Song of the Moment: Mind Your Manners

[EJ]

If this is what The Offspring sound like now, then I've gotta get me some Offspring. I actually think parts of the song sound an awful lot like Rocket From The Crypt, a greaser rock/punk band that Matt likes.

Hey didn't the drummer for Rocket From The Crypt end up joining The Offspring?

You sure do know a lot about The Offspring.

[Jorge]

If this is what The Offspring sound like now, then I've gotta get me some Offspring. I actually think parts of the song sound an awful lot like Rocket From The Crypt, a greaser rock/punk band that Matt likes.

Hey didn't the drummer for Rocket From The Crypt end up joining The Offspring?

You sure do know a lot about The Offspring.

Yup. They were my favorite band when I was 14 years old.

[Fuzzcharger]

If this is what The Offspring sound like now, then I've gotta get me some Offspring. I actually think parts of the song sound an awful lot like Rocket From The Crypt, a greaser rock/punk band that Matt likes.

Hey didn't the drummer for Rocket From The Crypt end up joining The Offspring?

You sure do know a lot about The Offspring.

Yup. They were my favorite band when I was 14 years old.

Don't be ashamed and try blame it on your adolescence. It's okay Platy.

[Jorge]

Oh, I'm okay. I came to terms with that part of my life some time ago.

[stip]

MYM > Fixer > WWS, so they're moving in the right direction.

This, to me, is the best of the post-Riot Act punkier songs - it sounds like they're struck a nice balance between Avacado and Backspacer. I'm going to go ahead and raise my expectations for the next record to cautiously optimistic.

Is MYM better than Got Some?

I too am cautiously optimistic. I real like Ed's delivery and lyrical content...what I can make out.

musically no. Vocally, yes.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

You sure do know a lot about The Offspring.

Yup. They were my favorite band when I was 14 years old.

I'm sure a lot of people would say the same about Pearl Jam. A lot of fans ran for the hills when they dropped the teen angst crap.

[VinylGuy]

If this is what The Offspring sound like now, then I've gotta get me some Offspring. I actually think parts of the song sound an awful lot like Rocket From The Crypt, a greaser rock/punk band that Matt likes.

Hey didn't the drummer for Rocket From The Crypt end up joining The Offspring?

You sure do know a lot about The Offspring.

Yup. They were my favorite band when I was 14 years old.

Don't be ashamed and try blame it on your adolescence. It's okay Platy.

[evenslow]

[stip]

my small dog ate a corn cob today and I just got back from dropping him off at the 24 hour vet for a 3-4k surgery. I'm glad I had this to listen to on the way home.

[Strat]

That dog needs to mind.....

[davluvsbeer]

Bummer Stip, hope he's ok...

[stip]

so after many listens today, lets break down this song

big fan of the start of the song (the first 15 seconds or so). Nothing really all that like this in their catalog. Sounds like someone is muffling a siren, which is in part what the song is about (more on this in a bit)

The verse and mym chorus is fine, but the weakest part of the song. Pretty similar to comatose, but has less abandon. I'd like to hear it snark less and snarl more. not sure if that's Eddie or the music. Possibly both. Having said, it's nice to see the low end creep back into Eddie's voice, as it was basically totally gone from Backspacer. I think Eddie sounds good throughout. This seems like the most 'punk' part of the song, and so not surprisingly it's the part I like the least.

Not really crazy about the pauses, although when I was imagining what this was going to sound like I had pauses in my version too.


At about 1:05 we move into the bridge/second chorus. I adore this part. I love the descending minor key sound to what stone's playing. Makes everything feel, if not ominous, at least more serious--like the song is putting aside the sarcasam to reveal the real message. The vocal melody here is great, and eddie sounds really good. I like the stuff Mike is playing underneath Eddie quite a bit too.

Good solo. Speed of comatose, sound of ghost. I think both of those solos are better than this hybrid, but it's still a good one.

Happy to get the second chorus a second time, since it's the best part of the song. Eddie gives us a good scream at the end of it, too.

It's not a great song. But it's good song with great moments. I'd give it a 4/5. I don't know that the record will enhance that 4 (I can't necessarily see it climbing higher) but I can see it sustaining it. I can also see this fading with time if Lightning Bolt (God help us) doesn't make good use of the song.

I like the way the outro music calls back to the song's intro, and I'm a big fan of the fractured sing along at the end.

[evenslow]

well said stip. i'm very intrigued that this is track 2 on the record. all kinds of real possibilities for what bookends it.

[stip]

Okay, in terms of what this song is about, here is my initial stab. The key is the second chorus. But before we get there, this song is about illusions. It's about trying to see past the veil that hides just how rapidly our world is falling apart. Learning to ignore the people who tell you there is no class conflict in the United States, who tell you that political protest and the aspiration for something better is rude, that it rocks the boat, that these people should learn to accept things the way they are and just go along with everyone else (think mainstream media reaction to Occupy Wall Street, for instance). That's the mind your manners part of the song. Just do what is expected of you. Well behaved people don't question. They don't cause trouble. The few religious references buttress this, but this isn't a song about religion, except insofar as religion is historically (especially in this country in this era) a tool for obedience.

Hence the muted siren at the start of the song. The suppression of alarm.


I think the chorus is the moment where the singer starts to realize that we have it within us to change this. The 'right around the corner could be bigger then ourselves and we could...something else (anything else) is the central lyric. It's a call to start imagining the possible. And if we don't we're stuck in the living hell he rails about at the end. These parts of the song are critical because the elevate the snark everywhere else. It gives it purpose.

[stip]

well said stip. i'm very intrigued that this is track 2 on the record. all kinds of real possibilities for what bookends it.

I'm still really interested in finding out if that other music from the tour announcement is on the album. I really loved it.

[Scott]

This is 50 times better than Ole....

Spoiler: show

and I haven't even listened to it yet!

[Strat]

This also reminds me of Let It Be era Replacements. We're coming out, tommy gets his tonsils out etc.

[Lament]

This also reminds me of Let It Be era Replacements. We're coming out, tommy gets his tonsils out etc.

Let It Be is awesome. One of the best opening and one of the best closing cuts ever.

[Strat]

This also reminds me of Let It Be era Replacements. We're coming out, tommy gets his tonsils out etc.

Let It Be is awesome. One of the best opening and one of the best closing cuts ever.

Just listened to MYM again and it jumped to "Color me impressed" as the next track.

[evenslow]

This also reminds me of Let It Be era Replacements. We're coming out, tommy gets his tonsils out etc.

Let It Be is awesome. One of the best opening and one of the best closing cuts ever.

And one of the flat out best damn songs of all time.

LOOK ME IN THE EYE!