Echo and Miller formed the band in the fall of 1998, citing a mutual love of old-school new wave, dance-punk energy and dark pop, with bassist Jeff Jaeger, drummer Scott Ellis (Mellowdrone, She Wants Revenge) and guitarist Mike Smith. The latter left during the recording of their debut album, Shakedown!, which was released on The Label, a sub-label of Geffen Records.
After returning from touring, the band found the label was closing its doors, and, after Scott Ellis' departure, released The 1234 EP independently. Following a 2002 summer tour supporting Scarling., the band gathered enough money to release theSTART EP on Smallstone Records. After a tour supporting AFI, the band was signed to Nitro Records. Stabilizing a new line-up with Erick Sanger and Billy Brimblecom, Jr., they recorded their next album, Initiation. In the meantime, theSTART EP was re-released on Nitro Records under the title Death Via Satellite. Unfortunately, on the day of Initiation's release, Brimblecom announced his departure. The band proceeded to tour with artists such as The Offspring, Auf Der Maur and Garbage with a number of fill-in drummers. Sanger was let go in 2006 for unclear reasons, paving the way for current rhythm section Lance Webber and Chelsea Davis. The band also parted ways with Nitro Records, and signed with Metropolis Records later that year, releasing Ciao, Baby in 2007.
Némesis
theSTART Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About the man who they say
Had the golden touch
He used to mingle
With the mortals
Til his lady had too much
The reason for his sway
It seems i talk too much
Her vengeance stopped me
Dead in my tracks
Now i can't speak
Nemesis
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
And now she caught me
After her man but
She was mistaken
And now i find my true love's gaze
Is fixed only upon himself
The only charm she'll let me wear
Is to follow him and repeat
And i wither here beside him still
No body, just my voice
Nemesis
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
You know i wish i was
The right girl
You know i wish i was
The right girl for him
You know i wish i was
The right girl
You know i wish i was
You know i wish i was
Nemesis
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
Ooh, nemesis
She's got the wrong girl
You know i wish i was
The right girl
TheSTART's song Nemesis is a story about a woman who is mistaken as a rival by a vengeful woman, Nemesis. The song begins with the reference to the legend of the man with the golden touch, who when touched, turned all objects to gold. The man mingled with mortals until his lady had too much, and she had to find the reason for his sway. The singer continues with the statement, "It seems I talk too much," as if she was the cause of the lady's feeling of inadequacy, and that Nemesis mistook her for being involved with her man.
When Nemesis caught up with her, the singer declares that Nemesis got the wrong girl, and she was mistaken. She found her true love, but the only charm she could wear was to repeat him and follow him. The singer feels powerless, like withering beside him, with no body, just her voice. She wishes she was the right girl for him, but Nemesis's vengeance halts her progress, and she is stuck.
The song is a tale of mistaken identity and the suffering that comes with it. The singer is an innocent victim caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wishes she was the right girl, for who her true love desires, but her fate is chained to follow him and repeat him. The song is a haunting piece that leaves a trail of emotions long after it ends.
Line by Line Meaning
You've heard the one
You're familiar with the story
About the man who they say
The man people talk about
Had the golden touch
Was able to turn everything he touched into gold
He used to mingle
He would spend time with ordinary people
With the mortals
With regular people, not the gods
Til his lady had too much
Until his wife became jealous
She had to find
She needed to discover
The reason for his sway
Why he had so much influence over people
It seems i talk too much
The artist talks too much
Her vengeance stopped me
The wife's revenge stopped the artist
Dead in my tracks
Completely stopped in my progress
Now i can't speak
I am unable to talk
Nemesis
The concept of divine retribution
Ooh, nemesis
An expression of fear or awe towards divine retribution
She's got the wrong girl
She has accused the wrong person
And now she caught me
The wife has caught the artist
After her man but
Pursuing her husband, but
She was mistaken
She was wrong about the singer's intentions
And now i find my true love's gaze
The singer realizes that their lover only cares about themself
Is fixed only upon himself
Their lover is self-centered
The only charm she'll let me wear
The wife is only allowing the artist to have one adornment
Is to follow him and repeat
The only thing the artist can do is echo their lover's words
And i wither here beside him still
The singer is slowly losing their voice and personality while being with their lover
No body, just my voice
The artist feels like they are losing their physical body and becoming just a voice
You know i wish i was
The singer wants to be
The right girl
The person their lover truly desires
Contributed by Alice D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@foxyangg
Takes me back to high school. I wish I had pics when I saw them in corona
@emilieheitz
No love for the best band to ever exist😢
@fabianmartinez7979
What other bands with this style do you like? I love it too
@headboil
NICE
@yuryerr
yeahhhhh
@kkkleokkk9191
reminds me of that time as well
@italianboy09
what