The group formed in 1992, and released a vinyl single, "Proto Pretty", which was later compiled on Rhino Records' "Poptopia" series of power pop compilations. They followed this with the albums Wondermints (1995), Wonderful World of the Wondermints (an album of cover versions from 1996), Bali (1998) and Mind If We Make Love to You (2002). Most of these albums were released in Japan prior to release in the United States. The group also contributed to the soundtrack of the first Austin Powers movie at the request of Mike Myers.
In 1999, the group signed on to be part of Brian Wilson's touring band. Walusko and Gregory have played with him continuously ever since, with D'Amico only having toured with Wilson in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. When D'Amico left to spend time with his family, he was replaced in 2001 and early 2002 by Andy Paley, and in 2004 by Nelson Bragg. However, D'Amico rejoined Wilson's band in the summer of 2008, replacing Jim Hines on drums after relieving fellow multi-instrumentalist Scott Bennett of his temporary drumming duties. Sahanaja also missed a few shows in 2003 and 2008, being replaced by Gary Griffin, and in 2016, when Billy Hinsche took his place.
All Wondermints can be heard on Wilson's CDs and DVDs Live at the Roxy Theatre, Brian Wilson on Tour, Pet Sounds Live, and Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, with Sahanaja, Walusko, and Gregory also appearing on the Pet Sounds Live in London album and the studio albums Gettin' in Over My Head and Brian Wilson Presents Smile.
The band is part of a power pop scene in Los Angeles, many of whose members play on each other's records. All of the members of Wondermints, especially Gregory, have made frequent guest appearances and have several side projects, some of the more notable of which are Love, The Eels, Baby Lemonade, The Negro Problem, Stew and Kim Fox.
Albums
Wondermints (1995)
Wonderful World of the Wondermints (1996)
Bali (1998)
Mind If We Make Love to You (2002)
Kaleidoscopin': Exploring Prisms of the Past (2009)
Libbyland
Wondermints Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems the overtime's well-spent.
Sacrifice your sunshine for the rent.
Never had the guts to question why.
Makes you want to shrivel up and die.
So every time the world's a-stutter,
Libbyland's a place you can call your own.
And if you find your road is cluttered,
It's funny where their interests lie -
In God and platinum we trust,
Til you feel just like a speck of dust.
Rumor has your title up for sale,
And if you must succeed, your friends must fail.
So every time the world's a-stutter,
Libbyland's a place you can call your own.
And if you find your road is cluttered,
Close your eyes and laugh yourself all the way home.
You're in the eye of the psyclone,
Where foolish angels fear to go.
They'd never know that your revolver was set to unload.
Explode!
Slip into another world...
It's a place you can call your own.
And if you find the world's a gutter,
Close your eyes and laugh yourself all the way home.
The leprechaun's your ticket-taker,
Libbyland's a place you can call your own.
So say goodnight, you mischief-makers -
The lyrics to Wondermints’ song “Libbyland” portray a world where people feel trapped and powerless in their daily lives. The opening line emphasizes the feeling of being a pawn in a larger game where the overtime is well-spent but at the cost of sacrificing personal happiness. The lyrics continue to suggest that people are afraid to question their situation and feel weighed down by the pressures of society. In contrast, “Libbyland” is presented as a place where one can escape and feel a sense of ownership and belonging. The lyrics instruct the listener to close their eyes and laugh themselves all the way home to this magical place. It offers a sense of hope and empowerment, that even in a world where the interests lie in God and platinum, there is a place where one can find peace and happiness.
The lyrics also delve into the idea of success and friendship in a cut-throat world. The line “And if you must succeed, your friends must fail” suggests that the journey to success is often a solitary one and one that requires sacrifices. It presents a darker side to the world where individuals are willing to put others down to achieve their own goals. It contrasts with the notion of Libbyland, where the focus is on community and belonging. The lyrics encourage the listener to escape the competitiveness of the world and find solace in this imaginary place.
Line by Line Meaning
Once again they played the pawn.
They were manipulated again.
Seems the overtime's well-spent.
They worked extra hours without any reward.
Sacrifice your sunshine for the rent.
You have to give up your happiness to pay your bills.
Never had the guts to question why.
You never dared to ask why things are the way they are.
Makes you want to shrivel up and die.
It's depressing.
So every time the world's a-stutter,
Whenever things get tough,
Libbyland's a place you can call your own.
You can escape to a imaginary world called Libbyland.
And if you find your road is cluttered,
If you're feeling lost,
Close your eyes and laugh yourself all the way home.
You can find comfort in your dreams.
It's funny where their interests lie -
People's priorities are very strange.
In God and platinum we trust,
Some people worship money and religion.
Til you feel just like a speck of dust.
Until you feel insignificant and worthless.
Rumor has your title up for sale,
People are gossiping about your job.
And if you must succeed, your friends must fail.
You have to compete with your friends to achieve success.
You're in the eye of the psyclone,
You're in the middle of a mental storm.
Where foolish angels fear to go.
Even brave people are afraid of this storm.
They'd never know that your revolver was set to unload.
Nobody knows that you're planning to take revenge.
Explode!
You're full of anger and ready to explode.
Slip into another world...
Escape from reality.
It's a place you can call your own.
It's your own fantasy world.
And if you find the world's a gutter,
If you feel like the world is a bad place,
Close your eyes and laugh yourself all the way home.
Find happiness in your imagination.
The leprechaun's your ticket-taker,
A fictional character is the host of your fantasy world.
Libbyland's a place you can call your own.
You can always escape to Libbyland.
So say goodnight, you mischief-makers -
Stop causing trouble and go to bed.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Witcher Machinima
In case you can't use above tracklist:
1. 0:00 Proto Pretty
2. 3:46 Fleur De Lis
3. 7:15 Tracy Hide
4. 11:44 She Opens Heaven's Door
5. 15:02 Libbyland
6. 18:05 Shine
7. 22:26 Thought Back
8. 25:49 Time
9. 29:46 Global Village Idiot
10. 33:15 Playtex Aviary
11. 37:16 In A Haze
12. 41:03 Carnival Of Souls
Witcher Machinima
In case you can't use above tracklist:
1. 0:00 Proto Pretty
2. 3:46 Fleur De Lis
3. 7:15 Tracy Hide
4. 11:44 She Opens Heaven's Door
5. 15:02 Libbyland
6. 18:05 Shine
7. 22:26 Thought Back
8. 25:49 Time
9. 29:46 Global Village Idiot
10. 33:15 Playtex Aviary
11. 37:16 In A Haze
12. 41:03 Carnival Of Souls
Robert van der Heide
8kimmmmmmkissssssseswat
Lief dochterjusr is a very
8kimmmmmmkissssssseswat mamma maar ik nkon
Kazu.A
I can’t believe they made all tracks of this album using 4-track cassette recorder because it’s really amazing sounds. I really love this album!
johnny reno
one of the greatest pop rock albums of all time
B C
One of the most underrated cd's ever.
David van Wert
Thanks for posting this! I've loved this band a long time, but I lost a lot of their songs when I digitized my music collection and then the drive eventually crashed.
Master Debater
The masterpiece. Brian Wilson must have been impressed
marcus marcus
If I know Brian just a little bit, he probably hasn't heard it. He doesn't listen to much music after all. And mostly stuff from the 60's and such
warmswarm
@marcus marcus - What nonsense you talk. How do you know what Brian listens to? This band is half of his backing band, of course he's heard them.
marcus marcus
@warmswarm By reading countless interviews. This man doesn't stay in touch with new music. He's nowhere close the same as he was when he was sane. And I mean no disrespect to him, I love Smile and Pet Sounds.