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
The Soviet
mewithoutYou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All things lovely only hurt my head as I gather stones from fields like pearls of water on my fingers' ends and wrap them in boxes.
Save from windows, from things that break, as the night-time shined like day it saw my sorry face.
Hair a mess but it liked my best that way
(besides how else could I confess? When I looked down like if to pray, well I was looking down her dress...) Good god, please! Catch for us the foxes in the vineyard - the little foxes.
Turn your ear, musician.
To silence because they only come out when it's quiet, their tails brushing over your eyelids - wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead!
Ah, I don't need this!
I hate my loves, I have my doubts.
I don't need this.
The lyrics of mewithoutYou's song The Soviet are complex and open to multiple interpretations. One way to approach them is through the tension between love and death that runs throughout the song. The opening line expresses the idea that God is love and love is real, but the following lines suggest that this reality is being challenged by the presence of the dead who are dancing with the dead. This is a powerful metaphor for the way in which death can distort and corrupt love, turning it into something grotesque and unsettling. As the song progresses, the singer finds himself struggling to reconcile his love with the reality of death.
The second verse introduces the image of the foxes in the vineyard, which can be read as a metaphor for the destructive forces that can undermine love and relationships. The singer asks God to catch these foxes before they do too much damage, but the tone is desperate and uncertain. The final lines of the song express a sense of disillusionment and disappointment with love, as the singer declares that he hates his loves and has his doubts. The repeated refrain of "I don't need this" suggests a desire to distance oneself from love and its complexities altogether.
Overall, The Soviet is a powerful and thought-provoking song that explores the dark side of love and the way in which it can be corrupted by death and other destructive forces.
Line by Line Meaning
God is love and love is real, but the dead are dancing with the dead and through all that's charming disappears.
Although love is a true feeling, death still exists and even the most charming things eventually come to an end.
All things lovely only hurt my head as I gather stones from fields like pearls of water on my fingers' ends and wrap them in boxes.
Beautiful things might bring pain and confusion, but they are still valuable to gather and store as memories.
Save from windows, from things that break, as the night-time shined like day it saw my sorry face.
In order to avoid getting hurt, one must stay away from fragile things and remain hidden during their weakest moments.
Hair a mess but it liked my best that way (besides how else could I confess? When I looked down like if to pray, well I was looking down her dress...)
Even in a messy state, the artist was still able to be himself and express his desires freely, even if it was in a disrespectful manner.
Good god, please! Catch for us the foxes in the vineyard - the little foxes.
Asking for divine intervention to catch the foxes, representing the small but significant things that can cause harm or damage in one's life.
Turn your ear, musician.
A call to the musicians to pay attention and listen carefully.
To silence because they only come out when it's quiet, their tails brushing over your eyelids - wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead!
Giving advice to the listeners to be alert and awake, as there are hidden dangers that only reveal themselves in stillness, and it's important to rise above them.
Or the fur that they shed will cover your bed in a delicate orange-ish cinnamon red.
If one doesn't pay attention to these warning signs, they will eventually pay a price and face the consequences.
Ah, I don't need this! I hate my loves, I have my doubts. I don't need this.
The artist is feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about the situation, expressing frustration and a desire to escape.
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
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