
And to make things even more exciting for the band, We Are Scientists is featured in the soundtrack of the 2008 film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which Bishop Allen - at the time featuring former We Are Scientists drummer Michael Tapper - appears in a cameo.
According to Keith Murray's Wikipedia he was nominated for World's Sexiest Vegetarian 2007 and is predicted that he will be the new face of Louis Vuitton's spring/summer '09 collection.
The Band's 3rd effort, Barbara, was released in June of 2010 and features ex-Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows.
Bang Bang Rock & Roll
We Are Scientists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bang, bang, rock and roll
Well I met a girl
And she sold me a pill
It tasted like shit
And it made me feel ill
Watch my body
Twist and jerk
(I just wanna find a drug that works)
Bang, bang, rock and roll
Bang, bang, rock and roll
Well I don't like the sound of the Velvet Underground
(White Light! White Heat!)
I don't like that sound the second time around
(White Light! White Heat!)
Well I don't want a girl that's with the band
I just want a girl to hold my hand
No more songs about sex and drugs and rock and rock and roll
(It's boring!) It's boring
Bang, bang, rock and roll
Bang, bang, rock and roll
Well I don't like the sound of the Velvet Underground
(White Light! White Heat!)
I don't like that sound the second time around
(White Light! White Heat!)
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
Once is enough!
The song "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" by We Are Scientists is a satirical commentary on the music industry from the perspective of a disillusioned fan. The lyrics are presented in a repetitive and monotone fashion, with the chorus consisting of the same line repeated twice: "Bang, bang, rock and roll." This repetition adds to the overall feeling of frustration and dissatisfaction with the state of popular music.
The singer of the song meets a girl who sells him a drug that makes him sick, which causes him to search for a drug that actually works. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the music industry, where there's so much stale and generic music being produced that it's hard to find anything truly original or impactful. The singer also expresses disdain for the bands that focus on sex, drugs, and rock and roll, as he finds it boring and unoriginal.
The repeated mentions of The Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" and the declaration of "Once is enough!" are also a nod to the monotony and repetitiveness of the music industry. Overall, the song serves as a critique of the lack of creativity and originality in popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
Bang, bang, rock and roll
Let's get hyped and party to some awesome music
Bang, bang, rock and roll
We're serious, this is going to be a night full of headbanging and fun
Well I met a girl
I encountered a woman who fancied me
And she sold me a pill
She persuaded me to try a drug
It tasted like shit
The drug tasted horrid
And it made me feel ill
The effect of the drug was terrible
Watch my body
Observe how my body is reacting
Twist and jerk
My body movements are erratic
All I want is to find a drug that work
I'm searching for a drug that actually has a pleasant effect
(I just wanna find a drug that works)
It's frustrating when it seems like nothing really hits the spot
Well I don't like the sound of the Velvet Underground
I'm not really into that particular style of music
(White Light! White Heat!)
Referencing a song by the Velvet Underground
I don't like that sound the second time around
I'm tired of hearing the same old thing
Well I don't want a girl that's with the band
I don't want to be romantically involved with someone in a band
I just want a girl to hold my hand
All I'm really looking for is someone to be intimate with and connect on a personal level
No more songs about sex and drugs and rock and rock and roll
I'm tired of music that solely focuses on those themes
(It's boring!) It's boring
It's repetitive and fails to hold my interest
Once is enough!
I've had my fill already
Once is enough!
Let's move on to something else
Once is enough!
I'm good, thanks
Once is enough!
No need to shove it down our throats
Once is enough!
Seriously, let's end this now
Once is enough!
One more time and I'm out
Once is enough!
I think we've all had enough, don't you?
Once is enough!
I'm begging you, please stop
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CHRIS WARD, EDDIE ARGOS, FREDERIKE SIEPE, IAN WILSON, MIKE BREYER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind