Three Cheers For The Band
Between this, “Listen With Your Heart” and “Stick Around”, the hostility I had toward the institutions we were trying to get to accept us, and the total faith I had in what we were doing, is evident. I’m curious how it resonates with anyone else. Heroic? Pretentious? All I know is that I meant it. Every word of it.
I don’t particularly love the sloppy a capella on the verses. We could have used a stronger rhythm, and I probably pushed Earle to accept the sloppiness I now regret, but it was a raucous session with Steve Isaacs (a great singer-sonwgriter who would go on to be a famous MTV VJ) and Dan Clark (who would soon marry Jennie Garth and form the band Duke Daniels) and Jesse Richardson (who I am sure did great thing of which I am unaware).
My favorite part is the bridge with its Beach Boys harmonies produced by a producer of The Beach Boys (Earle Mankey) on gear (a spring reverb) that was used to record “Good Vibrations”.
Lyrics
THREE CHEERS FOR THE BAND
Three cheers for the band
They just wanna get near you
The PA system sucks and they can’t hear you
Three cheers for the band
that goes on at six thirty
on a Tuesday in late December
because waitresses have ears too
Three cheers for the band
Three cheers for the band
And three cheers for the band
that didn’t get a sound check
and doesn’t get a guest list
and has to pay to play
Three cheers for the band
that worries about the music
and doesn’t give a damn
what the A&R guys say
because when
they make it big
he’ll say he discovered them
and if they never make it big
he’ll still remember them
Three cheers for the band
Three cheers for the band
And three cheers for the band
that tries hard not to break it
but does it in the service
of their heroes
Three cheers for the band
’cause rock and roll is sacred
even if it’s only
on the demos
Three cheers for the band
Three cheers for the band
Three cheers for the band
Credits
Written by Andras Jones
Engineered & Produced by Earle Mankey
Andras Jones – Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Clay Goldstein – Harmonica, Jaw Harp & Vocals
R. Walt Vincent – Bass
John Nason – Guitar
Colin Mahoney – Drums
Deb Pasternak – Vocals
Steve Isaacs – Vocals
Dan Clark – Vocals
Jesse Richardson – Vocals
Purchase
$1.50