You Am I is a four-piece Australian power pop/alternative rock band, fronte… Read Full Bio ↴You Am I is a four-piece Australian power pop/alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums consecutively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts and are renowned for their energetic live shows.

Tim Rogers formed the first version of the band in Sydney, Australia, with his school friend Nick Tischler and his older brother Jaimme in December 1989. This initial line-up was short lived and by the end of 1990 both Nick and Jaimme had left the band. They were replaced by the group's one-time sound mixer Andy Kent on bass and Mark Tunaley on drums.

The band released several EPs and singles in the early 90s, though the real breakthrough came when Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth caught the band performing at 1993's Big Day Out festival and was impressed enough to produce their fourth EP, Coprolalia, and later the debut album, Sound as Ever, which went on to win the 1993 ARIA Award for Best Alternative Release.

After the release of their first album, Mark and the band parted company. He was replaced by the charismatic Russell Hopkinson (formerly of Nursery Crimes) creating the core line-up to this day. Since then, the band has been augmented by Davey Lane of The Pictures on guitar.

You Am I had toured the US extensively during the mid 90s, including playing with Soundgarden on the Lollapalooza festival, Red Kross, The Strokes and Smoking Popes to name a few. Despite little success overseas, the band became well known throughout Australia for their Pete Townshend-esque guitar windmills and their upbeat "ponce and thuggery" take on Rock 'n' Roll.

Further success came with the albums Hi Fi Way and Hourly Daily, with both picking up ARIA Awards. Hourly Daily was the first album released on the Shock label to go to number one in the ARIA charts upon launch. For many, the suburban inspired, 60s bop and folky 12 string melodies were a welcome departure from ever pervasive 70s rock sounds, or even grunge rock.

Subtle country influences became apparent on their 1998 Number 4 Record, which included the poignant Heavy Heart. A heart wrenching, almost karaoke inspired ballad about being 'dropped' by your girlfriend. Evidently each subsequent album has had a few countryish twang which have polarised some fans, who idolise the band's earlier warts and all rock beginnings.

1999 saw frontman Tim Rogers release his first solo album What Rhymes With Cars And Girls, followed up in 2004 by the record Spit Polish. In 2005 he released the critically acclaimed double-LP 'Ghost Songs' and 'Dirty Ron'.

After an album absence prolonged by touring and record label interference, Dress Me Slowly was released April 2001. Arguably containing some of the bands' best work including Damage and Kick a Hole in the Sky there were also some stellar b-Sides on the commercial singles that accompanied the album. These include a song called Older Guys which is track 2 on the Get Up single. Older Guys was one of the stand out songs on Gram Parsons' group The Flying Burrito Brothers album Burrito Deluxe and although the You Am I b-side is an original, Rogers is recognised as a keen student of music history and some connection can be assumed.

Dress Me Slowly was second guitarist, Davey Lane's first bona fide appearance on a studio record. Lane had come to the band's attention from his own work with The Pictures and transcribing, with almost scary accuracy, the band's guitar tabs on the You Am I web site. The band's last collective studio effort was Deliverance in 2002.

The likes of Nic Cester of Jet have mentioned that You Am I, at the very least, reminded them that you don't have to be American to be a successful rock band. Iconic references to Australian everyday suburban life remain a constant theme of Roger's material. The Vines also credit You Am I as a major influence and Silverchair take their name, in part, from You Am I's song Berlin Chair.

Their seventh album "Convicts" was released in May 2006. An about face on the previous two albums, Convicts rocks hard all of the way through with much more straight forward production and higher energy that makes you jump.

Their eighth album "Dilettantes" was released in September 2008.

How Much Is Enough
You Am I Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Would it stain
If the lights fell down on your name
And each face began to look all the same
How much is enough?
Did you ever want to just lose touch with everybody you know?
In the morning
When you've wiped his taste away
The last of the red and all the records you played

How much is enough?
Did you ever want to just lose touch with everybody who heard?

Did you ever want to join a collective
Throw a party just to make sure you missed it?
Did you ever want to be a collective?

Would you sell out
To the dealer with the lowest cost
And burn every proscenium floor
How much is enough?
Did you ever want to get in touch with somebody you hurt?

Offered up some kind of collective
So you can never ever be left selected
Did you ever want to be a collective?

If the lights, they fell

Do you think you could tell
Just how much?

Overall Meaning

In the song "How Much Is Enough" by You Am I, the singer raises questions about the sufficiency of experiences in one's life. The lyrics seem to suggest that humans are constantly in search of happiness and satisfaction but are they are never quite sure how much of it they need. The first stanza uses imagery to describe how one's self-worth is dependent on external factors such as fame or attention, and questions whether these things are truly fulfilling. The second stanza contemplates the idea of "losing touch" with people and the sense of freedom that comes from a lack of attachment. The lyrics ask the question of whether it is worth it to "lose touch" with everyone one knows, and whether this is truly a path to happiness.

The third stanza is about being part of a collective, as the singer mentions wanting to "join a collective" or "be a collective." This could refer to the desire for a sense of belonging or the power of a group identity, but the lyrics also suggest that this desire can be overwhelming and controlling. The final stanza brings the song to a climax, exploring the idea of what happens if everything falls apart. The singer asks whether we can ever know how much is enough, and whether we will be able to recognize when we have it.

Overall, the song is a meditation on the human condition and the search for happiness and fulfillment. The lyrics raise questions about the sufficiency of our experiences and the struggle to find contentment in a world filled with constant change and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

Would it stain
If things went awry, would you still be able to handle it?

If the lights fell down on your name
If your reputation were to crash down on you, would you be able to handle it?

And each face began to look all the same
If everyone you knew suddenly became unrecognizable, would you be able to handle it?

How much is enough?
How much can you handle?

Did you ever want to just lose touch with everybody you know?
Have you ever wanted to cut all ties with everyone you know?

In the morning
After a night of indulgence

When you've wiped his taste away
After getting over someone

The last of the red and all the records you played
The final act of a relationship, including the favorite songs shared

How much is enough?
How much pain can you take?

Did you ever want to just lose touch with everybody who heard?
Have you ever wanted to distance yourself from everyone who knew about your relationship?

Did you ever want to join a collective
Have you ever wanted to be part of a group where you don't have to stand out as an individual?

Throw a party just to make sure you missed it?
Host a party so you can avoid it just to prove a point?

Did you ever want to be a collective?
Did you want to belong to a group that doesn't expect individuality?

Would you sell out
Would you change your values?

To the dealer with the lowest cost
To the person who makes the cheapest offer?

And burn every proscenium floor
Destroying every performance stage

How much is enough?
How much would you compromise for personal gain?

Did you ever want to get in touch with somebody you hurt?
Do you ever regret hurting someone and want to make amends?

Offered up some kind of collective
Suggesting a solution by being part of a group

So you can never ever be left selected
So that you don't stand out as an individual but part of an accepting group

Did you ever want to be a collective?
Do you ever wish you could belong to a group where individuality doesn't matter?

If the lights, they fell
If everything falls apart

Do you think you could tell
Do you think you could recognize it?

Just how much?
Just how much can you handle?

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, MUSHROOM MUSIC PTY LTD
Written by: ANDY KENT, RUSSELL HOPKINSON, TIM ADRIAN ROGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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