The band was originally conceived as a side project. The Weiss brothers and Kleinberg were playing together in another band called The Operation (who released one album, 2001's There Is Hope for a Tree Cut Down, on Takehold Records), but Aaron wanted to start another band to experiment with new sounds. After picking up Rick Mazzotta on drums and Ray Tadeo on bass, Kleinberg and the Weiss brothers released their first EP (I Never Said That I Was Brave) in 2001 and shortly thereafter signed to Tooth & Nail Records after a show at Cornerstone Festival the same year. An even earlier six song demo EP called Blood Enough For Us All has also surfaced, apparently having been recorded in 2000.
Around this time Tadeo had moved on, Daniel Pishock picked up as the bass player, and The Operation disbanded soon afterward. mewithoutYou's debut full-length album, A→B: Life, was released in 2002. The band garnered more attention for their sophomore release, 2004's Catch for Us the Foxes, which was produced by Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Fire Theft). In December of 2004 Pishock had made a decision to retire as the bassist for the band and former Operation frontman, Greg Jehanian, was selected to replace him. In 2005, mewithoutYou won mtvU's "Left Field" award for most original artist. Their third album, Brother, Sister, again produced by Wood, was released on September 26th, 2006. Their fourth album, it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright, produced by Dan Smith of Danielson, was released May 19th, 2009. Their fifth album Ten Stories, produced again by Dan Smith of Danielson, was independently released May 15th, 2012. Their sixth LP is set to be released in 2015 on Run for Cover Records.
mewithoutYou has released videos for "January 1979" and "Paper Hanger", from Catch for Us the Foxes, with the help of Red Van Pictures this past year, and one for "Bullet to Binary" from A→B: Life. They have recently released a video for "Nice and Blue, Pt. 2" from Brother, Sister, directed by Shane Drake. A video for "The Fox, the Crow and the Cookie" from It's All Crazy! has recently been released.
mewithoutYou is:
Aaron Weiss - Lead Vocals
Michael Weiss - Guitar
Brandon Beaver - 2nd Guitar
Greg Jehanian - Bass Guitar
Richard Mazzotta - Drums
Official homepage: http://www.mewithoutyou.com
http://www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou
Fiji Mermaid
mewithoutYou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the nail beds rest in the calico hay
The Fiji Mermaid dressed in macrame's
Wading road in the fork and a bend
In the spoon tern cut short as a shadow at noon
Melting like wax as that once full moon's
Now waning ersatz acts an insufferable bore
'Sharp Shots' dull as a harlequin's sword
Stick of the match as the paraffin show
Drop a nickel to watch the asparagus grow
'The stone in what shell?'
You sure like to know now don't you?
A loom in the heir as the medicine came
To the nest of the mare of the mystery claims
But you'll miss having someone to blame
For your sadness, now won't you?
Well maybe there'll be a bakery hiring
We'll knead a little dough to get by
Did you come knocking on my door
Or did I come to yours?
Whose ship came washed up on whose shore?
And from what ocean floor?
There wasn't much to her dress
And I felt stuck in my body like a horse in quicksand
Didn't you come knocking on my door?
The lyrics to mewithoutYou's song Fiji Mermaid are full of vivid and surreal imagery, creating a dreamlike landscape that captures the mind of the listener. The opening lines "Stitch up the nets but the patch won't stay, as the nail beds rest in the calico hay," suggest a sense of frustration and futility, as the metaphorical nets being stitched together cannot hold. The song then references the infamous Fiji Mermaid, a hoax from the 19th century wherein a taxidermied fish and monkey were sewn together to create a "mermaid." The creature is dressed in macrame and wading in a "fork and bend," creating a bizarre and otherworldly scene. The spoon tern is cut short as a shadow at noon, possibly suggesting the sudden interruption of normalcy or peace. The once full moon is now waning, and ersatz acts (meaning artificial or imitation acts) are described as insufferable bores. The lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment with the mundane and the artificial, and a longing for something more genuine.
The lyrics continue with more surreal and enigmatic images, as a stick of a match ignites the paraffin show and a nickel is dropped to watch the asparagus grow. The question "The stone in what shell?" serves as an enigmatic riddle, and the lyrics suggest a nest of mystery claims and medicine. The song then shifts to a more introspective mood, asking whether one would miss having someone to blame for their sadness. The final lines offer a glimmer of hope, suggesting that perhaps there will be a bakery hiring as a means of making ends meet.
Line by Line Meaning
Stitch up the nets but the patch won't stay
Attempted repairs can't fix the underlying problem
As the nail beds rest in the calico hay
Depression sets in while trying to rest
The Fiji Mermaid dressed in macrame's
Searching for something mythical and fascinating
Wading road in the fork and a bend
Navigating through life's uncertain twists and turns
In the spoon tern cut short as a shadow at noon
Life's fleeting moments disappear quickly
Melting like wax as that once full moon's
Things that were once bright and full are now diminishing
Now waning ersatz acts an insufferable bore
A lackluster, unauthentic life is draining
'Sharp Shots' dull as a harlequin's sword
Attempts at excitement or stimulation fall flat
When doing as you please doesn't please you anymore
Self-indulgence isn't satisfying
Stick of the match as the paraffin show
The fleetingness of life's pleasures
Drop a nickel to watch the asparagus grow
The absurdity of finding entertainment in small, insignificant things
'The stone in what shell?' / You sure like to know now don't you?
Desperate need for answers, but not knowing the right questions to ask
A loom in the heir as the medicine came / To the nest of the mare of the mystery claims
Attempts at a solution create their own web of problems
But you'll miss having someone to blame / For your sadness, now won't you?
Feeling comfort in placing blame for one's own sadness
Well maybe there'll be a bakery hiring / We'll knead a little dough to get by
Resorting to simple, mundane jobs to survive
Did you come knocking on my door / Or did I come to yours?
Questioning who initiated the relationship
Whose ship came washed up on whose shore? / And from what ocean floor?
Navigating the complexities and uncertainties of relationships
There wasn't much to her dress / And I felt stuck in my body like a horse in quicksand
Feeling trapped and stagnant in life
Didn't you come knocking on my door?
Repeating the question, seeking clarity and understanding
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
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