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
Goodbye I!
mewithoutYou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
planting Corn in rank and file from the silo to the lumber mill
he rode along in silence as he looked out past the Honeysuckle field,
watched the water turn the waterwheel
thinking about his daughter with affection,
her reaction of disdain
the day he replaced the blue Hydrangea
with the climbing frame
quiet as the snow, knowing well:
those who know don't talk
and those who talk don't know
but (tho she tried)
she couldn't help but sing!
the Tortoise in the wheelchair wrapped his forehead in a bandage
wore a plaster cast on his phony broken leg
so he'd get pushed around the sidewalk by the Zookeeper's assistant
with the Hummingbird observing from behind a yellow Flower,
flapping his tiny wings so fast you couldn't see them
with resentment for the Tortoise (which was clear by his expression)
but the Tortoise turned and smiled with a Peacefulness which proved
there's a movement in our stillness and however much we move
we're bound to stand completely still
so let's stand completely still!
come, Tortoise, standing still -
go, Hummingbird, my will
come, Tortoise, stumbling blind -
go, Hummingbird, my eyes
come, Tortoise, letting go
go, Hummingbird, ‘I know'
come Tortoise undefined –
go, Hummingbird, my mind
come Tortoise, empty hands -
go, Hummingbird, my plans,
come, Tortoise, come and die -
go, Hummingbird, my I
goodbye, I!
The song "Goodbye, I!" by mewithoutYou tells two different stories that seemingly have no connection, but ultimately carry the same message of letting go of the self. The first story is about a farmer who is planting corn on his land, contemplating his relationship with his daughters. He remembers replacing a blue hydrangea with a climbing frame and how his daughter was disappointed with the change. His other daughter who was quiet and observant, understood that sometimes well-meaning changes do not lead to positive outcomes. The farmer reflects on how people who know do not talk, and those who talk do not know. Despite this, the daughter who was disappointed couldn't help but sing. This first story is symbolic of our attachment to our desires and how our subjective view of reality can often hinder us from moving forward.
The second story is about a tortoise in a wheelchair and a hummingbird that watches him while he is pushed around town by a zookeeper's assistant. The tortoise wears a cast on his phony broken leg and a bandage on his forehead, and the hummingbird resents him for it. However, the tortoise smiles peaceably despite the hummingbird's negativity. The message here is about acceptance and the ability to find peace even in difficult circumstances. The overall message of the song is to let go of our egos and attachments to worldly desires and be at peace with ourselves and the world.
Line by Line Meaning
the Farmer drove his tractor where the soil had been tilled
The farmer carefully drove his tractor over land that had already been prepared for planting corn.
planting Corn in rank and file from the silo to the lumber mill
The farmer planted corn in straight rows and continued until he reached the lumber mill.
he rode along in silence as he looked out past the Honeysuckle field, watched the water turn the waterwheel
The farmer silently watched the waterwheel turn as he passed by the field of honeysuckle.
thinking about his daughter with affection, her reaction of disdain
The farmer thought fondly of his daughter, but couldn't help but remember how upset she had been when he removed her favorite flower and replaced it with a climbing frame.
the day he replaced the blue Hydrangea with the climbing frame while her disappointed Sister looked on, quiet as the snow, knowing well:
The day the farmer replaced the blue hydrangea, his daughter's sister watched silently, aware that keeping quiet was sometimes better than speaking up.
those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know
People who truly understand something do not feel the need to constantly talk about it, while those who talk the most often have the least amount of knowledge.
but (tho she tried) she couldn't help but sing!
Despite trying to keep quiet, the farmer's daughter's sister couldn't help but sing.
the Tortoise in the wheelchair wrapped his forehead in a bandage wore a plaster cast on his phony broken leg so he'd get pushed around the sidewalk by the Zookeeper's assistant
The tortoise, pretending to be injured, had his head wrapped in a bandage and a cast on his leg so that he could be pushed around by the zookeeper's assistant.
with the Hummingbird observing from behind a yellow Flower, flapping his tiny wings so fast you couldn't see them with resentment for the Tortoise (which was clear by his expression)
A hummingbird watched the tortoise with resentment, making it clear through his expression, while hiding behind a yellow flower and flapping his wings too fast.
but the Tortoise turned and smiled with a Peacefulness which proved there's a movement in our stillness and however much we move we're bound to stand completely still
The tortoise smiled and proved the idea that there is actually movement in stillness, and no matter how much we move, we will ultimately remain still.
so let's stand completely still! come, Tortoise, standing still - go, Hummingbird, my will come, Tortoise, stumbling blind - go, Hummingbird, my eyes come, Tortoise, letting go go, Hummingbird, ‘I know' come Tortoise undefined – go, Hummingbird, my mind come Tortoise, empty hands - go, Hummingbird, my plans, come, Tortoise, come and die - go, Hummingbird, my I goodbye, I!
The song encourages us to stand still, and to let go of our eyes, will, mind, plans, and identity, so that we can be like the tortoise, who is at peace with stillness. In the end, we must say goodbye to our own individuality and embrace a sense of calm.
Contributed by Olivia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.